REPAIRS to the Buttercross in Ludlow have been completed.

Now the traffic in the town centre can return to normal.

Ludlow Town Council is delighted that the repair work at the Buttercross has been finished just ahead of the main Christmas season.

The council has thanked stone mason Olly Preece for his expert craftsmanship, and care and attention in restoring the Buttercross.

They say that it is an excellent repair to the listed building.

The works included repair of a decorative ornamental stone plinth, reworking of damaged dressed stone sections, and insertion of three finely dressed Grinshill stone blocks.

An 80 per cent stone to 20 per cent resin mortar mix was used to repair the chipped stone on the edge of the building.

One of the reasons for the delay in completing the repair was that a supply of the stone required needed to be obtained from the quarry.

The Buttercross is a grade I listed building, and all the materials and methods including the traditional lime mortar have been approved by Shropshire Council’s Buildings Conservation Officer.

Now the seven day a week road closure has been lifted by Shropshire Council, and King Street re-opened.

The social distancing road closure on Fridays and Saturdays will remain in place.

A lorry is believed to have damaged the Buttercross as it made its way through the town.

It is not the first time that a historic building in Ludlow town centre has been damaged by traffic.