New Ludlow museum to spend £20,000 on artwork
More than £20,000 will be spent on displays and artwork at Ludlow's new museum, it has been revealed.
The cash will be spent on exhibits displaying geology in the Ludlow area, the treasures of the Bitterley Hoard and historical connections to Catherine of Aragon, according to Gina Wilding, clerk of Ludlow Town Council.
The museum will open in the Buttercross at the top of Broad Street once modernisation work is completed on the building.
It is currently based on the ground floor of Ludlow Assembly Rooms in Mill Street, but will move as part of a redevelopment that will see a bistro brought in.
Those behind the project are drawing inspiration from work on Shrewsbury Museum and Art Gallery, which has proved a hit since it opened in the town's Old Music Hall.
Ms Wilding said the displays at Ludlow's new museum were being funded by a grant from Shropshire Council, and added the work had to be commissioned by December 12 or the money would be lost. Members of Ludlow Town Council agreed to spend £23,564 on the work earlier this week.
The project has already faced one funding crisis this year when money was under threat of being withdrawn in the summer before work could be carried out.
Ms Wilding said: "We are working towards some great audio interactive elements and original-artist-reconstruction interactive interpretation, to feature Ludlow Castle and St Laurence's Church.
"We will also display Ludlow's unique geology, the treasures of the Bitterley hoard, historical connections to Catherine of Aragon, and architectural and social interpretation specific to Broad Street as well as other elements specific to local and nation events such as the commemoration of World War One."
She said the new Buttercross museum would also act as a central signpost to other heritage venues in and around Ludlow.
She said the next step was to install a lift at the 18th century Grade I listed building, which was required to bring it up to modern standards for public access.
"English Heritage has been consulted at each stage and works to enable the installation of the lift are currently taking place," she said.
"The lift company has agreed to install the lift in the first week of December."
An experienced museums service interpretation officer in Shrewsbury would be drawing up plans for the displays, she said.
The plans were discussed at a meeting of Ludlow Town Council on Monday. Vivienne Parry, Shropshire councillor suggested the scheme take a leaf out of the new Shrewsbury museum's book and put some thought into not letting the displays become stale.
