OUR HERITAGE, SHAPING LEDBURY’S FUTURE

PROTECTING OUR HERITAGE, SHAPING THE FUTURE

ABOUT THE SOCIETY

Our successful campaigns and collaborations have been of lasting benefit to Ledbury. It is hard to imagine that there was a proposal to build a large housing scheme in Ledbury Park!

The restoration of the Burgage Hall, the re-siting and reassembling of Butcher Row House Museum, the frescoes in the 16th century Painted Room, the Master’s House, Rutherglen (the Magistrate’s House in Church Lane which we took to public appeal to save its demolition). To name just a few, all essential and much used parts of Ledbury’s heritage. Ledbury has done well to retain its essential character, thanks to the tireless efforts of so many devoted groups and individuals.

Veslemøy Lunt (President)

The Society has around 400 members. We have saved, restored and now run two of the town’s principal historic buildings, The Butcher Row House Museum and the Burgage Hall. Both on Church Lane.

We use proceeds from donations and sales at the Museum and from hiring the Burgage Hall to maintain the buildings and to fund our charitable work.

We were formed in 1973 as a civic society. We became the Ledbury and District Society Trust Ltd, a charitable trust, in 1977.

CHURCH LANE

Our status as a charitable trust helps us devote as much of our income as possible to our causes. This is particularly important because we have no day-to-day funding from local or central government. Our aims are to…

  • Raise interest in Ledbury and its surroundings.
  • Promote high standards of planning and architecture.
  • Secure the preservation, protection and improvement of features of historic, natural and public interest in Ledbury and the surrounding areas.

ST MICHAEL'S SPIRE FROM THE LANE

We achieve our aims in lots of ways. These include…

  • Providing informed opinions to the Town and County Councils on planning applications, local plans and traffic matters and attending planning meetings and local inquiries.
  • Offering grants for pupils’ projects on Ledbury-related subjects to encourage the interest of younger people who are, after all, the future of our town.
  • Supporting projects that will enrich the heritage of Ledbury and its surroundings, from the restoration of the St Katherine’s complex to grant aiding projects where financial support is needed, and supporting initiatives such as the John Masefield Memorial project.

THE MASTER'S HOUSE

THE MARKET HOUSE

newsletters
Achievements
officers
Roll of Honour

Recent Newsletters

Download as PDF documents…

The Ledbury Letter, edition 117, Spring 2024.

The Ledbury Letter, edition 116, Autumn 2023.

The Ledbury Letter, edition 115, Spring 2023.

The Ledbury Letter, edition 114, Autumn 2022.

The Ledbury Letter, edition 113, Spring 2022.

The Officers

President

  • Veslemøy Lunt

Trustees

  • Mark Lister (Chair)
  • Christine Tustin (Company Secretary)
  • Graham Every (Treasurer/Membership Secretary)
  • Nicola Forde (Burgage Hall Booking Secretary)
  • Hilary Davis (Special Projects)
  • Ann Lumb (Planning)

Associates

  • Ken Chapman (Chairman, Butcher Row House Museum)
  • Patrick Goode (Talks Programme)
  • Celia Kellett (Historian)

Roll of Honour

PRESIDENT

1973 – 1988: Major Alan Cadbury
1989: Bob Walker
1990 – 1994: Tony Watts
1995 – : Joe Hillaby

CHAIRMAN

1973 – 1975: E L Jeans
1976 – 1977: R Plenderleith
1978 – 1980: Philip Sharpe-Neal
1981 – 1982: Hon. Mrs Hervey-Bathurst
1983 – 1985: Tony Watts (as vice-chairman)
1986 – 1987: Don Howe
1988 – 1989: Lloyd Evans
1990: John Cooper
1991 – 1995: Veslemøy Lunt
1996 – 1997: Clive Jupp
1998: Prue Yorke
1999: Mary Winfield
2000: Veslemøy Lunt
2001: Clive Jupp
2002: Mary Cooper
2003 – 2004: Prue Yorke
2005: Peter Harling
2006 – 2007: Keith Francis
2008: Mary Winfield
2009 – 2009 (September): Humphrey Britton-Johnson
2009 – 2011: Michael Lever
2011 – 2013: Chris Johnson
2013 – 2015: Alex Clive
2015 – 2017: Allen Conway
2017 – 2019: Chris Johnson
2019 – 2023: Andy Tector
2023: Mark Lister (acting)
2024: Mark Lister

Our Achievements

We are proud of what the Society has achieved over the years. Here are a few of our most notable achievements.

  • The placement of plaques at the entrances of 24 of the distinctive alleyways that separated the burgage plots from the High Street and Homend.
  • The provision of grant-aid for conservation projects such as St Michael and All Angels Church, the sixteenth century frescoes in the Painted Room on Church Lane and the preservation of brickwork on the approach to the railway station.
  • Contributions to schemes such as the community bus scheme, hospital improvements and the repair of local churches.
  • The publication of the Millennium Album in 2000. The album commemorated festivals, events, education, businesses, services, sport, building and local scenery and copies were given to the County Records Office, Ledbury Library and the Society. The Society’s copy is on display in Butcher Row House Museum.
  • The publication of Ledbury – A Medieval Borough and other books by Joe Hillaby and other local historians.
  • The publication of the Ledbury Heritage Trail, a map which guides residents and visitors around Ledbury’s historic sites, and many more, see Butcher Row House Museum.

Our influence can be seen around the town…

  • The ‘Welcome to Ledbury’ signs on the approach roads.
  • Benches and gates in the Walled Garden.
  • The oak noticeboard at St Katherine’s Hall.
  • Repairs to St Katherine’s Barn.
  • Flagpoles by the War Memorial.
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