Herefordshire planners have given the go-ahead to enhance the setting of one the county’s most historic buildings.
Herefordshire Council will create a public square in Ledbury between the 15th century Master’s House, St Katherine’s Hall & Chapel and the Barn and improve the car park.
The planning committee unanimously agreed the scheme this week which will use natural stone within the square and install a series of corten steel planters containing herbs and timber benches.
Residents can also look forward to other improvements such as new paving on the entrance from Bye Street together with a rumble strip, and the planting of new trees at different points of the car park.
However, the plans will also result in the loss of three parking spaces.
The hospital complex is one of the most important surviving medieval hospital sites in the country and while hospitals like this were fairly common in the Middle Ages, few have been retained in their entirety.
Officer Roland Close said in his report: “In the Middle Ages, ‘hospital’ didn’t mean what it does today.
“St Katherine’s was something like a cross between a church, a hostel and a soup kitchen.
“It stood right in the centre of the town, amidst all the hustle and bustle of everyday life, offering hospitality to the needy, pilgrims and other travellers.”
The council will use the £120,000 it acquired as a financial contribution from the approval of the out-of-town Aldi store two years ago.
St Katherine’s Hospital was founded in 1231 by Bishop Hugh Foliot to provide for the spiritual as well as the material well-being of the poor and the aged, the sick and the distressed, travellers and pilgrims.
A small group of men, and women from 1238, called brethren looked after poor and needy local people by giving them food, shelter and care.
St Katherine’s Hospital was run from day to day by a master, chosen initially from amongst the brethren.
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