Ledbury Heritage Centre

This small museum of local history provides insights into the past of the market town of Ledbury. It occupies the ground floor of a fifteenth century building in Church Lane, a picturesque cobbled alleyway that links the Market House to the Parish Church.

Old photographs record some of the buildings and events of previous centuries, thanks to the photographic record of John Tilley a local commercial photographer.

Local notables are represented in the current displays; John Masefield, poet laureate, grew up in the town, a far cry from the sea which inspired some of his most remembered poems. Elizabeth Barrett-Browning spent her early years in a very distinctive house on a local estate before the family moved onto Wimpole Street in London.

A new display features the Abberley and Malvern Hills Geopark, and was created for us by the Earth Heritage Trust.

One of the most popular displays is the timber framing puzzle which challenges visitors to build a scaled replica of the far end of the building, with little to help them but the carpenter's marks. 

The building itself is of interest with a huge smoking chimney dominating one end and a dried up watercourse snaking along some ten feet below the current floor level. Variously used as a guildhall, school and tenement block local stories suggest it was also a pin factory and a drill hall, though this is hard to believe when low beams challenge some of our visitors.

In addition to the permanent exhibition there is space for a series of changing community exhibitions. If you or your society have an interest you would like to share you can apply to host an exhibition in this space - phone us on 01432 260675 for more details.

The upper floor of the Heritage Centre is available for hire for exhibitions and similar events throughout the season.

The centre is open from the beginning of April until the end of October every year, and the opening hours during this period are 10.30am - 4.30pm daily.

Ledbury Heritage Centre
Church Lane
Ledbury
HR8 1DN
Tel: 01531 635680 (only during opening hours)

If you would like to stage a community exhibition at the Ledbury Heritage Centre, contact Herefordshire Heritage Services
Tel: 01432 260675
E-mail: herefordmuseums@herefordshire.gov.uk

To hire the upper floor of the Heritage Centre telephone 01432 383597 or email us at the above address.

If you are interested in volunteering in Ledbury Heritage Centre please have a look at the volunteer role description below and call Alexia on 01432 383597 for more details

 

Abberley and Malvern Hills Geopark