Major exhibition planned on Shropshire architect

The architect and engineer from Oswestry left his mark all along the Welsh border, from the Llanfyllin workhouse to bridges, churches, country houses and markets.

He also became mayor of Oswestry in 1840.

Now Oswestry Town Museum and the Llanfyllin Dolydd Building Preservation Trust are collaborating on an exhibition on Thomas Penson and his buildings. It will be staged in association with the project to restore the Master’s House at Llanfyllin.

The exhibition is planned to open in 2020 and to be shown at the museum and later at other venues along the border.

The museum and the trust are looking for volunteers who could help with researching and designing the exhibition as well as material that might be included.

John Hainsworth, a workhouse trustee, said: "Few of Thomas Penson’s papers or drawings seem to have survived and no portrait of him is known to exist. Good quality photographs of his buildings are needed too.

"The organisers would like to find out more about his pioneering work with moulded terracotta bricks, possibly produced around Morda or Trefonen and used in several of his churches."

Anyone interested should contact Mark Hignett, Museum Director, on 01691 680241 or John Hainsworth, Workhouse Trustee, on 01691 860549.