Leominster, known as “the town in the Marches”, is a pleasant black and white market town in the county of Herefordshire, England. It lies 13.5 miles north of Hereford, 18.5 miles east of the Welsh border and 11.5 miles south of Ludlow. It is situated at the confluence of the river Kenwater and the river Lugg, and with a population of 11,000 people is the second largest town in the county.
The town's name derives from a minster, a clergy lying in the district of Lene or Leon. Although there was a priory here during the Saxon times, a later one was built in 1121 after Henry II bestowed the minster to Reading Abbey. In 1402 the priory was raided by the forces of Owain Glyndwr, the rebel Welsh prince. The only remaining part of the 12th century monastery is the Priory Church of St Peter and St Paul, which now acts as the parish church.
With an abundance of cafes, pubs, shops and boutiques, Leominster is a thriving and bustling town. Many of the shops are attractive half timbered Black and White buildings which overhang the narrow medieval lanes.
There are also many attractions, including the Leominster Folk Museum, which displays a burial from the Bronze Age, as well as old postage marks and stamps of Leominster.
The Mousetrap Cheese attraction is well worth a visit. Visitors can watch the famous Little Herefordshire Cheese be made traditionally by hand, or sit back with a cup of tea or coffee in the café. You can pick up your own Mousetrap Cheese from one of the three shops in Leominster, Hereford or Ludlow, or try out the pickles, chutneys and biscuits on offer.
Should you wish to wash it down with something a little stronger than tea then pop into the neighbouring shop ..Marches Little Beer Shop in School Lane and you will find a wide selection of local and unusual beers.
The Burford House Gardens is quite different to Mousetrap Cheese. This early Georgian country house is set in 4 acres of garden near the River Teme and is home to the National Clematis Collection, a Nursery and a Treasures Plant Centre.
For avid walkers, the Black and White Trail travels to the west of the town along the A44 and takes in the black and white timbered villages of Weobley, Eardisland and Pembridge.
Leominster offers good transport services, with a bus service running to Hereford as well as several nearby towns and villages. The railway station also has links to Cardiff via Hereford and Manchester to Ludlow, and London can be reached by changing at Hereford.
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