Ludlow

Ludlow stands above the River Teme in the Welsh Marches, its castle and medieval streets recalling the power of the border lords. The fortress became a royal residence and a centre for the government of Wales and the counties of the Marches. In 1473 Edward IV sent his son, the Prince of Wales, to live here with a council responsible for the principality.

Henry VII later established his own heir, Prince Arthur, at Ludlow. In 1501 Arthur came to the royal castle with his new bride Catherine of Aragon but died there in April of the following year. The Council of the Marches continued to exercise its authority from Ludlow, linking this border town to the administration of a much wider border region.