Hopes of war memorial tree in Ludlow Castle grounds

Members of Ludlow Town Council have agreed to plant a new tree to mark the centenary of the start of the war. The tree may come from where many soldiers from the town fell, at the Somme.

The proposal now needs the support of English Heritage and Culture Secretary Sajid Javid before it can proceed.

A tree was planted in Ludlow at the end of World War One to mark the Armistice and stand in memory of the town's soldiers who sacrificed their lives.

But all that remains of the ill-fated tree today is a weathered plaque on the walls of Ludlow Castle where it once stood – as the tree itself died after failing to thrive.

In the run up to the centenary of the war this summer, a photograph from 1918 re-emerged of the town's then-mayor Alderman Edward Sheldon wielding a shovel as a sapling – thought to be a cherry tree – was lowered into the ground.

The owner of the photo, 80-year-old Margory Sheldon, whose late husband William was the grandson of Alderman Edward Sheldon, said the tree did not last long as it did not survive after being moved. But the plaque, signed by Mayor Sheldon, is still readable, stating that the tree and plaque were put there to commemorate the end of the war.

At a meeting of Ludlow Town Council last night, town clerk Gina Wilding said she had met Bill Klemperer, English Heritage's principal inspector of ancient monuments, and shown him the plaque in Castle Gardens.

"Mr Klemperer inspected the site and commented that a suitably-sized tree could be planted in the same spot subject to the agreement of the type of tree," she said.

Local historian Clive Richardson said he was able to get hold of a number of sycamore trees from sites where soldiers had given their lives on the front lines during the Great War, including one from the Somme.

Campaigners who want the names of the fallen put on the war memorial will regroup to get official backing before pursuing their cause.

Supporters of the plan to put the names of those who fell on Ludlow's Castle Square "peace memorial", which currently bears the simple inscription "Lest we forget", turned out in force at a meeting of Ludlow Town Council last night.

The town council received 25 letters in support of the plan after its services committee voted against an initial proposal – to the anger of sisters Margaret Edwards and Jean Parker, of Poyner's clothes shop, who started the campaign and already raised £600 towards it.

But local historian Clive Richardson, who has lent his support to the scheme, asked that a re-consideration of the idea be put off until the next full council meeting, when the campaigners would have more to present to the town council.

He said he was expecting written approval from the Royal British Legion, which commissioned the peace memorial in 1993, and said he had set up a meeting and site visit with Shropshire Council's senior conservation officer Rachael Parry.

He said he would also be having an informal meeting with the Venerable Colin Williams, rector of the town's St Laurence's Church, who had concerns about the plan.

The roll of honour currently appears in the porch of the church and was put there in 1921. Mr Williams had written to the town council ahead of the meeting, saying: "Generations of men and women of our town have embraced our south porch as the place in which those who died in war are commemorated.

"It would be sad if any step were taken which would mean that it is less clear where brave men of our town are officially remembered."

Mr Richardson said he would be meeting with Mr Williams to talk about his concerns and see if they could work together.

He said: "There is a tendency to view it as them and us, but I don't think it is a them and us situation.

"Everybody is in favour of remembrance, it's just about doing it in the right way."

He said the supporters hoped to get together "a combined proposal that has everyone's approval".

Ludlow Town Council voted to put off considering the names on the memorial until the next full council meeting on November 24.

Mayor of Ludlow Paul Draper said it was a good idea not to rush any decision and wait until all the relevant information was at hand.