The heart of Shrewsbury has been bruised by a tragedy that is difficult to put into words.
This week, we lost Rose Roberts in a devastating fire at Perches House.
Rose was more than a resident of this 14th-century landmark; she was its guardian: for over forty years, she poured her soul into restoring this Grade II* listed building, saving a piece of medieval history that many recognize as Scrooge’s office from the 1984 A Christmas Carol.
The work of Rose’s lifetime now stands in a very fragile state.
The fire destroyed the roof and the historic oak staircase, and the structure is currently unstable and exposed to the elements.
Due to complex circumstances beyond the family’s control, the property was not covered by insurance.
Her daughter, Jessica Richards, has launched a campaign to save what remains.
For those who knew Rose, or those who have been touched by the work Jess does for our community, making a contribution to the restoration fund would be a very kind gesture. It is a way to ensure that Rose’s decades of care were not in vain, and it truly makes a difference in these critical first few weeks.
You can find the appeal here:
Help Save the House that Rose Re-Built
Any gesture of support helps provide the emergency propping and weatherproofing needed to save the frame.
Rose moved into Perches House at the age of 37. To her, stewardship was a duty. She didn’t just live in history; she maintained it with a quiet, formidable determination that eventually earned her a Civic Award. Without her decades of labor, this irreplaceable piece of Shrewsbury’s skyline would have vanished long ago.
Her passing is a profound loss to our community, but the physical oak and mortar she loved is something we can still help protect.
At Soulton Hall, we feel this loss deeply because of our relationship with Rose’s daughter, Jessica Richards. Jess is a keystone of the Shropshire arts community; as the founder of the Shrewsbury Arts Trail, she has spent years building platforms for others to shine and making world-class art accessible to everyone in our county. She has always been an advocate for our local artists and our shared heritage. In this moment of unimaginable grief, coming together to help her save her mother’s legacy is a small way we can show our gratitude for everything she has given to Shrewsbury.
We understand the “soul” of ancient timber-framed buildings and the heavy weight of caring for them.
When a house like Perches House is damaged, the clock starts ticking. This restoration isn’t just about a building; it’s about a daughter’s way of honoring her mother’s spirit and a community’s way of protecting its history.
