Ledbury

Ledbury is a town in Herefordshire, England. Situated east of Hereford, on the southern slope of the Malvern Hills. It is an ancient borough, dating back to the Domesday Book, where it was recorded as Liedeberge, and returned members to Parliament in the reign of Edward I. Ledbury probably takes its name from the River Leadon, on which it stands. The Old English berg (hill) has been added to the river name.

Once home to the poetess Elizabeth Barrett Browning, who spent her childhood days at Hope End, and to poet laureate John Masefield, Ledbury today is a thriving market town in rural England. It has a main-line rail connection to London. It is known for its large number of timber framed buildings, in particular along Church Lane. Notable buildings in the area include the parish church and Eastnor Castle, while the Painted Room contains sixteenth century frescoes.

It was the winner of the 2003 Britain in Bloom, in the category of 'Small Town'.

The Herefordshire and Gloucestershire Canal canal, which was opened from Gloucester as far as Ledbury in 1798, passed through the lower part of the town with wharves at Bye Street and at what is now the Ross Road near the Full Pitcher public house. After closing in 1885, the canal was used by the Great Western Railway as a route for the Ledbury to Gloucester branch line. When that closed, as a result of the Beeching cuts, it became disused until it was converted to a nature trail.

The main roads past the town are the A449 and the A417.

Ledbury is famous for its numerous festivals every year (most particularly the Ledbury Poetry Festival) and The Big Chill music event at Eastnor Castle brings thousands of young people to the town each year. The Ledbury hunts (Ledbury, which was officially formed in 1846 and North Ledbury, of 1905) are always popular events and well supported in this rural town. Ledbury is also home of the Silurian Border Morris men.

Ledbury has a thriving cultural scene including the annual Ledbury Poetry Festival. There are a number of singing groups in the town including Ledbury Choral Society and Ledbury Community Choir, the latter having in excess of 60 singers.