Ludlow

After Bodnant, Llandudno, and Chester, it was time to head back east, to Kent and then three weeks in London. We were sufficiently impressed with Chester to ask an AI (Clod? Jiminy?) whether there might be another town like Chester on the way east. The answer was to stop at Ludlow, a town of scores of listed old buildings, a castle, a foodie culture, and a great parish church. It was a short stop, three or so hours, but we can enthusiastically recommend Ludlow as another British site worth a stop. 

Chain mail portal; one of several

Maybe not Michelin foodie, but authentic, fresh, seasonal, etc.,
also traditional

Actually it was mostly crafts, weird stuff

The castle; we don't do castles anymore; unless they have elevators

Helpful model; not LEGO

Probably not from Pier 1

Drone's eye view

Many such facades

Clever advert

Ample interpretive signage, badges, etc.

Among the pretty such places; we did not eat here since
they were not serving the full English breakfast I wanted

We did eat at this place, whose name we have lost, but it at 
least afforded a most memorable dish...Vicki's duck pizza;
seriously; ducks bits, hoisin sauce, and mozzarella cheese (!);
ate it all but said she might not order it again

I had to settle for partial English breakfast

Scores of such buildings

Never pass up anything called "Reeds Plus" or "Reeds R Us,"
especially with this sort of display out on the street

Me, inquiring within, asking whether they had any oboe reeds; their
supply, they said, was "rather limited," which I took as British for "no";
still, nice, fun people, a mother (saxophone) and daughter (clarinet)

Chester Cathedral Misericords

In the olden days, monks, et al., were expected to stand in the choir throughout the various services, etc. This was hard on the older guys (ask me...) and so someone came up with the idea of the misericord, literally, mercy seat. It could be folded down, out of sight, but, when extended up, provided a little something to lean onto, while maintaining the appearance of standing. Like other things in the choir, they were carved, that is, decorated. But since the misericord was something on which you placed your bottom, or bum, as the British say, the carvings were not of sacred things. Rather, they were of the other, profane world, mythology, beasts, mere humans, and such, often amusing, sometimes raunchy, even lewd. I don't think we've ever been in a church of any size or sort in which all the misericords were exposed for examination. Until we got to Chester. Below are some of the better choir carvings at Chester, not even all of the misericords. Interpretation is sometimes obvious, more often problematic, especially as a 21st century mind looks at 14th century sculpture. But as with anything else, there is a whole literature to help you find your way, e.g., Church Misericords and Bench Ends, by Richard Hayman.

North choir stall, bench ends

Misericords...

Wild men?

Unicorn

The Chester Elephant and Castle, very famous (as choir stall carvings go)