A potted history of the town

Ledbury is named after the River Leadon which runs through the parish. The Doomsday -  "Domesday" book records the name "Ledeberge", with a full entry. Ledbury derives its name from the river Leadon which intersects the parish. The Leadon ultimately joins the River Severn.

There are a number of schools of thought which pleasingly differ on Ledbury's founding years - some say a little earlier, some say a little later....

There is mention of a priest on the site of the parish church in 1085 - with the foundation of a "college" by Bishop Trevenant of Hereford in 1401

The Market House, erected in 1653 by the celebrated John Abel, styled the "Kings carpenter", is a dominating structure of brick and timber supported on 16 massive posts of either Spanish chestnut or English oak.  Legend has it that the supporting pillars were once part of the Spanish Armada, but it is more likely that they were obtained from the Malvern "Chase"

The Market House was originally constructed as a grain store, but now serves the purpose of a Council chamber.

The center of Ledbury was once very different than today's modern streets.  A visit to the Herotage Centre will show that small houses "burgage plots" and businesses existed. The arear around the Market House had the majority and most of these were butchers -"fleshmongers" and as the towns water supply ran through this area unfortunately disease and contamination was such that these buildings were removed by public subscription and the purity of Ledbury's water restored

Ledbury still retains little side alley ways and evidence that many people lived and flourished in the town. Many interesting shops and businesses work out of these beautiful locations