Ledbury Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Ledbury
Ledbury Market Hall
Ledbury
Population	9,290 (2011)
OS grid reference	SO710373
Civil parish	Ledbury
Unitary authority	Herefordshire
Ceremonial county	Herefordshire
Region	West Midlands
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	LEDBURY
Postcode district	HR8
Dialling code	01531

Police	West Mercia
Fire	Hereford and Worcester
Ambulance	West Midlands

EU Parliament	West Midlands
UK Parliament	North Herefordshire
List of places UK England Herefordshire 52°02′02″N 2°25′25″W / 52.0339°N 2.4235°W / 52.0339; -2.4235

Ledbury is a lovely market town in Herefordshire, England. It's located east of Hereford and west of the beautiful Malvern Hills.

This town is famous for its many old buildings. You'll see lots of timber-framed houses, especially along Church Lane and High Street. One of the most special buildings is Ledbury Market Hall, built way back in 1617. Other important places include the parish church of St. Michael and All Angels and the Painted Room, which has old paintings from the 1500s. There's also the Old Grammar School and the Barrett-Browning memorial clock tower. Nearby, you can find Eastnor Castle and the St. Katherine's Hospital site, which was built around 1231 and is a rare example of an old hospital complex.

History of Ledbury
Getting Around Ledbury
- The Canal and Town Trail
Local Government
Media and News
Local Businesses
Fun Things to Do
Folklore
Famous People from Ledbury
Images for kids
See also

History of Ledbury

Ledbury has a long history, going back to about AD 690. In an old book called the Domesday Book, it was called Liedeberge. Its name might come from the River Leadon that flows through it. The old English word burg means a fortified or defended place.

Ledbury became a town around the 1100s. It grew into a busy market town. In the time of Queen Elizabeth I, the town became very successful. This was thanks to families who were cloth merchants, meaning they traded fabrics.

During the English Civil War in the 1600s, Ledbury was a place where supporters of the King often stayed. In April 1645, a battle happened here. Prince Rupert's Royalist forces fought against the Roundhead forces led by Col Edward Massey. Prince Rupert's side won this battle, but they were later defeated in a bigger battle called the Battle of Naseby.

Ledbury has been home to famous poets. Elizabeth Barrett Browning spent her childhood nearby at Hope End. John Masefield, who became a Poet Laureate (a special poet for the country), was also born here. The local secondary school, John Masefield High School, is named after him. The town's population grew a lot after a bypass road was built in 1989.

Getting Around Ledbury

The main roads that go through Ledbury are the A449 and the A417. The M50 motorway is also close by, to the south.

Ledbury railway station is part of the Cotswold line. You can catch trains directly to places like Hereford, Worcester, Birmingham, Oxford, and London Paddington. These train services are run by Great Western Railway.

Bus services are also available, mainly run by First Worcester and DRM Bus. These buses connect Ledbury with Hereford, Ross-on-Wye, and Worcester.

The Canal and Town Trail

The Herefordshire and Gloucestershire Canal used to run through Ledbury. It opened in 1798, allowing boats to travel from Gloucester to Ledbury. After it closed in 1885, part of the canal's path was used for the Ledbury and Gloucester Railway.

When the railway closed in 1964, the route became overgrown. But in 1997, a section of about 1.6-mile (2.6 km) was turned into a wide path. This path is great for cyclists and people using wheelchairs. It's now known as the Town Trail and is a popular place for walks.

Local Government

Ledbury has a town council. This council helps manage local services and events. The town has a mayor, who is a leader chosen by the council. There is also a town crier, Bill Turberfield, who is known as 'Bill the Bell'. He announces important events, like the annual Christmas Lights Switch-On.

Ledbury is part of the North Herefordshire area for the UK Parliament. This means people in Ledbury vote for a Member of Parliament (MP) to represent them in the government.

Media and News

For local news and TV shows, people in Ledbury can watch BBC West Midlands and ITV Central. Radio stations available include BBC Hereford and Worcester, Hits Radio Herefordshire & Worcestershire, Greatest Hits Radio Herefordshire & Worcestershire, and Sunshine Radio. The town also has its own local newspaper, the Ledbury Reporter, which comes out every Friday.

Local Businesses

For many years, a factory owned by Robertson's made jam in Ledbury. In 2007, the jam production moved to another town. Now, the site is used by Universal Beverages. They process fruit for cider makers, like Bulmer's. They even have two huge tanks that can each hold 800,000 litres of liquid!

Ledbury is also home to a factory for Amcor, which makes flexible packaging. This factory has won awards for being environmentally friendly and reducing its carbon footprint.

Tourism is also important for Ledbury. Many visitors come to see the historic town and enjoy the countryside. There are many pubs and places to stay for people visiting.

Fun Things to Do

Ledbury hosts many events throughout the year. One popular event is the Ledbury Poetry Festival, where people celebrate poetry. The annual Community Day happens every June. The first Community Day in 2013 celebrated the diamond jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II's coronation.

The Big Chill was a large music festival held at nearby Eastnor Castle. It brought thousands of people to the area each year until it ended in 2011. Eastnor Castle has also been used as a filming location for movies and TV shows.

The Market Theatre

The Market Theatre is a special place in Ledbury. It's thought to be one of the first theatres in the world to open in the new millennium! It was built on the site of an older theatre. From 1963 to 1979, this small building was the only theatre in all of Herefordshire.

The Ledbury Amateur Dramatic Society (LADS) runs the theatre. They put on their own plays several times a year. The theatre also shows films and live screenings. It hosts professional touring shows and events during the Poetry Festival. There are also singing groups in town, like the Choral Society and the Community Choir, which has over 60 members.

Town Twinning

In 2000, Ledbury became "twinned" with the Swedish town of Strömstad. This means the two towns have a special friendship. They have cultural and sporting exchanges, like when the junior football club, Ledbury Swifts, makes an annual trip to Strömstad.

Local Traditions

The Silurian Border Morrismen, a group that performs traditional English folk dances called Morris dancing, are based in Ledbury. You might see them performing in Church Lane.

Folklore

There's an old story from near Ledbury about a stolen mare (female horse) and her colt (baby horse). Their owner was Saint Catherine of Ledbury. She prayed for them to come back safely. When she looked in the Sapey Brook, she saw hoofprints clearly visible in the rocky bottom! She followed them and found the thief, getting her horses back. People used to make fake hoofprints for fun, but the original ones are still there in the brook today.