‘Artisan Art in 16th Century England: Ledbury Leads the Way’

As part of Heritage Days 2026, we are delighted to welcome Dr Kathryn Davies a leading expert on domestic wall art. Dr Davies has done a great deal of research into the subject and often uses the 16th Century Painted Room in the Town Council offices in Ledbury as her example to illustrate typical characteristics of wall paintings. However she feels that the paintings have some interesting puzzles which can make us think about social and cultural life of the time.

Dr Davies has produced a superb book. 'Artisan Art: Vernacular wall paintings in the Welsh Marches, 1550–1650', which is now in its second edition. The book will be available for sale on the evening of the talk.