[Illustration: LUDLOW CASTLE.]
The most important of all the castles in the middle marches of Wales was
Ludlow, whose grand ruins, mouldered into beauty, stand upon the river
Tame, near the western border of Shropshire. It was here that the lord
president of the Council of Wales held his court. Its ruins, though
abandoned, have not fallen into complete decay, so that it gives a fine
representation of the ancient feudal border stronghold: it is of great
size, with long stretches of walls and towers, interspersed with thick
masses of foliage and stately trees, while beneath is the dark rock on
which it is founded. It was built shortly after the Conquest by Roger de
Montgomery, and after being held by the Norman Earls of Shrewsbury it
was fortified by Henry I.: then Joyce de Dinan held it, and confined
Hugh de Mortimer as prisoner in one of the towers, still known as
Mortimer's Tower. Edward IV. established it as the place of residence
for the lord president of the Council that governed Wales: here the
youthful King Edward V. was proclaimed, soon to mysteriously disappear.
From Ludlow Castle, Wales was governed for more than three centuries,
and in Queen Elizabeth's time many important additions were made to it.
The young Philip Sidney lived here, his father being the lord president;
the stone bridge, replacing the drawbridge, and the great portal were
built at that time. In 1634, Milton's "Masque of Comus" was represented
here while Earl Bridgewater was lord president, one of the scenes being
the castle and town of Ludlow: this representation was part of the
festivities attending the earl's installation on Michaelmas Night. It
was in Ludlow Castle that Butler wrote part of _Hudibras_. The castle
was held for King Charles, but was delivered up to the Parliamentary
forces in 1646. The present exterior of the castle denotes its former
magnificence. The foundations are built into a dark gray rock, and the
castle rises from the point of a headland, the northern front consisting
of square towers with high, connecting embattled walls. In the last
century trees were planted on the rock and in the deep and wide ditch
that guarded the castle. The chief entrance is by a gateway under a low,
pointed arch which bears the arms of Queen Elizabeth and of Earl
Pembroke. There are several acres enclosed, and the keep is an immense
square tower of the Early Norman, one hundred and ten feet high and
ivy-mantled to the top. On its ground floor is the dungeon, half
underground, with square openings in the floor connecting with the
apartment above. The great hall is now without roof or floor, and a
tower at the west end is called Prince Arthur's Tower, while there are
also remains of the old chapel. The ruins have an imposing aspect, the
towers being richly clustered around the keep. This famous castle is now
the property of Earl Powis.
[Illustration: ENTRANCE TO THE COUNCIL-CHAMBER, LUDLOW CASTLE.]
The town of Ludlow adjoins the castle, and on approaching it the visitor
is struck by the fine appearance of the tower of the church of St.
Lawrence. The church is said to be the finest in Shropshire, and this
tower was built in the time of Edward IV. Its chantry is six hundred
years old, and belonged to the Palmers' guild. Their ordinances are
still preserved, one of which is to the effect that "if any man wishes,
as is the custom, to keep night-watches with the dead, this may be
allowed, provided that he does not call up ghosts." The town is filled
with timber-ribbed, pargetted houses, one of the most striking of these
being the old Feathers Inn. The exterior is rich in various devices,
including the feathers of the Prince of Wales, adopted as the sign
perhaps in the days of Prince Arthur, when the inn was built. Many of
the rooms are panelled with carved oak and have quaintly moulded
ceilings. It is not often that the modern tourist has a chance to rest
under such a venerable roof, for it is still a comfortable hostelrie.
The ancient priory of Austin Friars was at Ludlow, but is obliterated.
In the neighborhood of Ludlow are many attractive spots. From the summit
of the Vignals, about four miles away, there is a superb view over the
hills of Wales to the south and west, and the land of Shropshire to the
northward. Looking towards Ludlow, immediately at the foot of the hill
is seen the wooded valley of Hay Park: it was here that the children of
the Earl of Bridgewater were lost, an event that gave Milton occasion to
write the "Masque of Comus," and locate its scenes at and in the
neighborhood of Ludlow. Richard's Castle is at the southern end of this
wood, but there is not much of the old ruin left in the deep dingle. At
Downton Castle the romantic walks in the gardens abound in an almost
endless variety of ferns. Staunton Lacey Church, containing Romanesque
work, and supposed to be older than the Conquest, is also near Ludlow.
But the grand old castle and its quaint and venerated Feathers Inn are
the great attractions before which all others pale. What an amazing tale
of revelry, pageant, and intrigue they could tell were only the old
walls endowed with voice!
[Illustration: THE "FEATHERS" HOTEL, LUDLOW.]