Leigh, Worcestershire

Leigh
Leigh
	Leigh - house at the village centre
OS grid reference	SO783534
Civil parish	Leigh and Bransford;
District	Malvern Hills;
Shire county	Worcestershire;
Region	West Midlands;
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	WORCESTER
Postcode district	WR6
Police	West Mercia
Fire	Hereford and Worcester
Ambulance	West Midlands
UK Parliament	West Worcestershire;
	List of places UK England Worcestershire

Leigh is a village in the civil parish of Leigh and Bransford in the Malvern Hills District in the county of Worcestershire, England. With just a few hundred inhabitants the parish lies on the A4103, the main Worcester to Hereford road, about 5 miles out of Worcester, whilst Malvern is also about 5 miles away. It comprises the village of Bransford, and the hamlets of Brockamin, Leigh Sinton, Sandlin & Smith End Green.

Due largely to the significant reduction of the hop industry in the area, ^{[citation needed]}Leigh, like many local villages, declined in the late 20th century; it lost its pub, its police station and its railway station (with the closure of the Bromyard branch line in the 1960s).

History

Leigh's Norman church (St. Edburga's) was built in 1100 by Benedictine monks from Pershore Abbey.^{[citation needed]} It is listed by English heritage as a Grade I listed building.

Leigh Court Barn is the largest and one of the oldest cruck framed barns in Britain.

A mile to the south at Castle Green are the earthwork and buried remains of a medieval motte and bailey castle.

Following the Poor Law Amendment Act 1834 Leigh Parish ceased to be responsible for maintaining the poor in its parish. This responsibility was transferred to Martley Poor Law Union.^[1]

The area is reputedly haunted by the ghost of a robber named Edmund Colles, who is said to appear in a coach drawn by four fire-breathing horses.^[2]

References

^ Worcestershire Family History Guidebook, Vanessa Morgan, 2011, p68 The History Press, Stroud, Gloucestershire.
^ Ash, Russell (1973). Folklore, Myths and Legends of Britain. Reader's Digest Association Limited. p. 321. ISBN 9780340165973.

External links

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[1] Worcestershire Family History Guidebook, Vanessa Morgan, 2011, p68 The History Press, Stroud, Gloucestershire.

[2] Ash, Russell (1973). Folklore, Myths and Legends of Britain. Reader's Digest Association Limited. p. 321. ISBN 9780340165973.

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v t e Settlements in Malvern Hills District
Towns	Malvern Tenbury Wells Upton-upon-Severn
Villages	Abberley Alfrick Pound Alfrick Astley Bank Street Barnards Green Baughton Bayton Berrow Green Berrow Birts Street Birtsmorton Bockleton Bowling Green Bransford Broadwas Bushley Callow End Castlemorton Clevelode Clifton upon Teme Clifton Cotheridge Croome D'Abitot Crowcroft Doddenham Draycott Dunley Dunstall Common Eardiston Earls Croome Eastham Eldersfield Frith Common Frog Pool Great Witley Grimley Guarlford Hallow Hanley Castle Hanley Child Hanley Swan Hanley William Harpley High Green Hill Croome Hillhampton Holdfast Hollybush Holt Heath Horsham Kempsey Kenswick Kerswell Green Knighton on Teme Knightwick Kyre Leigh Sinton Leigh Lindridge Little Malvern Little Witley Longdon Lower Broadheath Lower Sapey Lulsley Madresfield Malvern Wells Mamble Martley Newland Newnham Bridge Noutard's Green Oldwood Orleton Pendock Pensax Poolbrook Powick Queenhill Ripple Rochford Rushwick Ryall Rye Cross Sankyns Green Severn Stoke Shelsley Walsh Shelsleys Shrawley Stanford on Teme Stockton on Teme Stoke Bliss Suckley Upper Broadheath Upper Welland Welland West Malvern Wichenford Wyche
Civil parishes	Civil parishes in the Malvern Hills district