Pub to raise a glass marking Nelson's link to town
Regulars at a pub will raise a glass to Admiral Lord Nelson on the 111th anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar – marking the fact that he came to stay just down the road a few years before.
The 400-year-old Rose and Crown in Ludlow's Church Street would have been there when Horatio Nelson visited the town in 1802, three years before he was killed during his final victory against Napoleon at Trafalgar on October 21, 1805.
Some reports say he drank at the Rose and Crown itself, which is a good possibility, though unconfirmed.
Tomorrow the pub, which reopened after a major refurbishment by Joules Brewery in July, will celebrate "Trafalgar night" in memory of Nelson's famous naval victory that halted Napoleon's plans to conquer Europe.
Gary Seymour, who has taken over as landlord, said the celebration would include a Napoleon impersonator and others in period costume, along with rousing naval songs from the period and plenty of Union Jacks.
He said: "We shall be serving a Traditional Trafalgar Night dinner of roast beef, prepared by my co-owner Karl Heber-Smith. Joules have brewed a special strong ale for the occasion, while diners will be entertained by Hobson's Choice Inland Sea Shanty Singers."
Nelson stayed in Ludlow in 1802 at the Shropshire Star's old offices on Broad Street, which was then The Angel hotel.
In 1802, after victory in the Battle of the Nile, Nelson came to Shropshire, crossing the River Teme by Ludford Bridge into Ludlow, where he was met by jubilant crowds.
Nelson was awarded the freedom of the borough and stayed at The Angel, together with his mistress Emma and her husband Sir William Hamilton.
