Trust reformed in effort to fund town wall repairs

A charitable trust, which once cared for and maintained a town's walls, has been reformed after a section remained in ruins for over a decade.

A 10m (32.8ft) section of Ludlow town wall, behind St Lawrence's Church, collapsed in 2013 and has been fenced off since then.

At a public meeting on Saturday, the Ludlow Town Walls Trust said it would begin raising money to assist local authorities in carrying out repairs.

"The public mood at the meeting was that the nettle needs to be grasped," notes from the meeting said.

The section of wall is owned by the Parish Church of St Laurence, Ludlow, as part of the Church of England estate.

However, responsibility for repair lies with Ludlow Town Council, according to the parish and Shropshire Council.

Ludlow Town Council has not responded to the BBC's request for comment, but earlier this year said it was still taking legal advice.

"This blot on our landscape has been left unattended and it's now presenting a risk of further collapse," claimed Colin Richards, chair of the trust.

"What we're trying to do as a community is to come forward through the Ludlow Town Walls Trust to say look...we can help as a community."

Mr Richards was responsible for the wall for 24 years as a conservation officer with the former South Shropshire District Council.

The Ludlow Town Walls Trust was set up in 2007 to help attract funding for the scheduled ancient monument.

Further notes from the meeting said the Trust would do "all it can" to secure external funding, starting with a lantern walk on 15 November.

Additionally, a medieval village would be created at the town's Garden of Rest in summer 2025, and an international stonemason's festival would take place in 2026.

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