This plaque was once attached to the building of the local abattoir or slaughterhouse, which stood opposite Leominster Station. Running it was the responsibility of the Town Council. The slaughterhouse and pens were built by the Council in 1876 on land on the west side of the Worcester Road nearly opposite the Railway Station. The building had a large yard at the rear and was supplied with gas. At the time, there were several other small private slaughter houses attached to shops in the town, which were described at the time as “ great nuisances, with two honourable exceptions”. However, the Council could not close abattoirs while they were properly run.

In the 1950s and 1960s the slaughterman was Malcolm Newman, pictured in the photo sitting outside the abbatoir gates with his pet dog and her puppies. As well as working in town, Mr Newman used to travel out to farms to despatch sick or injured animals. In the early 20th century, many animals were moved into and around the town on foot. Herds of cattle were driven down Etnam Street from the market, either to the abattoir or to be loaded live onto trains. One Leominster man still remembers being paid a few pence with his friends in the 1930s to stand at the entrance to small alleyways leading off Etnam Street in order to stop animals escaping! There were fewer Health and Safety and animal welfare regulations in those days. Two people still recall the fun they had when they were given an inflated pig’s bladder by the slaughter man to use as a football, with no ill effects.