Feathers Hotel, Ludlow: 'Most handsome inn in the world'

The Feathers Hotel in Ludlow was named 'the most handsome inn in the world' by the New York Times.

Built in 1619, this iconic building in Ludlow, with its authentic half-timbered Tudor façade, is Grade 1 listed.

The Feathers’ famous half-timbered Tudor façade is adorned with carved wooden motifs of the Prince of Wales’ three feathers emblem, which gives the hotel its name.

It was designed by an ambitious attorney called Rees Jones, who moved to Ludlow to pursue his career at the ‘Council of the Marches’.

The handsome building was converted into a hotel by his grandson 50 years later and has been welcoming guests since 1670.

Described by architectural historian Pevsner in his seminal 1942 book ‘The Buildings of England’ as ‘that prodigy of timber-framed houses’.

More recently, in 1983, The New York Times named it the ‘most handsome inn in the world’.

In the article by historian Jan Morris, she added: ‘It is one of the prime images of olde England, portrayed in posters and brochures wherever tourism is known.’

Guests have stepped through The Feathers’ original studded plank front door, which survives to this day, and enjoyed food, drink, rest and relaxation within its Jacobean interior for over 400 years.

Many 17th century features remain.

In 1970, the careful restoration of the hotel’s intricate wood carvings on its oak panelling by specialist craftsman Robert Pancheri, was awarded the UK’s Civic Trust Award for excellence in renovation.

Today, visitors in the lounge look out on to Ludlow’s main street, through the same lattice windows as The Feathers’ first guests.

The carefully-preserved moulded glass with original mullions and transoms are set with cast iron diamond glazing.

By the turn of this century, the years were beginning to tell on the hotel and it was in need of a makeover to fix its creaking plumbing and bring its facilities up to scratch for the modern visitor.

The Crest Hotel Group purchased The Feathers in 2018 and embarked on a £2.7 million renovation.

They worked closely with local authorities and the community, and payed careful attention to requirements of its Grade 1 listing.

With an absolute commitment to retain The Feathers’ historic charm and character, structural upgrades and a major refurbishment of all bedrooms and corridors were carried out.

The lounge and restaurant areas were then enhanced, to preserve original features and add modern comfort, lighting and facilities.

Today, the hotel has 42 en-suite bedrooms, a highly-acclaimed restaurant, popular lounge, cocktail bar and quintessential English tearoom.

The hotel has excellent reviews on TripAdvisor, with more than 300 five star reviews.

One recent customer said: “Lovely friendly hotel with a great atmosphere, the rooms were very nice and comfortable, en suit was a good size and very clean.

”The hotel has a lot of history and the location is fantastic with loads to see.”

Another customer, who visited a few months ago, added: “The rooms were spotless, the staff really lovely and so helpful, very patient with our 3 phone calls with some basic questions.

”Highly recommend the breakfast too, very good value. We thoroughly enjoyed the setting, the cosy ambience and we felt quite spoilt.

”The cocktails needed several taste tests and I can conclude that they were utterly delicious and contributed to a bit of a headache!”

Ludlow is a delightful small market town in south Shropshire, very near to the border with Wales.

The townscape, based on the original medieval town plan, has fine examples of architecture from the Medieval, Tudor and Georgian periods.

Foremost among these buildings are Ludlow Castle - and no visit to Ludlow would be complete without seeing this historic fortress!

Ludlow Castle has played a key role in some turbulent events in English history.

It became Crown property in 1461 and remained a royal castle for the next 350 years.

In 1473, the Prince of Wales and his brother were held here before their mysterious death in the Tower of London.

Abandoned in 1689, the castle quickly fell into ruin, described as ‘the very perfection of decay’ by Daniel Defoe

It’s full of history and a wonderful place to explore, as it the historic, grade 1 listed Feathers Hotel.

If you’d like to visit the hotel, the address is: 25 Bull Ring, Ludlow SY8 1AA.

It’s located in Ludlow’s main street, close to most attractions, including the castle.

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