The beautifully sited Valle Crucis Abbey was an important Cistercian abbey founded in 1201, today it is in ruins. It was well known for its patronage of the bards, including a local 14C poet, lolo Goch. The Early English west front still stands and the chapter house is intact.

The church was enlarged in 1199 - a reflection on the prosperity of the town - and parts of it are in a style midway between Norman and Early English. The north transept has Decorated features and its construction reflects the recovery of Ludlow from the Black Plague which reduced its population by one third in 1349. The nave and chancel roofs date from around 1440.

This expanse of water is lined with new or restored 18 or 19C houses. Amongst them is Mathew Boulton's factory , The Brasshouse (Broad Street). Restored as new, the factory has been turned into a pub and restaurant. The narrow boats moored along the canal, all painted in bright colours, recall yesteryear's boats that used to clog the Midland's canals.

The 20 ha of the open-air museum at Blists Hill transport the visitor to a working community of the 1890s, with a bank, pub, butchers, mine and candlemakers. You can also see the canal incline for leading boats from Blists Hill to the Severn and Coalport. Many buildings come from other sites and have been rebuilt here.