Ancient secrets revealed of overlooked gem

Through studying archive information and examining the property fabric, Ralph has gained an intimate knowledge and understanding of Ludford House, which his book describes as one of the county's most charismatic, yet least well-known, great houses.

Working at Ludford House – which stands close to the River Teme and is listed as being of architectural or historical interest – during the 1990s, he was given the task of showing groups of visitors around the house and grounds. The idea of writing a book took shape after one group member suggested that he write down all that he knew.

"My own all-consuming interest in Ludford is the culmination of a lifelong flirtation with history," he says.

In 1959, at the age of nine, his family moved into an old property, Pantall's Cottage in the village of Sutton St Nicholas in Herefordshire, which had many ancient features and planted the seeds of his interest in all things historical.

"Half a lifetime later, in 1983, driving into the courtyard of Ludford House for the first time revived vivid memories of Pantall's Cottage. Was that a hall range I could see, tucked away in a corner?

"David Nicholson and Toni, his wife, owned the house but David always said they were merely the custodians.

"I myself have now been involved with the house for over 30 years, but still remember the immense thrill of looking down onto the lower floor of a large room, part of the medieval domestic wing, for the very first time. Other discoveries took longer.

"Entering the loft through a small door was a frequent event during the winter because of a leaky roof, but it was a gradual realisation that what I was stepping over was a beautifully moulded bressumer beam supporting the uppermost storey of a three-storey porch.

"Perhaps the greatest thrill was discovering a hidden floor behind the Tudor chimney stack."

Ralph says there is no doubt that the core of Ludford House dates back as far as the 13th century, and says evidence can be extrapolated to prove that it existed even before that.

"The antiquity of Ludford House is often referred to by relatively modern writers and historians. Usually its beginnings are described as those of a leper hospital, although I would argue its use as such is doubtful."

His book "Ludford House, Ludlow" looks not just at the house itself, but at the lives of the occupants down the centuries.

It is published by Logaston Press and costs £10.

In his afterword, Ralph writes: "The nucleus of Ludford House has stood the test of time for a millennium. Having stood silent and empty in recent years, at the time of writing the house has planning permission to be converted into at least six apartments.

"While the impact of this subdivision on the character and appearance of Ludford House and its immediate setting remains unclear, the proposals will result in the restoration of the fabric, as well as having the potential to reintroduce and emulate the busy hustle and bustle the house has enjoyed over its long lifetime."