Ledbury was briefly cut off by rail and road last week, because of floods, for the first time since the massive floods of 2007.

By 3pm last Thursday, November 14, rail passengers at Foregate Street in Worcester were being advised that rail links on the Hereford route had been flooded near Ledbury and all trains on that route were cancelled.

Coaches were put on for rail passengers going to Colwall, Ledbury and Hereford; but station staff at Worcester advised them that they were unlikely to get into Ledbury itself, because of the floods, with the main routes in reported to be impassable "even for 4x4 vehicles".

The impact of the floods and rain began to make itself felt by noon on the day.

By 12.30pm, Bosbury Primary School announced it would close, but that all the children would be "fed and registered beforehand".

Bredenbury Primary School, another rural school, announced it would close at 1pm.

The school said due to the road conditions and more rain forecast, they were shutting the school "to ensure the safety of both children and staff".

Road conditions in and around Ledbury were reported to be challenging by late morning and early afternoon.

Herefordshire Council reported surface water affecting the A438 at Hollybush.

Flooding was also reported via social media on the A417, beyond the M50 junction, and also at Parkway itself, on the outskirts of Ledbury.

The B4214 Ledbury to Worcester Road was reported to have floods in multiple places and floods were also reported in the Staplow area, on the Bromyard Road, again by social media.

Flooding was also reported for the Stourport road out of Bromyard, in particular at Broad Bridge, and flooding was also reported for the Bromyard to Hereford Road.

In the immediate Ledbury area itself, Wellington Heath correspondent Peter Constantine reported that, unusually, the River Leadon was flooding onto the fields near Ledbury viaduct, and water levels were also being increased due to the "run off that happens in heavy rain from the higher ground across the Bromyard Road to the viaduct site, which is currently sodden".

By around 5pm, the main links into Ledbury: the A417 to and from the M50; The Worcester Road and the Hereford Road and the Bromyard Road were reported to be impassable, although some motorists did report managing to get through on the Worcester Road slightly earlier, albeit by driving with care.

Heavy flooding was also reported on outlying roads, including at Munsley, where some cars had to be abandoned. There was also heavy flooding on roads at Much Marcle.

Falcon Lane, a rural link into Ledbury off the Hereford Road, was closed both ways between Baregains Lane and Lilly Hall Lane, by 4.25pm.

By the following morning, or early afternoon, most of the local roads reported to have been closed due to floods appear to have been passable again, and rail links from Worcester to Hereford were running reasonably smoothly by mid-morning, although there were still a number of cancellations on the route, including during the afternoon.

The last time Ledbury was effectively cut off was in July 20, 2017, when hundreds of passengers were stranded overnight in the market town.

On that occasion, many sought much-needed refuge in Ledbury Primary School, The Community Hall, and elsewhere.

The flooding in 2007 caught so many people out because it came in such an exceptional burst.

Even Ledbury bypass was flooded by the River Leadon; something which did not occur last week.