Ludlow Town Council is pleased to announce the opening of its new exhibition: Rickards. The exhibition is being hosted in Ludlow Museum at the Buttercross showcasing 160 years of hardware history.

Rickards of Ludlow, formerly known as Rickards & Sons, has been a cornerstone of the Ludlow community, offering a diverse collection of goods ranging from hardware and ironmongery to kitchenware and agricultural supplies.

Over the decades, Rickards has evolved alongside Ludlow itself, once supplying essential equipment for horse-drawn ploughs to local farmers. The building that had housed Rickards for 150 years has been put up for sale by the current owner.

Visitors to the museum will have the chance to explore a curated collection of artefacts and memorabilia once proudly displayed at Rickards. Discover antique hardware tools to archival ledgers and day books, all of which has been kindly donated to Shropshire Archives and Shropshire Museums.

Mayor of Ludlow, Councillor Beverley Waite said, “This is a great opportunity to glimpse into the past and appreciate the role that Rickards played in shaping our town's identity."

In its early years Rickards was a significant supplier to the farming community of equipment for horse-drawn ploughs, and today this link continues on a domestic level with a range of gardening products which now also cover bird feeders and bird foods.

The Rickards exhibition is open at Ludlow Museum at The Buttercross until October 2024. Visitors are welcome Friday through Sunday. Admission is £1.20, with free entry for children under 16.

For more information, please visit www.ludlowmuseum.co.uk