Just a mile or two away from the cottage we had rented in the heart of Shropshire we came across a large flock of sheep in a field. I stopped to get a couple of shots, but within a few seconds the entire flock was making its way across to the fence where I was standing. Then I realised that they thought I had come to feed them - their feeding trough was just a few feet away. Sadly, they were disappointed, but I had the opportunity to take a few close-up shots. This was one of them.

Tags:   Shropshire sheep animals farm animals

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It is said that this large parish church dates from the 12th century, and is on the site of an earlier Anglo Saxon church dating from around 680AD. The present nave dates from 1150 and was built by Cluniac monks of the nearby Wenlock Priory.

The three storey south porch dates from the 14th century. Living accommodation was on the first floor, while the second floor was thought to contain a bedroom.

Inside the church the rounded arches and pillars in the nave typify the Norman style of ecclesiastical architecture. The interior of the church contains a small memorial to William Penny Brookes - the founder of the Modern Olympic Games.

The west tower is generally thought to date from the 12th century. The crenellated parapet was added in the late 1500s. By around the middle of the 16th century the church had a tall spire, and this is shown in a drawing dated 1820. This was dismantled in 1930.

However, the stonework of the tower appears to be far rougher than one would expect from the Norman era, and the window at the top of the tower appears to be a classic Saxon design. I therefore wonder if the tower is older than generally thought, and that it is perhaps a remnant from the earlier Saxon church (or minster) that we know once stood on this site. There is some support for this idea at www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/salop/vol10/pp399-447. Click on Churches.

Tags:   Shropshire Much Wenlock Church of the Holy Trinity, Much Wenlock Norman architecture medieval buildings churches Grade II*-listed buildings Saxon church tower

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There is much fine stained glass in st Laurence's Church in Ludlow, including the West Window. The church was vastly increased in size in the 15th century when members of the Palmers' (or Pilgrims') Guild rebuilt and enriched the church, which is Grade I-listed. It is regarded by Simon Jenkins as one of the hundred best churches in England.

Tags:   Shropshire Ludlow St Laurence's Church, Ludlow England's Thousand Best churches Grade I-listed buildings Wool churches churches

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This was taken from the garden of our rented cottage in the south-west of Shropshire. I couldn't resist it.

Tags:   Shropshire sunsets trees countryside silhouettes skies

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This was taken in between the Stiperstones and the Long Mynd in the Shropshire Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. This is centred around Church Stretton in the south of the county, and is surely one of England's most beautiful areas.

Tags:   Shropshire farmland Shropshire Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty countryside landscapes hills sheep cattle

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