Grade I listed Llwyd Mansion in the heart of Oswestry has been awarded £479,972 by The National Lottery Heritage Fund to restore it for future generations.
The development funding has been awarded to Oswestry Town Council in partnership with Shropshire Council to progress their restoration plans and apply for a full National Lottery grant of £2,870,665 at a later date.
As well as additional surveys and investigations, this funding will cover the cost of urgent structural repairs needed as well as a series of consultation events for the community to get involved in.
Llwyd Mansion was built in 1464/5 as a substantial merchant’s house around a possible earlier medieval hall house. The plaster roundel bearing the coat of arms of the Llwyd family with the date 1604, is believed to have been added during a later restoration in the 1800s. From the late 1880s until 2022, the building has been in commercial use.
Widespread structural alterations and repairs compounded by lack of care and maintenance over many years have left the building in a dilapidated state and on the ‘Heritage at Risk’ list.
In November 2023, Oswestry Town Council bought the building bringing it into public ownership for the first time in its history. Subsequent surveys revealed the extent and complexity of the restoration needed, partly due to its listing status and partly to the years of neglect and poor past repairs.
A business plan to secure the future of the building was produced in 2024 as part of the funding application to the Heritage Fund. Plans include community and commercial spaces on the lower floors and holiday let accommodation on upper floors.
This mixed-use approach will repurpose the building for the 21st Century, widen community access and generate income towards proper management and maintenance going forward, with any surplus funds reinvested within the town.
The Mayor of Oswestry cllr Rosie Radford said: “We’re absolutely thrilled to have secured this funding to help save this special building and create a community space for all to enjoy. We’re a step closer to realising this vision thanks to The National Lottery Heritage Fund and National Lottery players. Together, we are breathing new life into this piece of Oswestry’s heritage for the next generations.”
Heather Kidd, Shropshire Council’s Leader-elect, said: “We are pleased to hear of Oswestry Town Council’s successful application to The National Lottery Heritage Fund. We look forward to working collaboratively to restore and reopen this nationally important building and bringing Llwyd Mansion back into the heart of the community once more.”
The development phase of the restoration is expected to be completed by early 2027. A bid for the next phase will then be submitted. If successful, most of the structural restoration is likely to be completed by the end of 2028, with the building fully open towards the end of 2029.
Llwyd Mansion – Picture credit: Grum.
