“The old are ever eager for young genius to appear, and glad to welcome it.”

John Masefield 

It is a privilege for our school to carry the name of John Masefield.  An inspiring figure, born in Ledbury in 1878, Masefield overcame a series of setbacks to achieve his dream of becoming a writer; he succeeded in an unfamiliar world, whilst remaining true to himself.   

It is clear from Masefield’s writing that Masefield remembered this community fondly throughout his life.  John Masefield’s most enduring works for children, The Midnight Folk and the Box of Delights, draw extensively on his childhood.  The settings of these books demonstrate his connection to Ledbury and the local area within the first few pages. Local landmarks such as the Malvern Hills and St Michael’s Church prominently feature. 

Our students visited some of these locations when they, together with the Rural Media Company, produced this stunning video exploring John Masefield’s life. It is also available to view at the Ledbury Library. 

Masefield was a great advocate for new poets, establishing the Royal Medal for Poetry to support them.  He explained that “The old are ever eager for young genius to appear, and glad to welcome it”.   These words give us hope that he would be proud of our work to welcome young genius, working under his name, in the town he remembered so fondly.   

John Masefield was a best-selling author and highly respected in his time.   Philip Larkin admired him, T. S. Eliot said he was of historical importance, and John Betjeman said he wrote ‘lyrics that will be remembered as long as the language lasts’.   Masefield’s success was reflected in his career, which included 37 years as Poet Laureate - the second longest term in history - as well as numerous honorary degrees and awards, including the highly prestigious Order of Merit.   

In spite of this, Masefield has faded from public memory over the last 50 years.   We are therefore delighted that Ledbury Town Council has received a National Lottery grant of £220,000 to fund the John Masefield Memorial Project. The project will explore the legacy of John Masefield through a range of events celebrating his work, his life, and the things that mattered to him. The project will finish with a memorial celebrating John Masefield's 150th anniversary in 2028.  Find out more about this exciting work at the Masefield Matters website.