Leaving Ludlow, we drove north to Stokesay Castle. This castle was located in a lovely setting just off a main road, among the wooded hills of the Welsh Marches. Being more of a fortified manor house, Stokesay was different than most of the other castles we visited in Britain. Rather than stark, it was inviting, like a country cottage overgrown with ivy and clematis. Its moated garden burst with colorful blooms spilling over into the adjacent graveyard of the old church next door. The interior boasted a timbered great hall, and a tower that, we were warned, was often inhabited by local bats. We were instructed not to disturb the creatures if we stumbled across them.