Herefordshire - Part 3: Leysters and Leominster Town Centre

 

After leaving Stockton Bury Gardens on Wednesday we drove back a different way cutting across country and when I saw the sign to Leysters' church I asked B to make a detour so I could again try and find the Wordsworth stone where William and Dorothy sat.

I'd been given instructions to walk down the lane from the church car park and take the track on the right.

Unfortunately for me I took the first track across a field and failed yet again to find the stone!  When we got back I checked the OS map where the stone is marked and realised I had turned off the lane far too soon. Anyway the good news is I now think I know exactly where it is so I will return!

On Thursday it rained all day so I did some housework at the caravan and spent the rest of the day reading.

Friday was at least dry and we decided to have a look round Leominster.  The A road we follow normally to  get to Morrisons or other places by-passes the town centre so we didn't know what to expect. We were pleasantly surprised :)

Just in case I couldn't persuade B to visit Leominster Priory I took a few record shots from the car park.  Note the huge amount of ballflower decorations around the window in the second photo 😃

Leominster was quite busy but nowhere near as bad as Ludlow had been.  I did find it hard again though to take photos - B wasn't on such a route march this time but I still had the problem of people coming far too close while I was trying to take pictures.

Leominster is a market town with around 11,000 inhabitants near the River Lugg and its tributaries.  

The town began as a settlement west and south of the Saxon minster.  It was primarily a wool town and was particularly prosperous in the 15th century.  The quality of its wool called Lemster Ore (see picture below!) was superb.  Other notable trades included drapery, hat making and leather work.  

Many timber framed buildings survive along with Georgian houses.

Buddleia seems to grow wherever it can find a crack or crevice.

There was a blue plaque on this house saying it was the site where the Red Cross Bridge once spanned Pinsley Brook. The brook ran under Broad Street and around the monastery.

We turned along Broad Street into the town centre.

I did wonder if the Lion Gallery was once the Lion Hotel which was built in 1843 and was a survivor from the coaching era.

Draper's Lane with its many independent shops.

Finally, we arrived at Corn Square which is the only part of the original market square that survives.

Off down another little alley and we found a cheese shop, traditional sweet shop and an independent bookshop.  All were tempting and two at least  had signs requesting masks be worn.  At some stage I will pluck up courage and go in one of these shops!

This wall painting is called "Orchard Through the Seasons" by RG Jericho and Ryan Midgley, Leominster Town Cadets for Leominster in Bloom 2014.

By this stage we had wandered round quite a few streets and ended up in Rainbow Street.

This is the former Hinton's General Store built in 1888.  Small tiled panels advertise items once sold here - corn, potatoes, hay, straw.

Grafton House may be late 14th century.

This, I think, is a former Congregational Chapel, 1866-67.

Former Wesleyan Chapel 1861.

Then off down Church Lane towards Leominster Priory.

This is the Forbury Chapel or Chapel of St Thomas of Canterbury built 1284 and used for a while as a place of worship for local people.

We really liked Leominster and will certainly return - there is still a lot to explore there.

The next couple of posts will be on the brief visit to Leominster Priory :)

I hope everyone is staying safe and well.

All photos taken by me with the Panasonic Lumix FZ330 bridge camera.

Reference "Buildings of England Herefordshire" Pevsner (latest edition).