Dilly dally in the Welsh Borders
Heading home from Shropshire, we had a little time to kill before Stokesay Castle opened for the day. What else to do but dilly dally? I’m not entirely certain where the Welsh borders begin and end, but heading west from Church Stretton we can’t have been far away. I was delighted with colourful and quirky Bishop’s Castle, a centre for arts and crafts, and just one and a half miles from the border. I did go looking for the castle, built in 1087, but discovered afterwards that when it deteriorated in the 1700s it was flattened to make a bowling green!
I was luckier in tiny Clun where the ruins of a Norman castle still linger soulfully on a hill, only disturbed from slumber when the May fair comes to town. Clun was on the site of the historic drove road, where flocks and herds were driven from Wales to the markets of the Midlands and London. It amused me to find that at the time of the Norman Conquest, Clun formed part of the lands of Eadric the Wild. His wildness did him no good because his lands were confiscated when he led a revolt against King William 1.
To reach the castle we crossed over the 14th century packhorse bridge, and then on to lovely Stokesay. The ochre-coloured buildings are joyful, aren’t they? I hope you have a happy weekend, full of warmth and colour, but first, steer clear of troubled waters with Debbie. Share six words?
restlessjo 
My pick is the opening shot with all those lovely colourful houses. Thanks for the virtual wander 🙂
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Such a nice change to have all that colour and character. Lovely to have your company, Madhu. Take good care! 🙂 🙂
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As always, your words are as illuminating as your photographs. Loved this piece on the Welsh borders, a place I have just passed through once, a long time ago. My only Welsh knowledge is around the Fishguard area and The Mumbles where I spent many happy holidays.
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One of my good friends’ parents hailed from Mumbles and the name always makes me smile, though I’ve never been there, Mari. 🙂 🙂 Thanks a lot! How are you coping with the eye problem?
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Loved it all but my favorite picture was the last one. I want to walk into it and stay awhile. I imagine there is a lovely inn with a pub where I could relax for awhile. That would be nice 👍
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I’d find you one! 🙂 🙂 We did pass a couple but this was our homeward bound day so we didn’t linger. 😦 😦
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Idyllic, old-worldly towns and one can almost imagine they haven’t changed for centuries! Too bad about the castle destroyed to make room for the bowling green! 😀❤️
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Slightly odd, Annika, isn’t it? I guess we can spare a castle or two 🙂 🙂
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Oh, ich mag solche Orte sehr!
Herrlich… 🙂
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Ich aust, Ernst 🙂 🙂 Guten tag!
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I love those streets, Jo. Quaint, I feel! 😀
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Extremely, Tom! 🙂 🙂
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Imagine finishing off the castle to make a bowling green, makes you wonder what other treasures have been lost. Some beautiful photos here Jo, I like your framed ones. 🙂
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Thanks, darlin! 🙂 🙂 Yes, bizarre, isn’t it? Funnily enough the ruins at Clun were right beside a bowling green. They must have had a lucky escape 🙂 🙂 Who knew bowling was so big in the borders?
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Wonderful snatches of the border country. Brings back a lot of good memories. A shame you didn’t make it to Powys Castle though. Maybe another time… 🙂
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It was on the wish list but you can only coax a grumpy partner so far! 🙂 🙂
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Shame he was grumpy. Hope all is well now.
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He’s fine. Just he was woken at 7.30 on our second day by the prodigal son, whose phone had been blocked. You can imagine…. 😦 And I blame James for my twisted knee too 🙂
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Finding the border is a lot more easy from the north.
When I bike south from Liverpool and reach the river Dee,
so I know Wales is just on the other side. 🙂
Amazing atmosphere, but the old ruins and the alive town.
Really fascinating, a walk through really do inspire.
Excellent captured. 🙂
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Yes, that’s very true, Drake. 🙂 🙂 Thanks a lot, hon. I’m just working on the walk for tomorrow but the sun has appeared so… later 🙂
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All those lovely arches, Jo. And the colours of the buildings. Pays to dilly dally, eh?
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Doesn’t it just! 🙂 🙂 Although scrambling up to that castle in the famous wrong shoes was what did for my knee. Restored to glory now 🙂
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The ruins of this Norman Castle remind me of our Corfe Castle here in Dorset. It is great that sites like this are preserved for posterity 😄
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Yes, I think very similar, but much smaller, Gilda. This land of ours is end to end ruins, it seems 🙂 🙂
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