Report

ROYAL COMMISSION ON THE ANCIENT AND HISTORICAL MONUMENTS AND CONSTRUCTIONS OF ENGLAND

Report to the King's Most Excellent Majesty.

May it Please Your Majesty.

We, the undersigned Commissioners, appointed to make an Inventory of the Ancient and Historical Monuments and Constructions connected with or illustrative of the contemporary culture, civilization and conditions of life of the people in England, excluding Monmouthshire, from the earliest times to the year 1714, and to specify those which seem most worthy of preservation, humbly submit to Your Majesty the following Report on the Monuments of North-West Herefordshire, being the sixteenth Report on the work of the Commission since its appointment.

2. We tender to Your Majesty our respectful thanks for the gracious message which accompanied Your Majesty's acceptance of our Inventory of the Eastern Division of the County of Hereford.

3. We have also to thank Your Majesty for the appointment of Sir George Duckworth and Professor Hamilton Thompson under Your Majesty's Royal Sign Warrants dated 27th June, 1933, to be members of the Commission in place of our late colleagues Lord Dillon and Mr. Emslie John Horniman. And furthermore for the appointment as a Commissioner, under the same date, of the Lord Lieutenant of each county as it comes under review, such appointment to be concurrent with the survey of the county. With this report thus terminates the service of our colleague Sir John Cotterell, who has assisted us during the survey of the County of Hereford, and whose services have been of the greatest value to our investigations.

4. We desire to place on record our appreciation of the long and valued services to the Commission of our colleague Sir George Duckworth, C.B., F.S.A., who retired from the office of Secretary on 8th May, 1933.

5. We have pleasure in reporting the completion of our inquiries into the North-Western and final division of the County of Hereford, an area containing 1635 monuments in 82 parishes, with an average of 20 monuments per parish.

6. Following our usual practice, we have prepared an illustrated volume containing a full Inventory of the monuments in this part of the County, which, under the advice of the Lords Commissioners of Your Majesty's Treasury, will be issued as a non-Parliamentary publication.

7. No alteration has been found necessary in the order and method of describing the monuments scheduled from that pursued in the description of the monuments of the other divisions of the County. The detailed Inventory is introduced by the usual Sectional Preface.

8. This being the final volume dealing with the County of Hereford, the Inventory is prefaced by a series of general articles covering the County as a whole. The article on Pre-historic Hill-Camps is contributed by Mr. C. A. Ralegh-Radford, F.S.A., H.M. Inspector of Ancient Monuments for Wales; that on Roman Herefordshire by Dr. R. E. M. Wheeler, F.S.A., Keeper of the London Museum, that on Anglo-Saxon Herefordshire by Professor F. M. Stenton, F.B.A., and those on Early Castles and Architecture in general by the Secretary.

9. As in previous volumes, the descriptions of monuments have been referred for revision to the incumbents of each parish, and to the principal owners of domestic buildings, and we are satisfied that no important monument dating from the earliest times to the year 1714 has been omitted.

10. Our special thanks are due to the Right Rev. the Lord Bishop of Hereford, to the incumbents of the various parishes and to the owners of houses for valuable assistance in our investigation. Our thanks are due also in a particular degree to Sir Harold Brakspear, K.C.V.O., F.S.A., for allowing us access to the unpublished accounts of his excavations at Wigmore Abbey, and for correcting the account of the remains which appears in the Inventory; to Dr. F. H. Fairweather, O.B.E., F.S.A., for his valuable work in the excavation of the destroyed portions of Leominster Priory Church, which has enabled us to produce a complete plan of this building; to Mr. H. B. Walters, O.B.E., F.S.A., for revising the accounts of the church-bells of the County; and to Dr. Cyril Fox, F.S.A., for revising the account of those portions of Offa's Dyke which come within the County boundaries.

11. We humbly recommend to Your Majesty's notice the following monuments in N.W. Herefordshire as "especially worthy of preservation":—

Earthworks

1. Adforton.

(14) Brandon Camp, a small triangular camp.

2. Almeley.

(3) Almeley Castle, motte and bailey earthwork.

(4) Oldcastle Twt, motte and bailey earthwork.

