Ludlow residents split over look of repairs to historic Ludford Bridge

After joy at the reopening of Ludford Bridge over the River Teme in Ludlow on Friday, talk has turned to the look of repairs on the ancient Grade I listed structure, with residents split over whether it stands out too much or whether it is simply a matter of waiting for time to do its work.

A section of the wall was knocked through, taking stone work from the side of the bridge with it, in an accident involving a delivery lorry in February.

The repairs have been carried out with specially-sourced stone by experts in traditional techniques to strict guidelines, with permission from the Secretary of State, which Shropshire Council had to get due to the bridge's protected status.

However, some have criticised the end result, such as 42-year-old Neil Thomas, a former resident whose family still live in Ludlow.

He said: "Everyone is talking about it, I think it looks awful. It was originally made with Whitcliffe stone so they could have got it from there."

Asked whether he thought the stone would weather to look the same with time, he said: "I imagine it will, but probably in 100 years' time."

But resident Peter Burden defended the work, saying: "A bridge like this is an organic thing which has aged, and will age, organically. It would be bogus to 'oldify' the stone."

Andy Boddington, Shropshire councillor for Ludlow North, himself a former archaeologist, said: "The stonework does look rather new, pretty much as the bridge might have looked after it was restored in 1886.

"Some people think the new stonework is awful. I disagree.

"With the new stonework in place, we can now see what Ludford Bridge looked like in its heyday. It was red and light grey, not the dull mottled grey we are used to.

"We were unable to source stone from Whitcliffe or Downton as these are heavily protected landscapes, including areas protected for their geology. Shropshire Council, with the approval of Historic England, sourced the new stone from Myddle and Highley.

"The stone has been hand worked but it is inevitable that new stonework will look rather like new stonework.

"The new look won't last that long with the weather we have around here. Give it a few years and the stone will weather in nicely.

"Meanwhile, I think we should admire the work that has been done and imagine what the bridge might once have looked like when it was newly built.

"I think the masons have done a good job," he said.