TRANSACTIONS OF THE WOOLHOPE NATURALISTS' FIELD CLUB HEREFORDSHIRE "HOPE ON" "HOPE EVER" ESTABLISHED 1851 VOLUME XLIX 1997 PART I TRANSACTIONS OF THE WOOLHOPE NATURALISTS' FIELD CLUB HEREFORDSHIRE "HOPE ON" "HOPE EVER" ESTABLISHED 1851 VOLUME XLIX 1997 PART I TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Proceedings, 1997 - 1 Stretton Grandison: Settlement and Landscape, by Jean O'Donnell - 13 Excavation of a Ring-ditched Enclosure with Romano-British Pottery, by the late Elizabeth Taylor - - 28 The Charter Bounds of Acton Beauchamp, by C. W. M. Pratt - - 33 The Open Fields of Richards Castle: Changing Landscape, by Patricia Cross 47 Longtown Castle: a report on excavations by J. Nicholls, 1978, by Peter Ellis - 64 The Development of Widemarsh Street, Hereford. An Archaeological Perspective, by Richard Stone 85 Woolhope Naturalists' Field Club 1997 Edward Skynner of Ledbury, Clothier and the New House, by J. W. King 101 © 2000 Charles Pugh and the permanent establishment of Printing in Hereford, All contributions to The Woolhope Transactions are COPYRIGHT. None of them by J. Buchanan-Brown 111 may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior The Rebuilding of the Wallace Hall Monument, by Heather Hurley - 122 permission of the writers. Applications to reproduce contributions, in whole or in part, should be addressed in the first instance, to the editor whose address is given in the LIST OF OFFICERS. The Woolhope Naturalists' Field Club is not responsible for any statement made, or opinion expressed, in these Transactions; the authors alone are responsible for their REPORTS OF SECTIONAL. RECORDERS own papers and reports. Archaeology, 1997, by R. Shoesmith 123 Botany, 1997, by P. Thomson using Herefordshire Botanical Society Records 131 Buildings, 1997, by J. W. Tonkin - 134 Mammals, 1997, by Beryl Harding 146 Ornithology, 1997, by Beryl Harding 148 City of Hereford, Conservation Area Advisory Committee, 1997, by Jean O'Donnell - 152 Natural History Section, 1997, by Beryl Harding - 154 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 3 The castle earthworks 70 Page 4 Medieval and post-medieval features in interior Stretton Grandison: Settlement and Landscape of keep at 1: 125 74 Pl. I Stretton Grandison 5 Section across the great tower at 1: 50 75 6 Sections in the great tower at 1: 50 II St. Lawrence's Church, Stretton Grandison in 1832 77 by Katharine Poole 7 Map of 1718 81 III The church in 1840 by Anne Beale The Development of Widemarsh Street, Hereford IV New House in 1984 Pl. X Widemarsh Gate from the N. in the late 18th century V Stretton Grandison Vicarage in 1832 by Frances Poole XI A roof truss from 64-6 Widemarsh Street VI Homend in 1831 by Frances Poole XII The front elevation of 88-90 Widemarsh Street VII Side view of Homend in 1871 by Madeline Hopton XIII Leather from 188 Widemarsh Street 14 Fig. 1 Roman crossroads and finds in Stretton Grandison Fig. 1 Widemarsh Street showing the sites and area discussed 86 17 2 The medieval village and diverted road through former plots 2 Plan of the area excavated at 32-4 Widemarsh Street 89 3 Late 17th-century map showing Stretton as part of the manor 21 3 Plan of the area excavated at 88-90 Widemarsh Street 92 Excavations of a Ring-ditched Enclosure 4 Plan of the area excavated at 118 Widemarsh Street 93 Fig. 1 Ring-ditched Enclosure, Lord's Wood. Site Plan 28 5 Pottery from 88-90 Widemarsh Street 95 2 Section of Trench C through ditch and bank 30 Edward Skynner of Ledbury 3 Bronze Fibula drawn by Lyn Harper 31 Pl. XIV The Tomb in Ledbury Church of Edward Skynner The Charter Bounds of Acton Beauchamp and his wife, Elizabeth Fig. 1 Facsimile of Anglo-Saxon boundary clauses of Rebuilding of the Wallace Hall Monument Acton derived from Bond (1877) 35 P1. XV Unveiling of the Wallace Hall Monument by William Hall 2 The present parish boundary of Acton Beauchamp 37 The Open Fields of Richards Castle: Changing Landscape 48 Fig. 1 Open Fields of the parish of Richards Castle 54-5 2 Survey of Mr. Henry Jordan's Estate 1743 57 3 The Bury Farm 1680 61 4 The Rock Estate 1867 Longtown Castle Pl. VIII Wall in N. bailey, view E. IX Post-medieval building in the S. bailey, view N.W. Fig. 1 Location of Longtown and Lacy marcher castles 66 2 Longtown Castle and village 68 LIST OF OFFICERS Address of Address of Address of Hon. Secretary: Hon. Asst. Secretary: Hon. Editor: 1997-98 Mr. J. W. TONKIN Mrs. M. TONKIN Mr. J. W. TONKIN Chy an Whyloryon Chy an Whyloryon Chy an Whyloryon Wigmore Wig,more Wigmore President Mrs. B. H. HARDING Leominster Leominster Leominster HR6 9UD HR6 9UD HR6 9UD President-elect Mr. C. E. ATTFIELD Vice-presidents Mrs. J. E. O'DONNELL, Mrs. M. TONKIN, Mr. D. A. WHITEHEAD, Dr. J. C. EISEL