3. Aston.

(2) Aston Tump, probably a castle-mound.

4. Aymestrey.

(30) Croft Ambrey Camp, a hill-top camp.

(31) Pyon Wood Camp, a small hill-top camp.

9. Brilley.

(30) Pen-tŵyn Camp, remains of a small oval camp.

12. Buckton and Coxall.

(3) Coxall Knoll Camp, a hill-top camp.

(4) Mounds, two, called tumuli on O.S.

21. Eardisland.

(2) Moated Mound, probably a castle-mound.

33. Humber.

(8) Risbury Camp, a strongly fortified hill-top camp.

34. Huntington.

(2) Huntington Castle, motte and bailey earthwork, with remains of masonry.

(3) Turret Castle, motte and bailey earthwork.

35. Kimbolton.

(22) Bach Camp, small hill-top camp.

45. Leintwardine.

(1) Roman Station, remains of a rectangular earthwork.

47. Leominster Out.

(52) Ivington Camp, a large and strongly fortified hill-top camp.

49. Lingen.

(13) Mound, called the Churchyard.

63. Richard's Castle.

(2) Richard's Castle, motte and bailey earthwork with remains of masonry.

68. Staunton-on-Arrow.

(12) Wapley Camp, a small but strongly fortified hill-top camp.

74. Weobley.

(2) Weobley Castle, the much damaged earthworks of an important castle.

Ecclesiastical

2. Almeley.

(1) Parish Church, dating from c. 1200, with a painted ceiling.

4. Aymestrey.

(1) Parish Church, dating from the 12th century, with a good screen and churchyardcross.

7. Brampton Bryan.

(1) Parish Church, largely re-built in 1656, with interesting roof.

14. Byford.

(1) Parish Church, dating from the 12th century, with interesting 13th-century detail.

18. Dilwyn.

(1) Parish Church, dating from c. 1200, with good screens, font and 14th-century effigy.

20. Downton on the Rock.

(1) Old Parish Church, dating from the 12th century, with remains of wall-paintings and rood-loft.

22. Eardisley.

(1) Parish Church, dating from c. 1200, with interesting carved font.

24. Eye, Moreton and Ashton.

(1) Eye Parish Church, dating from late in the 12th or early in the 13th century.

30. Hatfield.

(1) Parish Church, dating from late in the 11th century.

36. Kingsland.

(1) Parish Church, dating from the 13th century, with Volka chapel and good glass.

40. Kinnersley.

(1) Parish Church, dating from the 12th century, with unusual roof and interesting monument.

45. Leintwardine.

(2) Parish Church, dating from the 12th century, with good stalls and reredos.

46. Leominster.

(1) Priory and Parish Church, dating from the 12th century, with fine 12th-century nave and 14th-century additions, and among the fittings, a mediæval chalice and paten.

48. Letton.

(1) Parish Church, dating from late in the 11th or early in the 12th century, with interesting ironwork.

55. Middleton on the Hill.

(1) Parish Church, an almost complete 12th-century church.

57. Monnington-on-Wye.

(1) Parish Church, re-built in 1679 and with interesting 17th-century fittings.

61. Pembridge.

(1) Parish Church, dating from the 12th century. The belfry is a remarkable feature and the monuments and pulpit are noteworthy.

63. Richard's Castle.

(1) Parish Church, dating from the 12th century with detached tower, and glass.

66. Shobdon.

(1) Parish Church; the 12th-century arches re-erected in the park, and the font.

71. Stretford.

(1) Parish Church, dating from the 12th century with interesting roof and effigies.

74. Weobley.

(1) Parish Church, dating from the 12th century, with a remarkable tower and interesting monuments and glass.

76. Wigmore.

(1) Parish Church, dating from late in the 11th century with extensive herring-bone walling.

Secular

1. Adforton.

(1) Grange, remains of Wigmore Abbey with an interesting timber-framed gatehouse.

2. Almeley.

(5) Manor House, considerable remains of a mediæval house.

4. Aymestrey.

(3) Gatley Park, an almost complete house of c. 1630–40.

