Ledbury
Encyclopedia
Ledbury is a town
in Herefordshire
, England, lying east of Hereford
, and south of the Malvern Hills.
Today, Ledbury is a thriving market town
in rural
England. The town has a large number of timber framed buildings, in particular along Church Lane and High Street. One of Ledbury's most outstanding buildings is the Market House, built in 1617, located in the centre of the town. Other notable buildings in the area include the parish church
, the Painted Room (containing sixteenth century fresco
es), the St Katherine's Hospital site, founded c1231, is a rare surviving example of a hospital complex, (with hall, chapel, The Master's House, almshouses and a timber-framed barn), and Eastnor Castle
.
, dating back to around 690AD. In the Domesday Book
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. The Feathers at Ledbury was a famous 16th century drover's inn.
Ledbury was once home to the poet
ess Elizabeth Barrett Browning
, who spent her childhood days at Hope End. It is also the birthplace of poet laureate
John Masefield
, after whom the local secondary school
is now named - John Masefield High School
(JMHS). William Wordsworth
's sonnet
St. Catherine of Ledbury, dated 1835, begins "When ... Ledbury bells broke forth in concert". In 1901 St. Katharine's priest was Charles Madison Green, whose wife, Ella, was the eldest sister of author H. Rider Haggard.
The Herefordshire and Gloucestershire 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, part of the Ledbury to Gloucester section of the canal
was used by the Great Western Railway
for the Ledbury and Gloucester Railway
. The original line of the canal northwards towards Hereford can still be seen, where it went underneath the Ledbury to Hereford railway - an additional smaller bridge was made for the towpath. When the Gloucester railway closed in 1964, as a result of the Beeching
cuts, it gradually became overgrown but the route through Ledbury then was used as a footpath. In 1997 a 1.6 mile (2.5 km) section from the bypass / Ross Road roundabout to the railway station was upgraded to a 2 m (6.5 ft) wide path with a surface of compacted limestone chippings that could also be used by cyclists and those with wheelchairs. This included creating several access points, thinning out but retaining many of the trees that had grown since the 1960s and reopening the skew bridge
across the A438 Hereford Road. Unfortunately the proposed bridge to take the Town Trail (as it is now known) across the B4214 Bromyard Road into the station yard was never built. The Trail ends at the Hereford/Bromyard road junction.
and the A417
, and the M50 motorway
runs to the south. Ledbury railway station
is near the western end of the Cotswold Line
and offers direct services to Hereford
, Worcester
, Birmingham
, Oxford
and London.
factory, which was a subsidiary of for Rank Hovis McDougall, produced jam
. Production was moved to Histon in Cambridgeshire
in September 2007 following the parent company's acquisition by Premier Foods
. The site is now used by Universal Beverages to process fruit for cider
producers such as Bulmers
and includes two giant fermentation
tanks, each capable of holding 800,000 litres.
Ledbury is also home to Amcor
's flexible packaging manufacturing plant. This plant has been awarded both the "Carbon Reduction Cost Saving Award - over 250 employees" and "Most Promising New Low Carbon Product / Service Award - over 250 employees" in the West Midlands Low Carbon Economoy 2010 awards.
Ledbury also enjoys an income from tourism, being a small tranquil market town, steeped in history, in an attractive rural area.
s including the Ledbury Poetry Festival and The Big Chill
music event at nearby Eastnor Castle
, which brings thousands of people to the town each year.
The Ledbury hunts (Ledbury, which dates from 1846, and North Ledbury, established in 1905) are well-supported.
Ledbury is home to the Silurian Border Morris Men.
There are a number of singing groups in the town, including Ledbury Choral Society and Ledbury Community Choir
, the latter with over 60 singers.
The Market Theatre
is situated the town centre, in Market Street. Ledbury Amateur Dramatic Society
(LADS) runs the theatre, mounting three of its own productions a year. They also show films on a regular basis and play host to small and mid-scale professional touring shows, including events in the Ledbury Poetry Festival. The society its own active youth theatre, which mounts productions throughout the year, giving local children a chance to participate in drama outside of an educational establishment.
the Sapey Brook runs its course to Upper Sapey. A story is told of a mare and a colt that had been stolen and the hoofprints stopped at the bank of the brook. The owner was Saint Catherine of Ledbury who prayed for their safe return and upon examining the bed of the brook saw hoofprints clearly visible in the rocky bottom. These hoofprints were followed and the thief caught, the horses being safely recovered. The nearby Hoar Stone is said to be the horse thief petrified for his crimes A local pastime was once the creation of fake hoofprints for visitors, however the original petrosomatoglyph
s are still visible in the brook to this day.
