LUDLOW town wall runs extends for several miles and has 52 different owners of separate sections ranging from individuals to groups such as The Diocese of Hereford, which owns the section involved in the latest incident.

􀁧 As a rule of thumb if the wall is at the bottom of your garden, it is yours.

􀁧 If that’s the case, check the insurance situation to see if it is covered, not just for repairs but for any third party damage if there is a total or partial collapse.

Advice should be available from the Ludlow Town Wall Trust.

􀁧 Shropshire Council owns a relatively small section of the wall but has responsibilities for public safety.

􀁧 So how serious is the situation?

It’s clearly serious in the vicinity of the section that has collapsed but there’s nothing to suggest that the entire wall is about to fall down.

􀁧 What has caused the problems?

Old age is one factor – the wall dates back to 1233.

The weather is another – a combination of unprecedented rainfall last year, combined with some icy winter temperatures, causing the buid-up up water in the wall to expand and weaken the structure.

􀁧 Soil and other waste has been deposited against the wall and vegetation growing on it has caused cracking and fractures.

􀁧What needs to be done?

In some cases steel ties to pin sections of wall to the ground and other sections together will be used.

A deliberate and controlled demolition of parts of the wall at particular risk may be necessary.

Permanent repairs will take a long time because they will need to meet strict standards set down by English Heritage.

Specialist materials such as a medieval lime mix, which will only set when there is no risk of frost, will be used.

􀁧 How much will it cost?

A bid will be submitted to the Heritage Lottery Fund for £1.2m, despite a similar application being rejected last year.

The estimated cost for repairing the short 30 metre section that collapsed 11 days ago is £250,000.