Houses evacuated in Ludlow following concern about town walls (From Ludlow Advertiser)

Houses evacuated in Ludlow following concern about town walls

1:26pm Saturday 2nd March 2013 in News By Adrian Kibbler

HOUSES below a section of Ludlow’s historic town wall have been evacuated.

Following an inspection engineers have declared a stretch of the wall below The Rectory as unsafe.

Shropshire Council have advised residents to move out while a further examination is carried out and they are being put up at a nearby hotel.

The move comes less than a week after a collapse of a section of the wall which is believed to be the worst in its 800 year history.

Shropshire Council is co-ordinating the emergency although the section of wall involved is owned by the Diocese of Hereford.

The evacuation was ordered late on Friday evening (March 1) after it was discovered that there had been a major deterioration of the structure.

Ludlow’s Town wall dates back to 1233 and there are more than 50 owners of individual sections.

Major repairs to the listed ancient monument would need the approval of English Heritage, although emergency action to save life and property is permitted.