ONE of the great iconic names of Ludlow has disappeared forever.

De Greys has been a feature of the town centre attracting visitors from all over the world for a century.

The name was given a reprieve when the premises in Broad Street was taken over by the Wildwood chain who decided to keep it going.

But now they have changed their minds and the De Greys sign has been taken down for the last time and will not be coming back.

When ‘the Advertiser’ called Wildwood it was conformed that the sign has gone and will not be returning.

The person who declined to give a name did not say what will happen to the iconic example of sign writing but said that it will not form any part of the business in the future.

De Greys first opened its doors 100 years ago and won national recognition as a tea room winning many awards along the way.

It was known for its cake and bread stall and stylish restaurant with waitresses in the uniforms of a by-gone age. There was also bed and breakfast accommodation at one time.

But the impact of the economic downturn finally caught up with De Greys in January 2014 when it appeared to close its doors for the last time with the loss of 40 jobs.

The closure followed a 30 day consultation period that had given staff a miserable Christmas.

But in August 2014 the clouds lifted and it looked as if one of Ludlow great independent town centre businesses was back in business.

Less than a year after closing down the De Greys brand was back on Broad Street.

It had been decided that the name should not be lost and was incorporated as part of the Wildwood Restaurant.

This meant that the traditional De Greys tearoom with its cake and deli counter was running alongside the newer dining room.

At the time the owners said that the decision to bring back De Greys had been taken after so many people in the town expressed their sorrow at its demise after being part of the town for so many decades.

However, the stay of execution proved to be short lived and De Greys is now no more.

It will be another blow for the Ludlow Chamber of Trade that has been concerned at the disappearance of local business and their replacement with national brands.

The Chamber believes that dwindling number of local independent shops makes Ludlow different to many other towns.

Andy Boddington, who represents Ludlow on Shropshire Council, believes that the loss of the De Greys name had been coming for some time.

“The De Grey’s brand, loved by Ludlovians and tourists alike, has been removed,” he said.

“It’s a bit of our history being painted out of Ludlow by sign writers.

“The building is rapidly losing its historic glory. My main concern is the loss of the unique De Grey’s sign that hung over Broad Street.”