Ledbury Reporter
·Jul 2026
Ledbury's Town of Culture snub 2028 'disappointing'
Ledbury was not shortlisted for the UK Town of Culture 2028 award despite competing in the small-town category, a result described as disappointing by local councillor Stef Simmonds. He highlighted the town’s strong cultural identity, including its poetry festival and links to John Masefield, and suggested that many shortlisted towns benefited from having coastlines. Other nearby towns also missed out, while finalists across the three size categories will compete for a £3 million government prize, with runners‑up receiving £250,000.