Home Project Info History The River Wye Links Sellack and River Wye Saturday 20th May A walk led by Heather Hurley   A group of visitors to the Wye Valley was led on a guided walk by Heather Hurley of LOWV. From the Lough Pool Inn housed in a 17th century building the road was followed to Pict’s Cross where a war memorial stands on the site of an ancient mark stone. It was known as Prick’s Cross in the 18th century and Pig’s Cross in the 19th century situated on an ancient ridgeway leading from Pencraig to Foy. The views from this old road was admired of May Hill, Chase hill fort, Penyard Hill and Ridge Hill. A turning was made down to the Wye where a field called Broken Bank was recorded in 1745  ‘Sarah Gunter shall permit the said Amos Jones to go through her Meadow lying by the River Wye at the Broken Bank in the parish of Sellack aforesaid with his teams to carry his Corn, Cyder etc to or from the said River when he shall have occasion’. At the riverside the suspension bridge, constructed in 1896 for a cost of just under a thousand pounds, was examined. It replaced a former ford and ferry operated by the Harris family at Kings Caple. At Sellack church dedicated to the St. Tysiliog of the 7th century the history of the church and the story of Lawless Cottage and the churchyard cross was related before continuing up the bridleway to Caradoc understood to stand on an ancient encampment. The place has documentation from the 13th century, and during the 16th century passed through the hands of the Abrahalls and Mynors to the Scudamores in 1594. Rowland Scudamore rebuilt the mansion before his death in 1630, but Caradoc  remained in the Scudamore ownership although it devolved through the family to Lord Digby until its sale in 1863 to Elisha Caddick who dramatically altered the house. During the 20th century Caradoc was owned and occupied by the Heywoods  and their daughter a race horse trainer. After her death it passed to another race horse trainer in 1978 who kept the estate but sold the mansion. In  1986 the house was gutted by fire and is at present being restored.   Back to TOP

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