Fresh grant funding for Llwyd Mansion restoration project

A project to transform a historic building in a north Shropshire town to create a new visitor centre and commercial space has been handed another boost.

The Architectural Heritage Fund, a charity which aims to help communities revitalise old buildings, has awarded £35,000 to the team renovating Llwyd Mansion in Oswestry.

Oswestry Town Council, which bought the building in 2023, said the fresh funds would enable it to carry out preparatory work while it awaits a decision on a £3.2 million funding bid lodged with the lottery.

In a statement posted on social media, the council said: "We would like to bring you some more good news for Llwyd Mansion.

"We have been successful in obtaining a grant of over £35,000 from the Architectural Heritage Fund.

"This grant will enable us to carry on preparation work while we wait to hear the result of our National Lottery Heritage Fund application.

"Without the support of grant organisations like this and the UK Government, our journey to restore Llwyd Mansion would be difficult and therefore we would like to extend a note of gratitude to all funders who have helped us."

Llwyd Mansion is a timber-framed building in Cross Street which was built in the 1460s as a grand merchant's home and possibly incorporated an earlier medieval hall.

Under the new plans lodged with Shropshire Council in July, it would undergo structural repairs, internal alterations, accessibility improvements and upgrades to the building's services to bring it back into community use.

Subject to consent, the basement would undergo some small work and be used as storage to support the building's activities while the ground floor would be home to a visitor centre and retail space.

There would also be an improved shopfront with large windows to create a more active frontage.

The first floor would be home to a flexible and open plan space suitable for a range of activities including exhibitions or more retail, with access via a new stairway and lift.

The proposal for the second floor is to have some flexible space for use as a maker's studio and workspace with smaller offices and breakout areas.

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Llwyd Mansion is grade I listed, has been vacant for a number of years and appears on Historic England's 'At Risk' register which lists UK heritage buildings which have fallen into a state of disrepair and decay.

Documents submitted to Shropshire Council in support of the planning application said the key objective was for Llwyd Mansion to become a beacon for tourism and information on Oswestry, promoting culture and heritage across the borderland.

They described it as a "building of exceptional national significance" but that recent surveys had shown it to be in a "critically fragile condition", with severe distortion, compromised joints, high moisture levels and a reliance on neighbouring buildings for stability.

"Substantial conservation work is essential to safeguard its long‑term future," it said.