Burgage Hall

The headquarters of Ledbury Civic Society. Originally a small timbered Congregational chapel stood here, hidden from view in a time of religious conflict. A new classical building was built in 1852 to reflect more open attitudes to non-conformist religion and new architectural styles. When this chapel fell into disuse, the Civic Society restored the dilapidated building for community use.

WHY THE NAME 'BURGAGE'?

Burgage Hall got its name from the ‘burgage plots’ on which many of Ledbury’s buildings stand.

A burgage plot was a strip of land in a medieval town. The land was owned by the lord of the manor and allocated to the town’s freemen – men who were entitled to practise a trade and elect members of the town’s ruling council. An owner of a burgage plot was called a burgess. He paid rent to the lord of the manor, usually in money, but sometimes in services.

Where a town was developed along a single main street or a long market (as in Ledbury), frontages were at a premium, so the plots were long and narrow. Ledbury has many alleyways off High Street and The Homend. The alleys were the ways to get from the street to the back of the plot.

Owning a burgage often gave you the right to vote. A burgage could be freely bought and sold. It could also be transferred for the period of an election to a nominee. It was therefore possible for a very few people (and sometimes just one person) to purchase the majority of the burgages in a town and therefore have the absolute power to nominate the members of Parliament. Most burgage boroughs became pocket (or rotten) boroughs in this way. The practice was abolished in the Reform Act of 1832.

The hall is available to hire. It has elegant high ceilings, wooden floor, delightful gallery and beautiful natural light. Ideal for wedding receptions, birthday parties, social events, funeral gatherings, meetings, talks, exhibitions, fashion shoots, photographic sessions, one-off events and classes.