TRANSACTIONS OF THE WOOLHOPE NATURALISTS’ FIELD CLUB HEREFORDSHIRE "HOPE ON" "HOPE EVER" ESTABLISHED 1851 VOLUME 56 2008 Woolhope Naturalists’ Field Club 2009 ©2009 All contributions to The Woolhope Transactions are COPYRIGHT. None of them 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 permission of the writers. Applications to reproduce contributions, in whole or in part, should be addressed, in the first instance, to the current editor: Mrs. R. A. Lowe, Charlton, Goodrich, Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire, HR9 6JF. 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 own papers and reports. Registered Charity No. 521000 website: www.woolhopeclub.org.uk TABLE OF CONTENTS Page List of Officers ............................................................................................................................ 1 Obituary, Roy Perry .................................................................................................................... 2 Proceedings, 2008 ....................................................................................................................... 3 Accounts, 2007 ......................................................................................................................... 11 Accounts, 2008 ......................................................................................................................... 12 Biographical Details of Contributors ........................................................................................ 13 South-west Herefordshire: Post-Ice Age Landscape and Settlement Features by George Charnock ................................................................................................................................... 15 The landscape and settlement features of the Olchon and Golden Valleys are combined with evidence from recent pipeline excavations to describe a post-Ice Age glacial lake system and its legacy. The King’s Acre Lime: extra light on the early history of Hereford by David Whitehead ....... 31 The historical significance of a tree and a small roadside piece of land near Hereford is investigated, which throws light on Hereford before and after the Norman incursion. ‘Mr. Droffnore, the Celebrated Traveller’ and his influence on Mechanics’ Institutes in Herefordshire by John C. Eisel ................................................................................................. 37 The story of an eccentric but well-respected man, combined with an extensive history of the mechanics’ institute movement in Herefordshire. Long or round?: evaluation programme and results at the Neolithic chambered monument of Arthur’s Stone, Herefordshire by George Nash ........................................................................ 59 Arthur’s Stone is one of Herefordshire’s best known ancient monuments. This investigation was undertaken to compare it with others locally and decide on its original form. Chapel Farm, Deerfold, Herefordshire: a re-appraisal: part 1 by Duncan James ...................... 73 A detailed comparison of the architectural features of Chapel Farm with some other well- known buildings leads to some conclusions about their provenance. The second part of this article will investigate the historical context of the founding of the chapel. Upmouths, cruckles and gillyns: notes on Wye fisheries between Ross and Monmouth by Rosalind Lowe ........................................................................................................................... 99 The users of the Wye have often come to blows, both physically and in the law courts. The documents produced in these cases provide a rich source of information about fisheries on this stretch of the river. Some notes on the sources of decoration in 16th and 17th century vernacular wall painting by Michael Harrison .................................................................................................................... 111 Some additional information on local vernacular wall-paintings and their symbolism. Reports of Sectional Recorders Archaeology, 2008 .................................................................................................................. 114 Herefordshire Field-Names, 2008 ........................................................................................... 132 Natural History Section, 2008 ................................................................................................. 134 Ornithology, 2008 ................................................................................................................... 