History masterpiece given a revamp
A history of Ludlow written by a renowned local historian from the town has been republished over 10 years after his death.
David Lloyd died in May 2009, and now his book, which was originally published in 1999 to meet the demand for a concise single-volume history of Ludlow, has been relaunched in colour, having been revised and updated by members of Ludlow Historical Research Group.
And it is dedicated to the memory of local bookseller Peter Bell, who had come up with the original idea to fill a gap in the market, and also gave encouragement to local history publications. He died in 1997.
In the foreword of The Concise History of Ludlow, Keith Thomas says David Lloyd belonged to the fine tradition of Ludlow historians.
"Over a period of 20 years or so, his active role in the Ludlow Historical Research Group resulted in many valuable publications about the town and its buildings," he says.
"In this book he brought together the work of previous scholars, combined with the fruits of his own archival and archaeological research, to produce the first history of Ludlow to run from its geological origins into the 21st century.
"He was an author who knew the town intimately and loved what he knew. He produced an indispensable guide to Ludlow's past which no-one, whether visitor or resident, should be without."
Born in Ludlow, David Lloyd had a varied career in education, being deputy head of a large comprehensive school, and then teaching at the Open University and at the Department of Continuing Studies at Birmingham University.
He moved back to Ludlow in 1985 and was involved in public life in a number of roles, including as Mayor and churchwarden of Ludlow's parish church. In his later years he ran a series of popular historical lectures and gave guided tours.
The Concise History of Ludlow has been published by Ludlow's Merlin Unwin Books and costs £14.99.