Articles intended for inclusion in future issues of the Woolhope Club Transactions should be submitted to the editor whose address is given under LIST OF OFFICERS. Notes for Contributors to the Transactions will be sent on request. Central Committee Dr. Mrs. A. D. BRIAN, Mr. G. CHARNOCK, Mrs. V. E. PERRY, Dr. F. W. PEXTON (to retire 1998); Mr. C. E. ATTFIELD, Mr. R. C. PERRY, Mrs. R. E. SKELTON, Mr. P. THOMSON (to retire 1999); Mr. J. G. HILLARY, Miss J. R. JONSON, Mr. G. REES, Mrs. R. E. RICHARDSON (to retire 2000). Hon. Secretary Mr. J. W. TONKIN Hon. Assistant SecretarylTreasurer Mrs. M. TONKIN Hon. Treasurer Mr. S. C. COOPER Hon. Auditor Mr. D. HAIGH Library Sub-committee - Miss J. R. JONSON Dr. F. W. PEXTON Mr. G. REES Hon. Field Secretary Dr. & Mrs. J. C. EISEL (jointly) Hon. Editor Mr. J. W. TONKIN SECTIONAL RECORDERS Archaeology - Mr. R. SHOESMITH Botany Mr. P. THOMSON Buildings - Mr. J. W. TONKIN Deserted Medieval Villages - Mrs. R. E. SKELTON Entomology - - Dr. Mrs. A. D. BRIAN Geology - - Mr. P. THOMSON Herefordshire Field-Names Mr. G. SPRACKLING Industrial Archaeology Mr. J. van LAUN Mammals - - Mrs. B. H. HARDING Ornithology - Mrs. B. H. HARDING Proceedings, 1997 SPRING MEETINGS FIRST MEETING: 11 January: Mrs. J. O'Donnell, president, in the chair. The Sectional Recorders for Archaeology, Botany, Buildings, Geology, Hereford- shire Field-names, Mammals and Ornithology gave their reports for 1997 which are printed on pp. 123-51. SECOND MEETING: 25 January: Mrs. J. O'Donnell, president, in the chair. The minutes of the out-of-county visit 28 August to 4 September 1996 based at Kingston Maurward, Dorset, were read and slides taken by members were shown. THIRD MEETING: 8 February: Mrs. J. O'Donnell, president, in the chair. Mr. J. G. Hillaby, B.A. gave an illustrated talk on 'Theology and Aesthetics: Vis- count Scudamore's Stained Glass in the East Window of Dore, I634.' He said this stained glass was unique and was inspired by 14th-century glass. After the Reformation Edward VI and Elizabeth I had ordered the destruction of glass of 'superstition.' In 1595 Calvin was preaching on the principle of predestination and the Arminians on the theology of grace and they developed a ritualised ceremony. Laud, archbishop in 1633 ordered that the altar became the heart of the church following the Arminian theology. Scudamore who in 1634 restored Abbey Dore Church was a student at Wadham College, Oxford, where there is stained glass dating from pre-Laud, i.e. 1614-6. The glass was imported from the continent but the work carried out in this country. Mr. Hillaby compared the scenes in the stained glass at Abbey Dore with those at Wadham College, the Creed window at Ludlow, the Palmer's Guild, Ludlow, Fairford, King's College, Cambridge, Southwell Minster, the E. window at Gloucester Cathedral, the Jesse window at Wells, and glass at Moccas and Eaton Bishop churches and at Hampton Court in 1629 for Con- ingsby. He pointed out the tabernacle work, pillars and bases, figures in canopied niches, panels enclosed in narrow borders and diapering, all 14th-century features. The only dis- cordant note is the chequer pattern which is a 15th-century feature. FOURTH MEETING: 8 March: Mrs. J. O'Donnell, president, in the chair. Mr. D. A. Whitehead, M.A. gave an illustrated talk on 'The History of Brampton Bryan Park.' He explained that before the Conquest the area was waste land and was part of the barony of the Mortimers. Brian de Brampton was granted free warren and a market and fair in 1252. The de Brampton family died out in 1304 and the estate was divided between the Comewall and Harley families. The de Bramptons probably did some emparking for deer ranching. In the early 14th century there were six parks in Wigmore's Lands and in the 15th they were often leased as sheep runs and at times were ploughed up. 1 2 PROCEEDINGS, 1997 PROCEEDINGS, 1997 3 As the families had male heirs there are no Inquisitions to provide details of properties. beams and two tiers of wind-braces. Since 1750 it has been owned by the Yorke family The records from the 17th century onwards do show what was happening, for example which has made a number of alterations including those of 1891 by Philip Webb who timber was cut as cord wood for the Bringewood Forge and the park was damaged during designed the staircase, small hall and library. In 1960 the neo-Georgian drawing room was the Civil War in 1643 when Brampton Bryan Castle was being defended. The letters of created. Lady Brilliana Harley in 1646 state that the park was well stocked and valued at near The raising of the annual subscription from January, 1998, was passed without any £1,000 and Wigmore Park was worth £1,742.