The Shropshire Hills lay in a golden haze on the last day of October. Not only that, it was warm and still, and in Bishops Castle, where we went for my birthday outing, all was drowsing. We were drowsing. Lunch at the Castle Hotel was long and leisurely, and the food unassumingly delicious, and we spent the afternoon drifting around the streets, looking in the windows of shops that were mostly shut. It did not matter. It was Monday, and clearly the proprietors of most of the town’s establishments had better things to do on Mondays. We simply made a mental note to return when we were more alert, and they were more alert, and on the kind of day when it didn’t seem too bothersome to open one’s purse and shop.
Here then are scenes of Bishop’s Castle. It is a town with a very long and steep high street – a handsome church at the bottom, a fine town hall at the top, and ancient hostelries brewing their own ale at either end. And from every quarter, whenever you look down a main street you can see out to the countryside beyond. The best of all worlds then. I’m leaving the photos to speak for themselves, apart from saying, look out for the crocheted fairy cakes: they almost look good enough to eat. Oh yes, and there’s a shot of me with my best and only sister, Jo, in the garden of the Castle Hotel.
copyright 2016 Tish Farrell
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I’m linking this to Jo’s Monday Walk. So if you want more than the amble I’ve given you here, pop over there for a proper walk. It’s in Portugal too.
Tish Farrell 
I love Bishops Castle! Haven’t been back for years though so it was lovely to see the pictures.
You are most welcome, Tony.
Looks beautiful! Great pictures.
Thank you, GC.
Absolutely delightful. Tish. Thank you so much and belated happy birthday 🙂 This on a hazy afternoon spent in the company of a lovely and still feisty 85 year old who insisted on providing a tea party for ‘old friends’. I couldn’t wish for anything nicer than a saunter down the High St with you.
So very nice that you came too, and in good company. The more the merrier. Good spirits joining forces for the best possible world 🙂
Beautiful. Makes me quite nostalgic for England. Happy Birthday (belatedly). I hope the rest of your day was fabulous.
Thank you, Su, for your good wishes. I actually had a sneezing fit – living up to my name beyond the call of duty I thought. Not sure what that was about – untimely hay fever due to climate change, who knows. Ah well. I still enjoyed the day, sneezing or not.
Oh no. Hope it’s not a sign of things to come. I developed hay fever when we moved back to Auckland. Not bad, but not fun. Glad you had a good day.
Oh, I missed your birthday. Many happy returns, Tish 🙂
Thanks so much, Paula 🙂 🙂
Delightful Bishops Castle, suffering only from that very Shropshire affliction of poor transport links. You and your sister are very bonny young ladies and I am sorry I missed your birthday, but no doubt you had a good time without me 😉
I did think of you, Jude. And you would have been so welcome to join us 🙂
Lovely and happy birthday, Tish.
janet
Thank you, Janet.
Has it been another year already?
Many Happy Returns, dear Tish.
A smashing post, as per usual!
And you look so chilled and thoroughly at peace with the world!
Or is that the wine over lunch? 😉
Thank you, kind sir, for best wishes and all. Actually I’d had a jolly delicious pale ale with lunch, not something you find often in pubs these days.
What a gorgeous town. Thank you for sharing it. And it does look like two obviously very contented sisters as well.
P.S. Happy Birthday!
Thank you, Sandra, and for your birthday wishes 🙂
Bishop’s Castle rings a bell….I think my father had a car crash there, and we took a very long time to get back home…..
Oh goodness. That wasn’t too good a bell to ring. But I can imagine it taking a long time to get anywhere else. In fact we were saying yesterday that we thought Bishops Castle was probably in Rip Van Winkle Land, and certainly in some kind of a parallel universe. In which case, you were lucky to make it home at all 🙂
I’ve remembered…Bridgnorth! Not Bishop’s Castle at all (although I have been there years ago) Apropos Rip Van Winkle land, I’ve been to a place in France just like that
Bridgnorth is just up the road from Wenlock – not quite so outer or otherworldly as Bishop’s Castle though.
Oh no, exactly’
Great images.
Cheers!
Thanks for the tour. You’re so lucky to live in Much Wenlock where beauty abounds.
You are so right. And I was thinking that as I posted the photos. The best birthday present then – to live in Shropshire. Hope you are doing well, Stephen. I’ve not been over to your place lately 🙂
This looks like just the place to go “off grid” for a few days to enjoy watching fall permeate the area. As such, it’s a great reply to the challenge, Tish.