The Park, Ledbury

This distinctive black and white timbered house was formerly the home of the Lords Biddulph and called ‘New House’, but now labelled synonymously with its grounds - ‘The Park’ - behind the high red brick wall on the right of this photograph. The blue and white sign is for a scaffolding firm, presumably engaged for the wall's maintenance!

The traffic lights (at the ‘Top Cross’) which these cars wait patiently to change are for the formerly main road (A449) from Worcester (on the left) to Ross crossing the Hereford to Gloucester road, although now, thankfully for these old buildings, through traffic uses the bypass. The road to Worcester goes between the ‘Ledbury Books and Maps’ building and ‘The Park’, and yes, it's very narrow, just about wide enough for a horse, and today is restricted by the traffic lights to one stream of traffic.

The building was started in c1595, by Edward SKYNNER, with portions of the exterior dating from then, although the interior of that date sadly is almost wholly lost.^[1]

(Information provided by Rosemary Lockie)

References
[1] Hillaby, Joe - Ledbury, a Medieval Borough. Published by Ledbury and District Society Trust/Logaston Press, 1997 (2nd Ed.).  £9.95.   ISBN 1-873827-05-9