Oswestry Town Council has concluded the purchase of the iconic building Llwyd Mansion, which brings the building into public ownership for the first time.

Llwyd Mansion is Grade I listed, which means that it is in the top 2% of all listed buildings in the country, making it just as important as Buckingham Palace and the Houses of Parliament.

Poor repairs and neglect have left the building in a vulnerable condition and as a result, Oswestry Town Council is working with Shropshire Council and Historic England to create a repair package for the building. Oswestry Town Council is carrying out further surveys in order to prioritise repairs and to enable the Council to apply for further funding to complete the works. These surveys will take time; however, the Council want to reassure the public that work is progressing to preserve this important building for the future.

Built in the mid-1400s Llwyd Mansion is a rare example of a timber framed building that was split into at least four separate properties. The coat of arms located on the front of the building displays a two-headed eagle, which shows that Llwyd Mansion is linked to the Llwyd (Lloyd) family of Llanforda.

Oswestry Town Mayor, Councillor Olly Rose commented “The Council has purchased this landmark building in order to safeguard it for future generations. The purchase is funded from monies allocated to the High Street Heritage Action Zone Programme. Over coming months, we will carry out several surveys to fully ascertain the scope of repair works. Given the nature of some of the external repairs, some work will take place in the Spring and therefore it will be some time before the building is ready to be fully occupied. We are hoping to open the building for public viewing and share updates on this exciting project. So little is known about the history of the property, and we look forward to discovering its story. We are grateful for the support of Shropshire Council and Historic England – a strong partnership approach will be critical to delivering a successful project.”

Oswestry Town Council will be erecting hoardings as a safety measure, replacing the existing fencing and will keep the area clean and tidy.

Picture credit: Graham Mitchell.