7. Brampton Bryan.

(2) Brampton Bryan Castle. Gatehouse and other remains of a castle of 14th-century and later date.

10. Brimfield.

(2) Nun Upton, house dating from the 16th century, partly of brick and partly timber-framed.

18. Dilwyn.

(4) Luntley Court, an early 17th-century timber-framed house with a dated porch of 1674.

21. Eardisland.

(4) Staick House, a timber-framed house dating from the 14th century.

24. Eye, Moreton and Ashton.

(3) Eye Manor, a house of 1680, with original plaster ceilings and staircase.

25. Eyton.

(2) Eyton Court, with an early 16th-century timber-framed wing.

32. Hope-under-Dinmore.

(2) Hampton Court, a much altered courtyard house dating from 1434.

37. King's Pyon.

(2) Butthouse. Gatehouse only, a timber-framed building dated 1632.

40. Kinnersley.

(2) Kinnersley Castle, a late 16th-century house with a good plaster ceiling and other fittings.

46. Leominster.

(5) Grange Court, the re-erected Market Hall of 1633.

47. Leominster Out.

(4) Wharton Court, a largely complete house of the first half of the 17th century with a porch dated 1659.

(5) Eaton Hall, extensive remains of a 14th-century building.

50. Lucton.

(2) Lucton School, a brick building of 1708, built as a school.

52. Lyonshall.

(2) Lyonshall Castle. Remains of a cylindrical keep and curtain, probably of the 13th century.

61. Pembridge.

(6) Trafford's Almshouses, a 17th-century range of almshouses.

(7) Duppa's Almshouses, a 17th-century range of almshouses.

74. Weobley.

(8) The Ley, an almost complete late 16th-century house.

(14) House in Meadow Street, probably of 14th-century origin, with original crutchtrusses.

(21) House in Bell Square, of 14th-century date, with an interesting roof.

(22) Red Lion Hotel, a building partly of 14th-century date.

(23) House in Broad Street, built late in the 14th century.

(37) House in Portland Street, probably of 15th-century date and largely complete.

(38) House in High Street, mainly of late 14th-century date, altered in the 15th century.

(50) Old Grammar School, an interesting early 17th-century building, with an original porch.

76. Wigmore.

(2) Wigmore Castle. A castle mentioned in Domesday, with remains of 14th-century and earlier buildings.

(3) Chapel Farm. An almost complete early 15th-century timber-framed house.

12. We offer our grateful thanks to Mr. Mill Stephenson, F.S.A., for the revision of the descriptions of Brasses, to Mr. R. E. Mortimer Wheeler, M.C., D.Lit., F.S.A., for the revision of descriptions of Roman Remains, and to Mr. O. G. S. Crawford, F.S.A., for revision of descriptions of Earthworks.

13. We desire to express our acknowledgment of the good work accomplished by our Executive Staff in the persons of Mr. J. W. Bloe, O.B.E., F.S.A., Mr. E. A. R. Rahbula, O.B.E., M.C., F.S.A., Mr. G. E. Chambers, F.S.A., Mr. P. K. Kipps, F.S.A., Mr. A. T. Phillips, M.C., Miss V. M. Dallas, and Mr. F. T. A. Power, M.C.

14. The next Inventory of the Commission will deal with the monuments of the County of Westmorland.

15. Sir George Duckworth, C.B., F.S.A., having retired from the Secretaryship of the Royal Commission after a service extending over twenty-five years, Mr. Alfred William Clapham, C.B.E., F.S.A., has been appointed to the vacant post. Mr. Clapham has been in the service of the Royal Commission for twenty-one years and has received a very cordial welcome from the Commissioners on his promotion to this responsible office.

All of which we submit with our humble duty to Your Majesty.

Signed:—

CRAWFORD & BALCARRES (Chairman).

J. G. N. CLIFT

ARTHUR EVANS

M. R. JAMES

D. H. MONTGOMERIE

WILLIAM PAGE

CHARLES PEERS

HARTINGTON

E. V. LUCAS

E. E. DORLING

J. R. G. COTTERELL

GEORGE DUCKWORTH

A. HAMILTON THOMPSON

A. W. CLAPHAM (Secretary).

January, 1934.