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
in Herefordshire
Herefordshire
Herefordshire is a historic and ceremonial county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire" NUTS 2 region. It also forms a unitary district known as the...
, England, lying east of Hereford
Hereford
Hereford is a cathedral city, civil parish and county town of Herefordshire, England. It lies on the River Wye, approximately east of the border with Wales, southwest of Worcester, and northwest of Gloucester...
, and south of the Malvern Hills.
Today, Ledbury is a thriving market town
Market town
Market town or market right is a legal term, originating in the medieval period, for a European settlement that has the right to host markets, distinguishing it from a village and city...
in rural
Rural
Rural areas or the country or countryside are areas that are not urbanized, though when large areas are described, country towns and smaller cities will be included. They have a low population density, and typically much of the land is devoted to agriculture...
England. The town has a large number of timber framed buildings, in particular along Church Lane and High Street. One of Ledbury's most outstanding buildings is the Market House, built in 1617, located in the centre of the town. Other notable buildings in the area include the parish church
Church of England parish church
A parish church in the Church of England is the church which acts as the religious centre for the people within the smallest and most basic Church of England administrative region, known as a parish.-Parishes in England:...
, the Painted Room (containing sixteenth century fresco
Fresco
Fresco is any of several related mural painting types, executed on plaster on walls or ceilings. The word fresco comes from the Greek word affresca which derives from the Latin word for "fresh". Frescoes first developed in the ancient world and continued to be popular through the Renaissance...
es), the St Katherine's Hospital site, founded c1231, is a rare surviving example of a hospital complex, (with hall, chapel, The Master's House, almshouses and a timber-framed barn), and Eastnor Castle
Eastnor Castle
Eastnor Castle is a 19th century mock castle, two miles from the town of Ledbury in Herefordshire, England, by the village of Eastnor. It was founded by John Cocks, 1st Earl Somers as his stately home and continues to be inhabited by his descendents. Currently in residence is the family of...
.
History
Ledbury is an ancient boroughBorough
A borough is an administrative division in various countries. In principle, the term borough designates a self-governing township although, in practice, official use of the term varies widely....
, dating back to around 690AD. In the Domesday Book
Domesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
it was recorded as Liedeberge, and returned members to Parliament
Parliament of England
The Parliament of England was the legislature of the Kingdom of England. In 1066, William of Normandy introduced a feudal system, by which he sought the advice of a council of tenants-in-chief and ecclesiastics before making laws...
in the reign of Edward I
Edward I of England
Edward I , also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots, was King of England from 1272 to 1307. The first son of Henry III, Edward was involved early in the political intrigues of his father's reign, which included an outright rebellion by the English barons...
. Ledbury probably takes its name from the River Leadon
River Leadon
The River Leadon is a river in Herefordshire and Gloucestershire, England, a tributary of the River Severn. It rises just south of the village of Acton Beauchamp, and flows south past Bosbury to the town of Ledbury, which takes its name from the river...
, on which it stands. The Old English
Old English language
Old English or Anglo-Saxon is an early form of the English language that was spoken and written by the Anglo-Saxons and their descendants in parts of what are now England and southeastern Scotland between at least the mid-5th century and the mid-12th century...
berg (hill
Hill
A hill is a landform that extends above the surrounding terrain. Hills often have a distinct summit, although in areas with scarp/dip topography a hill may refer to a particular section of flat terrain without a massive summit A hill is a landform that extends above the surrounding terrain. Hills...
) has been added to the river
River
A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...
name. The Feathers at Ledbury was a famous 16th century drover's inn.
Ledbury was once home to the poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
ess Elizabeth Barrett Browning
Elizabeth Barrett Browning
Elizabeth Barrett Browning was one of the most prominent poets of the Victorian era. Her poetry was widely popular in both England and the United States during her lifetime. A collection of her last poems was published by her husband, Robert Browning, shortly after her death.-Early life:Members...
, who spent her childhood days at Hope End. It is also the birthplace of poet laureate
Poet Laureate
A poet laureate is a poet officially appointed by a government and is often expected to compose poems for state occasions and other government events...
John Masefield
John Masefield
John Edward Masefield, OM, was an English poet and writer, and Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom from 1930 until his death in 1967...
, after whom the local secondary school
Secondary school
Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of schooling, known as secondary education and usually compulsory up to a specified age, takes place...
is now named - John Masefield High School
John Masefield High School
John Masefield High School is a secondary school located in Ledbury, Herefordshire....
(JMHS). William Wordsworth
William Wordsworth
William Wordsworth was a major English Romantic poet who, with Samuel Taylor Coleridge, helped to launch the Romantic Age in English literature with the 1798 joint publication Lyrical Ballads....
