Day Trip to Ledbury

 I decided to take a chance on the rail network working properly this time, and planned a day out to Ledbury.

Quite by chance, I met a regular visitor to Hay on the station platform, who was heading back to London, and we chatted all the way to Ledbury.

It's quite a few years since I stopped in Ledbury, but I remembered the basic layout - it's simple enough, with the main road running through the middle and a cobbled alleyway leading up to the church from the market hall.

On the opposite side of the road to the market hall is a large and impressive block of almshouses - small flats originally built in the middle ages for poor people to live in, and still in use today.  Behind the almshouses is the Master's House, where the chap who ran the almshouses used to live.  Now it has been renovated, and houses Ledbury Library - it's an extremely impressive setting for a library.  The entrance hall is a very grand medieval hall (according to one of the information panels, at one time fencing lessons were given there!).  Work is still going on around the almshouses, so I didn't take a photo - it would just have been a load of scaffolding.

At the Southend of the town is a big black and white building, on the turning where all the main road traffic goes up to Malvern.  This time I was able to get close enough to read the plaque on the wall.  The building is Ledbury Park, and it was used as Prince Rupert's headquarters when he was in the area during the Civil War.

Heading back to the middle of town, I set off up the cobbled alley way.  There's an exhibition going on in the Weavers Gallery called Spaces to Dream, by Stitch in the Middle, the Midlands Contemporary Quilt Group.  The theme is gardens, inspired by a group visit to Packwood House, and as well as quilting there is some delicate embroidery of flowers and grasses.  The exhibition is on until Sun 1st October, free admission, and from 10am to 4pm daily.  It's up a flight of stairs, so there is no disabled access.

Across the alleyway from the Gallery is a little black and white timber framed house called Butchers Row, which houses the Folk Museum.  It was moved from its original location to here, and is full of interesting things - old cameras, musical instruments, embroidered clothes, and a boot bath!  The chap in charge was a fount of knowledge about the local area, and enthusiastic about suggesting other places of interest around Ledbury to visit.  Sadly I didn't have time to visit the Painted Room.  The museum is also free to enter.  There are some very steep stairs to the upper floor.

The Heritage Centre, once the grammar school, was closed - it opens on Thursdays and Fridays.  Beyond that is a fine Georgian house which was originally the Magistrates' Court, and a small park called The Walled Garden. 

At the end of the alleyway is the church, which is enormous, and has a detached bell tower.  There is a free exhibition in the ground floor of the tower about the bells.  They are fund raising for new bells and clock hammers, and are about half way to their goal.  They originally had 8 bells, but as part of their major restoration project they now have ten, and can also use six of those bells as a separate peal.

Then I went round the church.  New since I was last there is a huge painting of the Last Supper, which has been restored and discovered to have come from the workshop of Titian - the faces of the apostles are thought to be portraits of Titian, his family, and some other artists like Tintoretto.  The painting was brought to Ledbury in around 1775 by a local man who had been on holiday in Italy.

There's also some rather striking modern stained glass - three panels depicting the six days of Creation in dark reds.

I did remember the embroidered seat cushions, which are very well done.

At random, I chose the Seven Stars pub for a break for refreshment, and had a half of Ledbury Bitter.  It was quiet at the front of the pub, but they were pretty busy serving food at the back.

I also picked up a jar of local honey at the greengrocers.

Then I headed back to the station, expecting to have a short wait for the 3pm train - but in fact I caught the 2.24 train which arrived at 2.42!

This gave me an hour or so to run some errands in Hereford before I came back on the 4.25 bus.

This was a mistake - the bus was jam packed with college students going home, and I didn't get a seat until Belmont Tescos!

It was a lovely day out, though, and I'll certainly be going to Ledbury again soon.