147 Weather Statistics, 2008 .......................................................................................................... 153 Rules of the Woolhope Naturalists’ Field Club ...................................................................... 154 List of Presidents ..................................................................................................................... 156 List of Members ...................................................................................................................... 158 Index, 2008 ............................................................................................................................. 173 Page LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS AND TABLES South-west Herefordshire: Post Ice Age Landscape and Settlement Features Fig. 1 Locational map showing rivers draining to south-east 16 2 U-shaped Olchon valley 18 3 V-shaped Dulas valley 18 4 Flat land at Vowchurch 18 5 Flat land at Abbey Dore 18 6 Shoreline feature on Vowchurch to Peterchurch road 21 7 Shoreline feature at Poston Mill 21 8 Shoreline feature crossed by the road at Bacton 22 9 Map of the area showing locations 23 10 ‘Portum Straddle’ 24 11 Chanstone mound 24 12 Detail from Saxton’s map of 1577 25 13 The lower end of the Trench Royal 26 14 A lake with a surface level of 380 feet above the OS datum 27 15 Pipeline installation in progress at Vowchurch in 2007 28 16 At the approach to Batcho from the Vowchurch direction the moraine 28 is shown on the horizon 17 Trench and glacial till 29 18 Section showing old Cross Channel and Varve deposits 29 The King’s Acre lime Fig. 1 The King’s Acre lime today 32 2 The King’s Acre lime in 2006 33 3 Isaac Taylor’s 1754 map 34 4 James Wathen’s painting of the King’s Acre lime 1786 35 ‘Mr. Droffnore, the Celebrated Traveller’ and his influence on Mechanics’ Institutes in Herefordshire Fig. 1 List of supporters of the Hereford Mechanics’ Institute 1840 39 2 Title page of the printed version of Dean Merewether’s inaugural 40 address to the Hereford Mechanics’ Institute 3 Lithograph of ‘George Egroeg Droffnore’ 43 4 North side of the Close c.1900 where the Hereford Mechanics’ 49 Institute had its reading room Evaluation at the Neolithic chambered monument of Arthur’s Stone, Herefordshire Fig. 1 The Black Mountains Group of Neolithic burial or ritual sites 60 2 The chamber and passage of Arthur’s Stone 61 3 Plan of Tŷ Isaf, Breconshire 61 4 Early plan of Arthur’s Stone with annotations (after Watkins 1928) 62 5 Mound shapes of Gwenvale and Pipton Long Cairn 64 6 Trench locations and hypothetical plan of the long mound 65 7 Plan and section of trench 4 showing extensive rubble deposit 67 belonging to primary cairn 8 Plan showing the possible cairn preparation feature within the lower 68 stratigraphy of trench 5 9 Undisturbed rubble cairn in trenches 4 and 5 68 10 Image of Trench 7 showing disturbed cairn 70 Chapel Farm, Deerfold, Herefordshire: part 1 Fig. 1 Locational map for Chapel Farm,Deerfold 74 2 Chapel Farm - north elevation 75 3 Chapel Farm - south elevation 76 4 Chapel Farm – north elevation reconstructed 76 5 Chapel Farm – the roof over bay 3 77 6 Chapel Farm – cross frame 1 78 7 Chapel Farm – cross frame 3 78 8 Chapel Farm – cross frame 9 79 9 Chapel Farm jowl post at cross frame 5 80 10 Chapel Farm jowl post at east end, cross frame 9 80 11 Crenellated cornice over the hall 80 12 Moulding and stops on the ground floor at cross frame 3 80 13 Chapel Farm - decorative wind bracing in the roof 81 14 Chapel Farm - the west end doorway – east elevation 82 15 Chapel Farm – the south door-way, west post 83 16 Chapel Farm – 12th century window head from an earlier building 84 17 The interior of Bryndraenog 85 18 Swan House, Pembridge, the front elevation 86 19 Swan House, Pembridge, the formerly arcaded truss over the hall 86 20 Plan of Swan House and School View, Pembridge, showing the 87 windbraces 21 Drawing by W. W. Robinson of the roof of 5 Harley Court, Hereford 88 22 Moulding profiles of Chapel Farm and Bryndraenog compared 92 Table 1 Comparison of features on the four buildings 90 Upmouths, cruckles and gillyns: notes on Wye fisheries between Ross and Monmouth Fig. 1 Section 1 of Goodrich waters from Crow Brook to Welsh Bicknor 100 2 The Wye from Three Counties Stone to New Weir 102 3 The Wye from Lydbrook to the boundary of Ganarew and Dixton 103 4 Looking upstream from the site of Bishopswere towards the ‘Seven 104 Sisters’ rocks 5 Coracle being carried 108 6 Coracle fisherman with larger punt 108 Archaeology, 2008 Fig. 1 Hergest Ridge, cairn A 115 2 Hergest Ridge, cairn B 115 3 Pattern-welded late Saxon sword found in Hereford Cathedral close 116 4 Excavation on the Roman road at Bishopstone