's sonnet
Sonnet
A sonnet is one of several forms of poetry that originate in Europe, mainly Provence and Italy. A sonnet commonly has 14 lines. The term "sonnet" derives from the Occitan word sonet and the Italian word sonetto, both meaning "little song" or "little sound"...
St. Catherine of Ledbury, dated 1835, begins "When ... Ledbury bells broke forth in concert". In 1901 St. Katharine's priest was Charles Madison Green, whose wife, Ella, was the eldest sister of author H. Rider Haggard.
The Herefordshire and Gloucestershire Canal
Herefordshire and Gloucestershire Canal
The Herefordshire and Gloucestershire Canal is a canal in the west of England, which ran from Hereford, the county town of Herefordshire to Gloucester the county town of Gloucestershire, where it linked to the River Severn...
, 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, part of the Ledbury to Gloucester section of the canal
Canal
Canals are man-made channels for water. There are two types of canal:#Waterways: navigable transportation canals used for carrying ships and boats shipping goods and conveying people, further subdivided into two kinds:...
was used by the Great Western Railway
Great Western Railway
The Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...
for the Ledbury and Gloucester Railway
Ledbury and Gloucester Railway
The Ledbury and Gloucester Railway , was a railway line in Herefordshire and Gloucestershire, England, running between Ledbury and Gloucester. It opened in 1885 and closed in 1964.-History:...
. The original line of the canal northwards towards Hereford can still be seen, where it went underneath the Ledbury to Hereford railway - an additional smaller bridge was made for the towpath. When the Gloucester railway closed in 1964, as a result of the Beeching
Beeching Axe
The Beeching Axe or the Beeching Cuts are informal names for the British Government's attempt in the 1960s to reduce the cost of running British Railways, the nationalised railway system in the United Kingdom. The name is that of the main author of The Reshaping of British Railways, Dr Richard...
cuts, it gradually became overgrown but the route through Ledbury then was used as a footpath. In 1997 a 1.6 mile (2.5 km) section from the bypass / Ross Road roundabout to the railway station was upgraded to a 2 m (6.5 ft) wide path with a surface of compacted limestone chippings that could also be used by cyclists and those with wheelchairs. This included creating several access points, thinning out but retaining many of the trees that had grown since the 1960s and reopening the skew bridge
Skew arch
A skew arch is a method of construction that enables an arch bridge to span an obstacle at some angle other than a right angle. This results in the faces of the arch not being perpendicular to its abutments and its plan view being a parallelogram, rather than the rectangle that is the plan view of...
across the A438 Hereford Road. Unfortunately the proposed bridge to take the Town Trail (as it is now known) across the B4214 Bromyard Road into the station yard was never built. The Trail ends at the Hereford/Bromyard road junction.
Transport
The main roads through the town are the A449A449 road
The A449 is a major road in the United Kingdom. It runs north from junction 24 of the M4 motorway at Newport in South Wales to Stafford in Staffordshire....
and the A417
A417 road
-Streatley - Gloucester :It runs from Streatley at its junction with the A329 to Wantage, over the picturesque Berkshire Downs. In Wantage, it negotiates the market place -Streatley - Gloucester (M5):It runs from Streatley at its junction with the A329 (between Reading and Wallingford) to Wantage,...
, and the M50 motorway
M50 motorway (Great Britain)
The M50 is a motorway in Gloucestershire, Worcestershire and Herefordshire, England. It is long and is sometimes referred to as the Ross Spur. It is the only motorway-class road in Herefordshire.-Route:...
runs to the south. Ledbury railway station
Ledbury railway station
Ledbury station is a small railway station on the outskirts of the town of Ledbury on the Worcester to Hereford line in the English Midlands. It also has services to Birmingham as well as Cotswold Line trains to London....
is near the western end of the Cotswold Line
Cotswold Line
The Cotswold Line is an railway line between and in England.-Route:The line comprises all or part of the following Network Rail routes:*GW 200 from Oxford*GW 310 from Wolvercot Junction*GW 300 from Norton Junction*GW 340 from Worcester Shrub Hill...
and offers direct services to Hereford
Hereford
Hereford is a cathedral city, civil parish and county town of Herefordshire, England. It lies on the River Wye, approximately east of the border with Wales, southwest of Worcester, and northwest of Gloucester...
, Worcester
Worcester
The City of Worcester, commonly known as Worcester, , is a city and county town of Worcestershire in the West Midlands of England. Worcester is situated some southwest of Birmingham and north of Gloucester, and has an approximate population of 94,000 people. The River Severn runs through the...
, Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
, Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
and London.
Industry
For many years, the Robertson'sRobertson's
Robertson's is a UK brand of marmalades and jams that was owned by RHM until that company's takeover by Premier Foods in March 2007. It produces the "Golden Shred" marmalade among other products....
factory, which was a subsidiary of for Rank Hovis McDougall, produced jam
Fruit preserves
Fruit preserves are preparations of fruits and sugar, often canned or sealed for long-term storage. The preparation of fruit preserves today often involves adding commercial or natural pectin as a gelling agent, although sugar or honey may be used, as well. Prior to World War II, fruit preserve...
. Production was moved to Histon in Cambridgeshire
Cambridgeshire
Cambridgeshire is a county in England, bordering Lincolnshire to the north, Norfolk to the northeast, Suffolk to the east, Essex and Hertfordshire to the south, and Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire to the west...
in September 2007 following the parent company's acquisition by Premier Foods
Premier Foods
Premier Foods plc is a British food manufacturer headquartered in St Albans, Hertfordshire. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index.-History:...
. The site is now used by Universal Beverages to process fruit for cider
Cider
Cider or cyder is a fermented alcoholic beverage made from apple juice. Cider varies in alcohol content from 2% abv to 8.5% abv or more in traditional English ciders. In some regions, such as Germany and America, cider may be termed "apple wine"...
producers such as Bulmers
H. P. Bulmer
H.P. Bulmer is a brewing company founded in 1887 in Hereford, England. The founder was Percy Bulmer, the twenty-year-old son of the local rector at Credenhill...
and includes two giant fermentation
Fermentation (food)
Fermentation in food processing typically is the conversion of carbohydrates to alcohols and carbon dioxide or organic acids using yeasts, bacteria, or a combination thereof, under anaerobic conditions. Fermentation in simple terms is the chemical conversion of sugars into ethanol...
tanks, each capable of holding 800,000 litres.
Ledbury is also home to Amcor
Amcor
Amcor Limited is an Australian-based multinational packaging company. Its headquarters are in Hawthorn, Victoria ; and it is listed on the Australian Securities Exchange....
's flexible packaging manufacturing plant. This plant has been awarded both the "Carbon Reduction Cost Saving Award - over 250 employees" and "Most Promising New Low Carbon Product / Service Award - over 250 employees" in the West Midlands Low Carbon Economoy 2010 awards.
Ledbury also enjoys an income from tourism, being a small tranquil market town, steeped in history, in an attractive rural area.
Recreation
Ledbury is the venue for various festivalFestival
A festival or gala is an event, usually and ordinarily staged by a local community, which centers on and celebrates some unique aspect of that community and the Festival....
s including the Ledbury Poetry Festival and The Big Chill
The Big Chill (music festival)
The Big Chill is an annual festival of alternative, dance and chill-out music and comedy, held in the grounds of Eastnor Castle during early August...
music event at nearby Eastnor Castle
Eastnor Castle
Eastnor Castle is a 19th century mock castle, two miles from the town of Ledbury in Herefordshire, England, by the village of Eastnor. It was founded by John Cocks, 1st Earl Somers as his stately home and continues to be inhabited by his descendents. Currently in residence is the family of...
, which brings thousands of people to the town each year.
The Ledbury hunts (Ledbury, which dates from 1846, and North Ledbury, established in 1905) are well-supported.
There are a number of singing groups in the town, including Ledbury Choral Society and Ledbury Community Choir
Choir
A choir, chorale or chorus is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform.A body of singers who perform together as a group is called a choir or chorus...
, the latter with over 60 singers.
The Market Theatre
Market Theatre (Ledbury)
The Market Theatre is in Ledbury, Herefordshire, UK. It is believed to be the first theatre in the world to open in the new millennium.-History:...
is situated the town centre, in Market Street. Ledbury Amateur Dramatic Society
(LADS) runs the theatre, mounting three of its own productions a year. They also show films on a regular basis and play host to small and mid-scale professional touring shows, including events in the Ledbury Poetry Festival. The society its own active youth theatre, which mounts productions throughout the year, giving local children a chance to participate in drama outside of an educational establishment.
