TRANSACTIONS OF THE WOOLHOPE NATURALISTS’ FIELD CLUB HEREFORDSHIRE "HOPE ON" "HOPE EVER" ESTABLISHED 1851 VOLUME 55 2007 Woolhope Naturalists’ Field Club 2007 ©2008 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 Obituaries .................................................................................................................................... 2 Proceedings, 2007 ....................................................................................................................... 5 Biographical Details of Contributors ........................................................................................ 18 Presidential Address, 2007, Duncumb, Bird and Bird by John C. Eisel ................................... 19 This paper discusses the lives and work of three local historians and antiquaries: the Revd. John Duncumb, Thomas Bird Esq. and the Revd. Charles John Bird. Certain misconceptions about the Revd. John Duncumb that have appeared in print are corrected. Presidential Address, 2006, Old Red Sandstone: the Herefordshire Stone by Paul A. Olver ... 43 The Revd. T. T. Lewis and the Revd. W. S. Symonds, notable parson-naturalists of the early Woolhope Club, were impressed by Hugh Miller’s fossil finds and exhorted members to seek out fossil fish within the local Old Red Sandstone. This paper updates knowledge of this enigmatic formation, so that armed with this new data, Woolhope Club members can continue to research ‘Herefordshire’s stone.’ Malacostraca and Phyllocarida fossils found on the Great Doward by Moira Jenkins ............. 58 Notes on recent rare fossil finds on the Great Doward. Sedimentological and geomorphological evidence for the development of Herefordshire’s river systems by Andrew Richards .................................................................................................... 61 Herefordshire’s river systems have been subject to tectonic processes, widespread glaciation and a fluctuating base level as well as lithological and structural influences. This paper aims to present a range of geomorphological and sedimentological evidence that can be used to infer stages in the development of Herefordshire’s rivers during the Late Caenozoic period. Further notes on Godwins of Lugwardine by John C. Eisel ...................................................... 79 Some information to add to the paper on the Godwin family published in the last issue. A survey of the River Wye from Lucksall to Wilton by Heather Hurley ................................. 81 A survey by canoe allowed close inspection of a number of sites known from documentary and pictorial evidence. A gazetteer of all the sites is provided. In search of the Unicorn - in Leominster by John C. Eisel ..................................................... 102 A paper about the history of the Unicorn Inn, its owners and landlords and its bowling green. The Crown and the Royal Oak also feature in the paper. Villa Chachebren or New Court, Marstow: a Monmouth Priory estate by Rosalind Lowe.... 112 From field-name evidence, this paper identifies a small Herefordshire estate gifted to Monmouth Priory in about 1100. It demonstrates remarkable continuity of ownership for nearly 800 years. Reports of Sectional Recorders: Archaeology, 2007 .................................................................................................................. 120 Field-Names, 2007 .................................................................................................................. 144 Geology, 2007 ........................................................................................................................... 58 Natural History, 2007 .............................................................................................................. 145 Ornithology, 2007 ................................................................................................................... 148 Weather Statistics, 2007 .......................................................................................................... 153 Index, 2007 ............................................................................................................................. 