Work is currently underway installing a beautiful piece of art at Ledbury railway station. Once completed, passengers will be treated to a glimpse of the town’s medieval past.

The permanent striking artwork created by three local artists will showcase the town’s well-known buildings and structures, and give details of the town history and the relationship with the railway.

A three-panel glass cabinet housed within an existing brick planter at the station will show off the artwork.

The three artists creating the art are Jeanette McCulloch, a previous student of the Royal College of Art, Caroline Owen Thomas, a distinguished calligrapher, and Cheryl Davies, a skillful draughtsperson and artist.

As part of its Customer & Communities Improvement Fund, West Midlands Railway are supporting 21 community projects, one of which is the art panels at Ledbury railway station.

The project leader of the public transport user group Rail and Bus for Herefordshire Gareth Davies said he hoped the artwork, funded through West Midlands Railway’s Your Community, Your Fund grant, would raise awareness of the attractions of the historic town.

He said: “Ledbury is a jewel of a town. With its timbered Elizabethan black and white buildings, it’s such a lovely place to visit and just have an amble round.” “We have buildings from all eras, spectacular museums and some great examples of medieval paintings in the council offices.” “This project is truly helping to put Ledbury on the rail map and demonstrate that rail companies and communities can work well together for the benefit of local people.”

“All three of the artists are well known in Ledbury and we are using a local printer to print the artwork, so it really is a community project,” added Gareth. He said the group would also be producing brochures giving visitors more information about the heritage of the town and the town trail.

Fay Easton, head of community and stakeholder for West Midlands Railway, said the project would help attract people from across the West Midlands with frequent direct rail services from Birmingham New Street to discover this hidden gem for a wonderful day out.

“Ledbury is a wonderful town; with its independent shops, bars and restaurants, it’s just perfect for a day trip and the journey from Birmingham is fascinating as the train cuts through rural and urban landscapes,” she said.
“This project is also a wonderful example of working partnerships between the community and the train operating company to celebrate and raise awareness of a lovely town.”

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