St Laurence Church attracts 62,000 visits

A church in Shropshire has been named as the second most visited in the Midlands, attracting 60,000 visitors a year.

St Laurence Church, in Ludlow, which boasts a large tower offering stunning views, was second only to Church of the Holy Trinity in Stratford-upon-Avon, where William Shakespeare is buried.

The 800-year-old church has 200 steps to the top of the tower and has been a hit as it was visited by 62,000 tourists last year.

Ewart Carson, church warden at St Laurence, believes that the history surrounding the castle is what makes it so popular with tourists.

"It is one of the finest parish churches in England. It has tremendous history and marvelous stain glass windows. Also, in the wet weather it is the largest umbrella in the town, so when it rains we certainly get more people coming through the doors."

Around 120,000 people visit the historic town each year, which means about half of the visitors go to St Laurence Church.

Mr Carson added: "It's a very inspiring building and you can feel the history as you are standing in the room. It is very much part of the history and is a very important in terms of education in Ludlow."

The church is currently subject to a £4million restoration and there is a meeting in Oscars at 7.30 tonight on the plans.