Category: News

Wednesday 9th July 2025

Over 700 years ago, the United Guilds of Warwick built their headquarters consisting of a conference room, banqueting hall, mansion for the Master of the Guilds, storage rooms and lodgings for travellers. The Guildsmen built this splendid example of medieval half-timbered buildings with trees felled in the 1200’s from forests across England. Today, the site survives intact and tops the list of most complete and important medieval buildings in the British Isles.

The buildings are extraordinary, but what makes them unique is the enduring communities that have lived within the walls since the 1300’s. First came the Guilds, and then the Earl of Leicester, Robert Dudley, who was a favourite of Elizabeth I. Dudley founded the Lord Leycester Hospital in 1571 – a philanthropic community of a Master and twelve Brethren. Coming from the ranks of soldiers injured in Tudor wars, the Brethren were deserving recipients of Dudley’s philanthropy.

Today, the Master and Brethren still live in the community of the Lord Leycester established by Robert Dudley. Within the honey-coloured half-timbered walls it is as if time stood still. The Master and Brethren still wear Tudor livery and adhere to an ancient way of life. The Royal Hospital Chelsea, with its in-pensioners in their scarlet coloured livery are famous worldwide – The Lord Leycester is a much older, quieter and smaller forerunner of this most English of institutions. However, both have stood the test of time and still provide a place of sanctuary for those who have sacrificed to serve their country.

We will be escorted on this guided tour by a robed member of the Brethren – one of a long line of veterans who have lived on this site since the Tudor age. The 90 minute tour will explain the history of the site, the lifestyle of the Master and Brethren through the centuries and glimpse into a centuries old way of life at the Lord Leycester.

Because this is a medieval site with 700 year old buildings access can be limited for anyone with mobility issues. There is a lift to the second floor galleries, but access to the chapel is by stairs only.  (there is a 3 D model of the chapel for those who can’t do stairs!).

We will be leaving the Conquest car park at 8.45am and the tour will start at 11.00am

The cost for this visit will be £30.00 per person including transport from Bromyard. Teas and coffees can be provided on arrival at a cost of £2.50. There is a restaurant on site and meals can be pre-booked.

Payment must be made in full prior to the trip. Please email your interest in the first instance to: programme@bromyardhistorysociety.org.uk

Full details including how to pay will be sent to you on receipt of your application.

David Grant, Programme Secretary

Firstly, a huge thank you to Debbie and Peter for hosting the afternoon at Thornbury on Monday 19th May. The weather was glorious – warm and sunny but not overly hot. We had a wonderful turn out at the church for Debbie’s talk after which a general discussion and Q&A ensued with much members’ knowledge being shared. Tea and yummy cakes were served in the garden afterwards and hopefully a good time was had by all.

We sold £24 worth of the new Thornbury Church publication and we raised a further £132 from donations which has been split equally between the History Society and St Anna’s Church.

We look forward to seeing another good turn out for Rowden Mill Station on 26^th June. David Grant and I did a site visit earlier in the week and a flyer and an update on the format and parking arrangements will be circulated in a few days’ time. In the meantime, enjoy these photos from Thornbury.
Joy Hoyle

Our programme for the year has just been released – more information will be added but for a sneaky peek  see https://bromyardhistorysociety.org.uk/programme

Our new BDLHS 2025 calendar is available to buy from the the Centre shop, HOBS and from our online shop. It features a selection of fascinating photos from our collection. Priced at just £5.00 (£6.90 incl P&P within the UK) it makes a great gift although you’ll probably also want to keep one for yourself!

Featuring 13 monthly pages there is plenty of space to record appointments, birthdays and reminders. And as there is also a January 2026 page you can ensure that until your next calendar arrives you have a little extra overlap.

On Saturday 5th October a Family History Open Day was held at the Local & Family History Centre in Sherford Street. We opened at 10.30am and it wasn’t long before the first couple of researchers arrived.
Several of our extremely well qualified volunteers were kind enough to give their time to help. We were also joined by the Herefordshire Family History Society who proved to be a great help. We had a wonderful turnout on the day, of people researching local Bromyard families as well as some researching their property and family from outside our district. Amazingly, two researchers who moved into the area from elsewhere discovered they had ancestors from Bromyard, it is said that we tend to go back to our roots!
We ended the day at 4pm absolutely exhausted but very pleased and satisfied that we were able to help so many people.
The researchers on the day were so happy that they have promised to return as soon as they can to find out more about their roots.
The day was such a success that we will be holding another Open Day next Spring, so watch this space!
In the meantime, the research room at the Local & Family History Centre is open every Thursday & Friday 10am – 4.30pm (closed 1pm-2pm for lunch) and Saturday 10am – 12.30pm. Our volunteers are always on hand to help.
There is no fixed charge except for printouts but donations are very much welcome to keep us going. We have no public funding but rely on fundraising, members subsciptions and donations from the public.

On Thursday 29th August our Chairman Alex Hoyle died suddenly whilst out cycling aged only sixty six years old. This news came as a terrible shock to us all.
Alex Hoyle and his wife Joy moved to Herefordshire in 1998. They rented a cottage in Burley Gate for several months whilst waiting to occupy Wootton Farm in Pencombe. Alex’s background had been in the building trade. That was the start of a friendship with Barry and Erica Lawrence who introduced them to the Bromyard & District Local History Society about 2000.
Alex joined the History Society at a time when the newly purchased History Centre was being adapted for our use. Members assisted with the decoration and there are photos of Alex, being tall, painting ceilings and many other tasks. Alex’s first term, of four as Chairman of the Society was in 2002 and he was in post when the History Centre was officially opened by the then Lord Lieutenant in May 2003
Alex was always willing to help friends and members alike. We worked as a team to try and ensure the efficient operation of all activities. Alex was very forgiving of some of the volunteers lack of computer expertise but was always patiently willing to assist. He was nominated to represent the History Society at a Royal Garden Party in 2021 but sadly because of Covid this did not take place.
Alex was the welcoming face of the Society not only on the Reception Desk but in representing the Society at local and other events. His knowledge of anything technical and especially computers was wide ranging which resulted in the phrase “Ask Alex” being everyone’s first port of call. He treated everyone with respect and everyone respected him too.
As well as being Chairman several times, he was also Chairman of publications, membership secretary, he ran the website and dealt with the online shop. He was chief clock winder for the society’s grandfather clock and general D.I.Y person. He was extremely caring and generous with his time.
Alex did so much for everyone and will be most sorely missed not only by Society members but also by the many friends  in the other activities in which he was involved. He has left such a huge hole and we couldn’t have wished for a better friend and colleague. It’s difficult to know how we will cope without you, you did so much and yours are big shoes to fill but we will do our best to keep up the good work. R.I.P

14^th September, 2024 – Raffle draw with nibbles and wine
This year our “summer raffle” turned out to be a “late summer or early autumn raffle” but was very well supported by members of the Society and the general public who visited the Centre or Shop. The main prize was a picnic basket of comestibles to the value of £100.00 which was won by Sue and John Lahiff. We also offered “consolation” prizes: second prize of chocolates and prosecco was won by Mike Field; third prize of a bottle of red wine was won by Stuart Anderson; fourth prize of a bottle of ginger wine went to Cliff Morris. The draw, as advertised on the tickets, took place over a glass of wine and nibbles, at the History Centre in Sherford Street; a very pleasant occasion. The BDLHS is very grateful for all the support from our members and the proceeds of over £500.00 will be a nice addition to our funds. A big thank you to all who took part in any capacity.