Folklore
At Tedstone DelamereTedstone Delamere
Tedstone Delamere is a village in Herefordshire, England, north east of Bromyard.St James' Church chancel was added by Sir George Gilbert Scott in 1856-57. The Buildings of England: Herefordshire, Nikolaus Pevsner, 1963 p106 ISBN 0-14-071025-6...
the Sapey Brook runs its course to Upper Sapey. A story is told of a mare and a colt that had been stolen and the hoofprints stopped at the bank of the brook. The owner was Saint Catherine of Ledbury who prayed for their safe return and upon examining the bed of the brook saw hoofprints clearly visible in the rocky bottom. These hoofprints were followed and the thief caught, the horses being safely recovered. The nearby Hoar Stone is said to be the horse thief petrified for his crimes A local pastime was once the creation of fake hoofprints for visitors, however the original petrosomatoglyph
Petrosomatoglyph
A petrosomatoglyph is an image of parts of a human or animal body incised in rock. Many were created by Celtic peoples, such as the Picts, Scots, Irish, Cornish, Cumbrians, Bretons and Welsh. These representations date from the Early Middle Ages; others of uncertain purpose date back to megalithic...
s are still visible in the brook to this day.
Notable people
- Richard AshcroftRichard AshcroftRichard Paul Ashcroft is an English singer-songwriter. He was the lead singer and occasional guitarist of alternative rock band The Verve from their formation in 1990 until their split in 1999, and continues as a lead vocalist working with guitars and keyboards...
(originally from WiganWiganWigan is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It stands on the River Douglas, south-west of Bolton, north of Warrington and west-northwest of Manchester. Wigan is the largest settlement in the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan and is its administrative centre. The town of Wigan had a total...
), singer-songwriterSinger-songwriterSinger-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
, The VerveThe VerveThe Verve were an English rock band formed in 1989 in Wigan by lead vocalist Richard Ashcroft, guitarist Nick McCabe, bassist Simon Jones, and drummer Peter Salisbury. Guitarist and keyboardist Simon Tong later became a member. Beginning with a psychedelic sound indebted to shoegazing and space... - Elizabeth Barrett BrowningElizabeth Barrett BrowningElizabeth Barrett Browning was one of the most prominent poets of the Victorian era. Her poetry was widely popular in both England and the United States during her lifetime. A collection of her last poems was published by her husband, Robert Browning, shortly after her death.-Early life:Members...
, poet - Mary DugganMary DugganMary Beatrice Duggan was an international cricketer, who played 17 test matches for the England women's cricket team between her debut against Australia in Adelaide in 1949, and her last game, against the touring Australians, at the Oval in 1963.A right-handed batsman, she scored 652 runs at...
, cricketer - Steve EmerySteve EmeryStephen Roger "Steve" Emery is an English former footballer who played for 13 seasons in the Football League. He spent much of his career at Hereford United, where he made 333 competitive appearances, and also played League football for Derby County and Wrexham.He was a versatile midfield player...
, footballer - Henry Scott HollandHenry Scott HollandHenry Scott Holland was Regius Professor of Divinity at the University of Oxford. He was also a canon of Christ Church, Oxford.-Family and education:...
, professor of divinity - Robin GardnerRobin Gardner (cricketer)Leslie Robin Gardner is a former English cricketer and footballer. In cricket, Gardner was a right-handed batsman who bowled right-arm medium pace. He was born at Ledbury, Herefordshire....
, cricketer - Terry JenkinsTerry JenkinsTerry Jenkins is an English professional darts player who is nicknamed The Bull, having previously used the nickname "Tucker" for his matches...
, darts player - Conroy MaddoxConroy MaddoxConroy Maddox , was an English surrealist painter, collagist, writer and lecturer; and a key figure in the Birmingham Surrealist movement....
, artist - John MasefieldJohn MasefieldJohn Edward Masefield, OM, was an English poet and writer, and Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom from 1930 until his death in 1967...
, poet laureate - James Crosbie SmithJames Crosbie SmithJames Crosbie Smith was an English cricketer who played 16 first-class matches for Worcestershire in the 1920s....
, cricketer - Rachel WhitearRachel WhitearRachel Whitear was a British student from Ledbury, Herefordshire who died following a heroin overdose. Her death in May 2000 led to a large-scale anti-drugs campaign in Britain, particularly in secondary schools, when her parents allowed a police photograph to be shown publicly – it showed...
, student - William LanglandWilliam LanglandWilliam Langland is the conjectured author of the 14th-century English dream-vision Piers Plowman.- Life :The attribution of Piers to Langland rests principally on the evidence of a manuscript held at Trinity College, Dublin...
, poet (or Ledbury area)
External links
- Ledbury Town Council
- Genuki UK & Ireland Genealogy site for Ledbury
- The Ledbury and District Society Trust Ltd (also known as Ledbury Civic Society) - Registered charity - A 'watch-dog' organisation: promoting conservation and improvement; creating amenity projects; combining the past and present - protecting our heritage; in short: "Looking after Ledbury"