LUDLOW LECTURES
History and Landscape of Ludlow and the Marches
The Ludlow Lectures are held in Ludlow Assembly Rooms, Market Square Ludlow SY8 1AZ.
Each lecture starts at 10.00am and finishes at 12.00, with a coffee break in the middle. (Coffee may be ordered before the lecture, at the Bar.)
The programme for Spring 2026 is as follows:
Tuesday 10 February 2026
Les Lumsdon
Trails and Tribulations – Stories from a Trail Pioneer
Lonely Planet heralded the Heart of Wales Railway Line as one of the top ten journeys in Europe. The talk illustrates this journey and why the railway route from South Shropshire to the South Wales Coast deserves this accolade. Les, a slow travel expert, will also unfold the story about how a group of people made the Trail that follows the Heart of Wales Line happen against the odds.
Tuesday 17 February 2026
Clare Wichbold
Suffragettes and Suffragists in the Marches
The Marches was a remarkably active area in relation to womens’ suffrage. This talk will be in two parts, the first exploring the wider context of the campaign, looking at how different organisations and individuals were involved, and the second part will focus on one particular local suffragette and socialist, Constance Chellingworth Radcliffe Cooke.
Tuesday 24 February 2026
Ben Tagg & Patrick McIlroy
Castle Lodge Past, Present and Future
Castle Lodge is a fine Grade II* building with a long and fascinating history. It has been at the centre of both Ludlow’s political and social life over the centuries and is now opening as a boutique hotel. Owner Ben Tagg and conservation architect Patrick McIlroy, will explore its story from its early years, the challenges and delights of the current restoration and their visions for its future.
Tuesday 3 March 2026
Colin Richards
The Renaissance of Ludlow at the End of the 20th Century
We tend to hear most about the medieval and early modern history of Ludlow, but the town’s later 20th Century evolution as a heritage centre is also fascinating. This lecture will be the culmination of a series of recent talks on 20th Century Ludlow by Colin Richards, and will cover the story of the last 50 years - its hits as well as the near misses that would have made the town a very different place today. (Talk in aid of the Town Walls Trust)
Tuesday 10 March 2026
Caroline Magnus
Stokesay Court – Running the Gauntlet
After more than 30 years in charge of Stokesay Court, Caroline Magnus is preparing to retire and hand the House over to the next generation. She will discuss its history; reflect upon the ups and downs over the years; some successes and some flops; the filming of “Atonement”; and her hopes for its future.
Tuesday 17 March 2026
Keith Lilley
Revisiting Ludlow and other planned Norman ‘New Towns’
2026 is a ‘Year of the Normans’ and offers an opportunity to look again at our towns with Norman heritage. Ludlow is one of these places, and this talk will use mapping as a way to compare Ludlow’s early urban development with other Norman “new towns” in England, Wales and Ireland. Keith Lilley is one of the UK’s foremost thinkers on this subject.
For further information please contact:
Amana Winchester
Telephone 07545 257 847
or
E-mail: AmanaWinchester@gmail.com
If you would like to attend these lectures:
1) Please pay £25 by BACS for all 6 lectures.
Sort code: 20-53-22 Account number: 63901157 Ludlow Lectures
Please include your name as the reference so we know who has paid and email me (Amana) so I can look for your name on the bank statement.
2) Or let Amana have a cheque made payable to Ludlow Lectures - £25 per person.
3) Individual lectures are £5 per person and you are welcome to pay in cash on the door.