An exciting new future for Ludlow Assembly Rooms and the Buttercross

Shropshire Council has been working closely with the Trustees of Ludlow Assembly Rooms and Ludlow Town Council to ensure that both historic buildings have a viable and exciting future.

Discussions regarding Ludlow Assembly Rooms taking over the running of the Visitor Information Centre functions are well underway and this new arrangement will now be in place on Monday 22 September 2014.

The Visitor Information Centre will be housed in Ludlow Assembly Rooms, with the museum moving to the Buttercross once it has been fully refurbished, offering visitor information and museum services that are fit for the twenty-first century.

Gwilym Butler, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member for leisure, libraries and culture, said:

“There are exciting times ahead for Ludlow Assembly Rooms and the Buttercross. It is great that we are able to work with the Trustees and the Town Council to secure a bright future and continue to offer valued services to visitors and locals alike.”

Building work to reconfigure the Assembly Rooms is currently at the planning stage and a fundraising campaign will start shortly. This will mean that, as an interim measure, the Visitor Information Centre will merge with the current Box Office. Information leaflets and a computer station will be available in the public areas of the building, and principally in the snug on the first third floor where there will also be someone available to help visitors (lift access will be available).

Once the building work on the ground floor has been completed, the services will move back into the space currently occupied by the Visitor Information Centre.

Tony Blench, Chair of the Trustees of Ludlow Assembly Rooms, said:

“All of us, Shropshire Council, Ludlow Town Council and Ludlow Assembly Rooms must keep working closely to deliver this challenging set of changes. I am confident that, together, we can secure a sustainable future for the Assembly Rooms and ensure that the wider community continues to benefit from these important services”.

Ludlow Town Council has confirmed that the work to refurbish the Buttercross is well under way and progressing well. It is expected that the Museum will move into its new home later this year.

Gina Wilding, Ludlow Town Council’s Town Clerk, added:

“It’s important that Ludlow’s rich cultural history continues to be celebrated and The Buttercross is the ideal space in which to do this.

“I’m really pleased that this wonderful building will once again be used to support the visitor economy.”