Welcome to Ledbury

A mediaeval market town in Herefordshire, with half-timbered buildings and former Burgage plots, its associations with the Civil War and more recently the Barrett Brownings and John Masefield, Ledbury, much loved by residents and visitors alike, is a small and vibrant town with a long and distinguished heritage.

Many of Ledbury's buildings are very old and of national importance. For example, the church of St Michael and All Angels - which, at 187 feet in length, Pevsner described as the "premier parish church of Herefordshire" - is thought to date back to the 11th century. The St Katherine's Hospital site, founded c1231, is a rare surviving example of a hospital complex, with hall and chapel, the Master's House, almshouses and a timber-framed barn. The outstanding Market House, built in 1617, is still in regular use. The Painted Room contains 16th century frescoes. Used in numerous films and television programmes, the narrow cobbled Church Lane is one of the most photographed streets in the UK. And many of the properties that can be seen on a walk around the town are of the Tudor and Georgian periods.

Ledbury is also about people. In the arts, the birthplace of poets William Langland and Thomas Traherne; the birthplace of poet laureate, John Masefield, and Conroy Maddox, surrealist artist; once the home of the poet Elizabeth Barrett Browning; William Wordsworth stayed with friends in Ledbury; the Dymock Poets are also associated with Ledbury. In sport, notables include Mary Duggan and James Crosbie-Smith, cricketers; Steve Emery, footballer; Terry Jenkins, darts; and Ledbury is host to the base of the former Formula 1 team Minardi, motor racing.

Annual events include Ledbury in Bloom, Ledbury Poetry Festival, Ledbury Carnival, and the Big Chill music festival at nearby Eastnor Castle.

Looking after Ledbury

Formed in 1973 as a civic society and later as a charitable trust, The Ledbury and District Society Trust Ltd - known as Ledbury and District Civic Society, and throughout this site simply the "Society" - is a 'watch-dog' organisation: promoting conservation and improvement; creating amenity projects; combining the past and present - protecting our heritage.

Please click here to find out about our achievements, past, present, and future

With more than 425 members, the Society holds regular meetings, with an annual programme of talks and discussions on a wide range of subjects. We arrange displays, local visits and social events. For members, we publish "The Ledbury Letter": a mine of useful information and a fascinating read: for a sample, please click here.

Our museum - Butcher Row House folk museum - attracted more than 14,000 visitors in 2009 and was awarded accredited status by the Museums Libraries and Archives Council, the first independent Museum in the West Midlands to receive this award.

Our volunteers have created this website to provide an on-line presence for the work of the Society, to attract new members, and to keep in touch with everyone that supports the heritage of Ledbury.

We hope you enjoy your visit and look forward to welcoming you to Ledbury.

The Ledbury and District Society Trust Ltd.
Registered Charity No: 507391
Company No: 1340233