A DISPLAY of artworks promoting Ledbury’s heritage to visitors arriving by train have now taken pride of place at the town’s railway station.

The displays give an account of the town’s history and the coming of the railway in fine calligraphic script. 

There is also a hand-drawn map of the town with illustrations of some of its most iconic buildings for visitors to look out for.

Under the title “Welcome to Ledbury. A jewel of a heritage town”, the artworks are mounted on a handsome three bay glazed cabinet above a landscaped brick-built planter.

The posters are the work of three local artists: Caroline Owen Thomas, who is the calligrapher, Jeanette McCulloch and Cheryl Davies.

The project was managed by Gareth Davies of of public transport user group Rail and Bus for Herefordshire and funded by the West Midlands Railway (WMR) ‘Your Community, Your Fund’ scheme. Ledbury Town Council, Ledbury Civic Society and Sustainable Ledbury also assisted the scheme.

Fay Easton, Head of Community and Stakeholder at WMR said: "The heritage information board is a triumph for the designers and organisers. 

“The board itself is beautiful, way beyond the functional information boards at stations up and down the country. This is a work of art, as are the contents. 

“The quiet determination of the project leaders to 'get this done' has been impressive and from WMR perspective the community leads have been a joy to work with. 

“Not only ‘Lovely Ledbury’ brought to life on that stunning board, but ‘Lucky Ledbury’ in its community champions."

Project Leader Gareth said: “We have worked hard over the year as an art team to get this up and running and have received tremendous support from Fay. 

“The result is a stunning display. We are also grateful for the assistance we have received from Ledbury Town Council, Ledbury Civic Society and Sustainable Ledbury. 

“The project is part of a wider remit to promote Ledbury tourism and strengthen the link between town and railway. Brochures depicting the project are also being produced for distribution throughout the West Midlands.”

The welcome board is one of 21 community projects being supported by West Midlands Railway as part of its Customer and Communities Improvement Fund.