On the Monday we decided to go to Ledbury. E had discovered it by googling and to be honest I didn't realise it was a close as it was - just under 40 minutes. Good news as it was on my list of places I really wanted to visit!
We missed the turn to the long stay car park initially so I snapped this figure while B was trying to turn the car round.
I didn't walk round all of the town centre as I decided to have a quick 40 minute whistle stop tour of the church while the others looked round. But a few photos (actually there are a lot more than a few!) as we did explore for a while after my church visit.
Ledbury takes it name from the River Leadon. It belonged to the Bishops of Hereford who built an Anglo Saxon Minster and then created a town c1125.
The layout of the town's burbage plots can still be seen.
It was called a "poor town" in 1552 but had become wealthy by the late C16th. The cloth trade flourished under the Skynner, Skyppe and Elton families. Leather working was also important. Around 50 buildings have been dated c1580-1620. Many have closed studded panelling which was a sign of wealth and prosperity.
The market hall in the High Street dates back to ~1617 and was altered in 1688. It has been suggested it was the work of John Abell but there is no documentary evidence to support this. It has an open ground floor with moulded oak posts on stone bases. The upper floor is framed. After my church visit we sat at a table on the ground floor having a hot chocolate.
The Barrett Browning Institute with a tall clock tower was built 1894-6. Elizabeth Barrett Browning spent her childhood near Ledbury and the Institute commemorates her.
The Seven Stars pub was built in the late 16th century and is probably the oldest tavern in Ledbury. It overlooked the cattle market until 1887.
I bought some Woolhope Preserves here - apple chutney and the red pepper sauce.
A "classic" view of Ledbury looking up Church Lane to St Michael and All Angels. Church Lane is narrow and cobbled and contains some of the best black and white buildings in Ledbury.
Old Council House offices built c1500 and extended in the C17th. Used as a Poor Law Institute,the first town library and then council offices.
The 16th century Butcher Row House, now a museum but it looked closed, was originally part of a row running down the High Street. Most of the houses were demolished c1830 :( but this building was re-erected in a back yard and then moved to its present location in 1979.
Domestic Water Pumps from the basement kitchen of the Yews provided a choice of well water or rain water.
The Prince of Wales Inn built c1500 perhaps as a Guild Hall. Once a Grammar School then a pub and Heritage Centre I believe.
Old Magistrate's Court early C18th.
Church House c1600
War Memorial 1920
The High Street contains many independent and charity shops.
The Master's House. Now a library I think.
Insect House by the car park.
Ghostly Tales
Composer Jack Moeran lived with his mother in Ledbury and often walked around the town and surrounding countryside seeking inspiration. On 1st December 1950 a woman saw him walking around the town. She knew he was away in Ireland at the time and not due back until Christmas and she assumed initially he had returned early. But it turned out the apparition she saw was at around the time he died suddenly while away.
For the next two posts we will visit the church.
All photos taken by me with the Panasonic Lumix FZ330 bridge camera. I don't particularly rate most of my photos but if anyone wishes to use one I would be grateful please for an email first.
Reference: Pevsner The Buildings of England Herefordshire by Alan Brooks and Nikolaus Pevsner Yale University Press
Haunted Herefordshire by Rupert Matthews, Logaston Press
12 comments:
What a wonderful town! So much history and so much fascinating architecture centuries. You can't know which way to turn! You've done more than me I have gone into a few shops carefully chosen early in the morning before they've got customers in, but I'm yet to brave having any sort of hospitality not even a drink while out. Once our silly season is over, which will be very soon, I'm going to have a carefully planned visit to one of the two new coffee shops in the village. One in particular I favour as it's a lot more airy, whereas the other one is small and not as well laid out. I hope you enjoyed your chutney. Or have you put it away for Christmas? There's a rather splendid Butchers Row in Bideford in Devon.