154 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS AND TABLES Page Proceedings: Geology Field Trip re-enactment Fig. 1 Sir Roderick Murchison and Richard Banks inspect Sir Roderick’s recently 10 published book The Silurian System 2 The party at breakfast 10 3 Disembarking from the train at Kingsland station 11 4 Awaiting the traps at the station 11 5 Sir Roderick Murchison and Richard Banks at Croft Ambrey 11 6 Some of the party descending from Croft Ambrey 11 7 The party picnics at Croft Ambrey 12 8 Curious yokels watch the geologists at Croft Ambrey 12 9 The Revd. T. T. Lewis and Sir Charles Lyell in discussion at Aymestrey 13 church Duncumb, Bird and Bird Fig. 1 The title page of Duncumb’s General View of the Agriculture of the County of 20 Hereford 2 The title page of Vol. I of Duncumb’s great history of Herefordshire 22 3 Detail of gate leading from the rectory to the churchyard at Dore Abbey 24 4 Duncumb’s gate, leading from the rectory to the churchyard at Dore Abbey. 24 5 The datestone at Drybridge House 26 6 A portrait of Thomas Bird as a younger man 26 7 Drybridge House in the 1920s 27 8 Drybridge House as it is now 30 9 A portrait of the Revd. C. J. Bird as an older man 33 10 The title page of the sale catalogue for Thomas Bird’s collection 34 Page Old Red Sandstone: the Herefordshire Stone Fig. 1 The Iron Age ramparts of the Herefordshire Beacon in the southern Malvern 44 Hills 2 The Revd. Thomas Taylor Lewis (1801–58) with his eldest daughter Grace 45 3 A representative succession of the Old Red Sandstone within Herefordshire 48 4 The county of Herefordshire showing its principal physical features 50 5 The alluvial environments typical of the Lower Devonian in Herefordshire 52 Geology, 2007: Malacostraca and Phyllocarida fossils found on the Great Doward Fig. 1 Upper surface of carapace of Pseudotealliocaris etheridgei 59 2 Abdominal segments of Pseudotealliocaris etheridgei 59 3 Carapace of a Malacostracan Crustacean 59 4 Abdominal segments of a Malacostracan Crustacean 60 5 A proposed reconstruction of the fossil with the limbs omitted 60 Sedimentological and geomorphological evidence for the development of Herefordshire’s river systems Fig. 1 The Brays Bed: a slack water deposit of an abandoned channel 64 2 Early-Middle Pleistocene, pre-Anglian drainage pattern of Herefordshire 66 3 Probable configuration of major drainage routes in Herefordshire between the 68 Middle Pleistocene and Late Pleistocene glaciations 4 Drainage diversion of tributaries of the River Lugg as a consequence of 69 Middle Pleistocene glaciations 5 The relationship of Members of the Lugg Valley Formation to other 70 superficial deposits in Herefordshire 6 The Late Devensian-Early Holocene drainage pattern in Herefordshire 74 7 Drainage diversion in northern Herefordshire as a consequence of the Late 75 Devensian glaciation A survey of the River Wye from Lucksall to Wilton Fig. 1 Edwin Stooke’s map of 1892, section 1 82 2 Canoe launch site at Lucksall, formerly a wharf leased by Purchas 83 3 Edwin Stooke’s map of 1892, section 2 84 4 Hancock’s Weir in 1763 (Isaac Taylor) 85 5 The remains of Hancock’s weir 86 6 Mancell’s Ferry with boatman’s cottage above 86 7 Barge at Capler (James Wathen, 1793) 87 8 Edwin Stooke’s map of 1892, section 3 88 9 Carey railway bridge, cottage of the River Wye Horse Towing Path Co. 89 Page A survey of the River Wye from Lucksall to Wilton (contd.) Fig. 10 The remains of Strangford railway bridge 91 11 Foy Gatehouse 91 12 Edwin Stooke’s map of 1892, section 4 92 13 Backney bridge piers 93 14 Henry Dowell & Sons’ boats for hire at Ross in 1905 94 15 Wilton Castle and Wye barge in 1755 95 16 Wilton bridge in 1839 by Waudby showing barge with lowered mast 96 17 Barge ledger 1809-1812 97 In search of the Unicorn - in Leominster Fig. 1 The Unicorn in Leominster today 104 2 The building on the site of the former Crown Inn 108 3 The Royal Oak, Leominster 108 Villa Chachebren or New Court, Marstow Fig. 1 Map showing New Court, Marstow & Old Court, Whitchurch 113 2 New Court, map in sale particulars, 1884 115 Archaeology, 2007 Fig. 1 Gargoyles in the south face of the nave of Hereford Cathedral 123 2 Clifford Castle, stone wall 126 3 Crystal Rooms, Hereford: site excavation 127 4 Structure built in the King’s Ditch, Hereford 128 5 Section of Roman road surface with wheel ruts, Wellington Quarry 130 6 Bronze Age pit, Wellington Quarry 131 7 Aerial view of the excavation of the ‘Rotherwas Ribbon’ 132 8 Section through the ‘Rotherwas Ribbon’ 133 List of Officers