Ledbury

Ledbury is a town in Herefordshire, England. Situated east of Hereford, on the southern slope of the Malvern Hills. It is an ancient borough, dating back to the Domesday Book, where it was recorded as Liedeberge, and returned members to Parliament in the reign of Edward I. Ledbury takes its name from the River Leadon, on which it stands. The Old English berg (hill) has been added to the river name, which probably comes from the conjectural hlid (slope).

Once home to the poetess Elizabeth Barrett Browning, who spent her childhood days at Hope End, and to poet laureate John Masefield, Ledbury today is a thriving market town in rural England. Unusually, it has a main-line rail connection to London. It is known for its large number of timber framed buildings, in particular along Church Lane. Notable buildings in the town include the parish church and Eastnor Castle, while the Painted Room contains sixteenth century frescoes.

It was the winner of the 2003 Britain in Bloom, in the category of 'Small Town'.

Until 1885, the Hereford to Gloucester canal which was opened in 1798,passed through the lower part of the town with warves at Bye street and at what is now the Ross road near the the Full Pitcher public house. The canal on closing was used as a route for the Ledbury to Gloucester railway. When that closed, as a result of the Beeching cuts, it became disused until it was converted to a nature trail.