Rustic Pumpkin - Thanks so much. It was another one of those lovely" black and white market towns" that Herefordshire does so well! I haven't been in too many shops perhaps a dozen or so and I try to go in when empty and in shops where door is propped open. Thoe worst experience for me was spending 30 minutes in Morrisons Leominster doing a shop not a click and collect. I was a nervous wreck the whole time. One man coughing so badly I refused to go near the aisle! I shan't be doing that again! I did brave Greggs to buy a hot chocolate but no-one in there and door was wide open and we sat outside in open air to drink. I've only sat in one cafe at Kenilworth Castle which was a large area but as raining we had no choice really. Chutney left at OFFA as had run out there! Pandemic is such a pain as I do miss coffee shops and tea rooms and museums let alone the theatre but I couldn't face going anywhere that had loads of people especially as hardly anyone but us wears masks!!!!! Depite so many saying pandemic is over it isn't. Numbers, hospitalisations and deaths are still very high.
We loved our visit to Ledbury last year.
I am looking forward to seeing your photos of the church :-)
I didn't realize you'd not been to Ledbury before. Isn't it a great town? It was one of the placed we'd have loved to move, but it wasn't to be. The houses in our price range there were either too small or on busy roads or on an estate (NOT us!) It's another of those desirable places to live, so has a premium (like Hay).
Whilst I have been boostered recently, I still wear a mask if I am in a busy shop, or stood in a queue anywhere for any length of time, I don't wear one if I am moving through and not lingering in airy buildings with people in. I don't wear one outside (a bit pointless, as we are surrounded by moving air) and I just try to be sensible. I still clean trolley handles etc as I don't want to catch flu or other germs. Flu is probably more risky than Covid these days - I had it very very badly back in 1972 and was in bed 3 weeks and it affected my lungs permanently. Wearing my mask is as much about avoiding flu as Covid tbh.
I have to say, recent stops at Ledbury (after going to Malvern) are for a quick Tesco shop or nipping into Hay Wines for a bottle of something good to round off the day out.
CherryPie - Thanks so much.
Bovey Belle - Thanks so much. I have wanted to go to Ledbury for ages and was thrilled when E suggested it. I've seen some good houses there too on my house alert emails. One I really liked and was affordable but we are still waiting for E's flat sale to go through and until she is settled it is hard to move plus now OH doesn't want to move miles and miles from her. So I am back at looking at the overpriced houses in Warwickshire and heck are they are overpriced. You could get a lovely detached house in a rural county for the price of a poky semi with tiny garden round here. Plus so many are new builds and like you I do not want to leave on an estate.
I don't wear a mask outdoors only indoors and I still dettox shopping items I must admit. As you say flu is to be avoided too. OH had it once and was ill for ages. Sorry to hear how badly it affected you.
I have been in shops but mainly smaller ones. I've only done the one supermarket shop there again OH and D often pop up to our local Tesco for the occasional item and E works with the public and goes into shops a lot so only so much you can do to try and avoid viruses. The kids are good though and still wear masks. Trouble is these days hardly anyone else does wear them even in hospitals and GP's.
Great photos, you've captured the character of the town and it looks fascinating. I can't think that we've ever been to Ledbury so it has to go on my visit list for the future, perhaps next year? Enjoyed reading the history of the town too and I'm now looking forward to reading about the church:)
Rosie - Thanks so much. The town is well worth a visit if you are nearby. There are some other good churches in the area too like Castle Frome and Much Marcle.
That is a big church, it would take me a while to cover from the look. We have been at our caravan in Wales this week but I did not get out to any churches because of the weather
Billy Blue Eyes - Thanks so much. Yo could easily spend several hours at Ledbury Chuch. So sorry to hear you couldn't visit any churches due to weather in Wales. It has been a horrid wet week.
What a beautiful town! That market house is really interesting. There is one similar in a town not far from here, where they used to hold the market (mostly wool I think) under the cover of the upper floor, but it was later filled in to make a ground floor. The market is still held in front and there is a much more modern (probably early 20th C) covered market building. I wrote about it in a post about the market the summer before last, I think. The town is called Mirepoix and has half timbered houses, though they are different looking in France - more colourful. Lovely post, Caroline.
Millymollymandy - Thanks so much. Yes those old market houses are fascinating and Herefordshire does seem to have a lot of them and some cracking market towns and villages too. Your market house rings a bell. Glad you have half timbered houses in France too - they are just so wonderful :)
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