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LOWV walks -
Brampton Abbotts and Hole-in-the-Wall |
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Sunday 13th August, 2006
Heather
Hurley and PJ Pikes led a circular walk from Brampton Abbotts
Village Hall to Court Farm at Hole-in-the-Wall
(courtesy PGL) |
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Brampton Abbotts was held by St Peter’s
Abbey in Gloucester with another portion held by St
Guthlac’s Priory in Hereford until the Dissolution. The
parish name, Monk’s Grove and Abbotts Meadow reflect its
past monastic associations. The principal landowners in
the mid C19th were Lord Ashburton and the Dews. The church
dedicated to St Michael dates from the Norman period, and
the original Victorian school has been converted into a
dwelling when the school moved into the outskirts of Ross.
The landscape has changed dramatically since the mid C19th
small fields and strips have been enlarged into huge
arable fields. |
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The old vicarage at Brampton
Abbotts |
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Townsend Farm was originally sited
further to the east and was owned by the the prominent
local family, the Scudamores, in the
18th century. It was later purchased by Lord Ashburton and
between 1838 and 1888 was moved to its present site.
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Townsend Farm
was sold in 1890 as ‘A Superior Farm Residence
containing on the UPPER FLOOR (to which there are two
staircases), 5 Bed Rooms and Store Room; on the GROUND
FLOOR, Entrance Hall, 3 pleasant Sitting Rooms, Kitchen
and Back Kitchen; Cellar in Basement’ together with
an extensive range of farm buildings and the Cot buildings
near the Wye. In 1941 the Ministry of Agriculture surveyed this farm under the
tenancy of J Snell who farmed 552 acres with 9 workers.
Apart from the arable there was grazing for 133 cattle,
407 sheep, 70 pigs, 450 fowl and 13 horses. |
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Wilfords Green: Its name, situation on
the riverbank, and its approach by two ancient trackways
suggest a ford crossing, which was probably crossed by the
Welsh from Archenfield in the mid 12th century when they
raided Brampton Abbotts. (Does the name derive from
'Welsh' ford?)
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A memorial
cross marks a tragic incident that occurred in 1904 when
the Rev. Harry St. Helier Evans lost his life saving two
children who had been swept away towards Backney Bridge.
Upstream are the overgrown Withy Beds, where withies were
cut for basket making. |
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Monk’s Grove is a small steep-sided
wood which was partly replanted in 1986 by volunteers of
the Wye Valley Countryside Service. Rows of oak, ash,
lime, chestnut, cherry, alder and hornbeam have now
matured. The northern end of Monks Grove forms the
boundary between Brampton Abbotts and Foy. |
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Hole-in-the-Wall: is a curious place
with a name possible derived from the Domesday Turlestane
a ‘hole-stone’, or ‘holy well’. It is
situated in Foy East known as Eaton Tregoz where William
Grandison was granted a licence to crenellate his dwelling
in 1309, which has led to it being known as a castle. In
1420 the manor house contained ‘One hall, one great
chamber, at the end of the hall, and under it a buttery
and pantry; a parlour with a chamber adjoining, a chapel
with a chamber adjoining, a chamber called John ap Harry’s
Chamber, a kitchen, a bakehouse, a brewery, a great
stable, a great barn, a chamber over the lower gate, a
chamber over the outer gate, a great oxhouse, with divers
other tiled houses built on the site’. In 1805 Brayley
& Britton found ‘the remains of some ancient buildings,
consisting of the foundations of some well-built walls,
with huge stones lying about: ……What is now shown as
Hole-in-the-Wall, is an excavation formed in the rocky
bank of a neighbouring garden; but the spot is so
overgrown with brambles, as to be difficult of access.
When complete, it consisted of a flight of steps leading
downwards to a cavity, sufficiently capacious to contain
about twenty persons.’ |
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Court Farm is almost certainly on the
site of Eton Tregoz 'castle' or manor house as shown on
earlier maps. The building dates from the late 17th
century with a vaulted basement and an extension to the
north-east. Before it was sold to PGL in 1965 it was a
farm of 150 acres worked by Douglas Williams from 1943. A
legend exists that was reported in 1921, that a tunnel
once led from the cellar of Ingestone on the east side of
the Wye to the Rick yard of Court Farm on the west side.
When investigated ‘the appearance was the of a
filled-up well to within about three feet of the surface’. |
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PJ Pikes
in the Court Farm cellar
photo Fenny Smith |
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Steps in
the old cellars at Court Farm, Hole-in-the-Wall
photo Paul Newman |
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The Anchor and Can public house also
dates from the 17th century with later additions. It has
an interesting hearth with a kitchen range and in the
garden there is an attractive well. The other house and
the Abrahall Almshouses also date from the 17th century.
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The old
Anchor and Can public house |
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The old
range in the former Anchor and Can
photo Fenny Smith |
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The Gatehouse
is derelict, but until 1971 it was a smallholding run by
George Fry who ‘supplied most of the inhabitants of
Hole-in-the-Wall with milk, from his very old and
interesting home known as the Gatehouse. Built in 1799 as
an alehouse, the Boatman’s Rest, this catered not only for
the bargees passing between Hereford and Monmouth, but
also to those crossing the ford below it to West Foy –
innocent then, as now, of any such place of refreshment.
But trade declined and the railway came. In the mid 19th
century, a fair-sized room at the east end housed the
school until shortly after 1870. The farmer was also the
keeper of the large white gate, and grazed about five cows
on the common land running along the river bank.’
After being sold to PGL in 1973 it was damaged by fire in
1975. |
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The 'Gatehouse' formerly the
Boatman's Rest |
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Site of Camp: due to its field name
and L-shaped earthwork this has been marked on as ‘Camp’
on maps, but when visited by the Royal Commissioner in
1929 it was reported ‘to be largely natural’ with
‘small definite evidence of camp’. At Hill of Eaton
aerial photographs show traces of Bronze Age ring ditches.
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Since the mid 19th centurythe Hill of
Eaton Farm has replaced the old farmhouse here.
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Hollow-way
at Hill of Eaton |
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Townsend Cottages
is an early barn conversion
belonging to Townsend Farm before it was re-sited. The
former Smithy is one of two in Brampton Abbotts listed in
1867 when there was also a wheelwright, sawyer, carpenter,
shopkeeper and beer retailer. It is noticeable that the
village has developed around two orchards called Phelps’s
and Wall Orchards in 1838. |
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