History fans ship in to celebrate Horatio Nelson in Ludlow
Lord Nelson and one of the most famous naval battles in history were remembered at a pub the admiral may have drunk in.
The 111th anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar was marked at the Rose and Crown in Ludlow, and regulars raised a glass to Horatio Nelson, who is known to have visited the town in 1802.
The 400-year-old pub would have been there when Nelson visited the town though rumours he drank there are unconfirmed.
However, he was known to have stayed at the former Angel hotel in Broad Street – now offices – just down the road three years before he was killed during his final victory against Napoleon at Trafalgar on October 21, 1805. Gary Seymour, landlord at the Rose and Crown, said it was a night to remember with union jacks be-decking the ancient pub, Napoleonic Wars re-enactors in period military uniforms and rousing traditional naval songs.
He said: "We had a good turnout, it was a packed house.
"Karl Heber-Smith, who is co-landlord did his traditional Trafalgar roast beef and people joined in with the Hobson's Shanty Singers later on.
"It's the first of many things we've got planned – next year we'll do a St George's Day beer festival, with Morris dancers. Everyone celebrates St Patrick's Day, but a lot of people seem to overlook St George." He said in mid-November they were also planning a Beaujolais night with wine, a jazz band and a mix of French and English food.
Nelson came to Shropshire after victory in the Battle of the Nile, crossing the River Teme at Ludford Bridge, where he was met by jubilant crowds.
He was awarded the freedom of the borough and stayed at the Angel – the Shropshire Star and South Shropshire Journal's former offices in town – and reportedly addressed the crowds from one of the bay windows.
Lucien Bonaparte, younger brother of the French Emperor, was imprisoned at Dinham House in 1811.