Herefordshire Again! - Part 1: Weobley

 

D and I went to the caravan last Wednesday for 3 nights. Wednesday we did the usual Leominster Morrisons Click and Collect and then on Thursday visited Weobley.  Weobley is one of the villages on the Herefordshire "Black and White Village Trail". It is a lovely village - my favourite - and one I never tire of visiting.

Weobley was mentioned in the Domesday book. It became a borough in the 13th century and became prosperous due to the wool trade and then ale and glove making.  It has many late Medieval timber framed houses including examples of half Wealden, Wealden and 15th century hall houses.  After the Battle of Naseby King Charles I stayed in the villaage at what was then the Crown Inn and now a private residence called the Throne.

By 1628 the town which by then had a much smaller population became a "Rotten Borough" with the Marquis of Bath being one of the influential patrons. Sadly a fire in November 1948 destroyed many of the medieval houses in the Market Square.

Hall Houses were the largest and most expensive houses. They had a central hall open to the rafters and two gabled wings. One wing was for the family's private quarters and the other wing housed kitchens, store rooms etc.  Wealden houses originated in Kent and the design meant there was no need for  gabled ends on the wings which was cheaper and also made the dwellings more weather proof.

The Pump House in the car park is designed to reflect the character of the village.

14th century Manor House

I spotted this house for sale - I would love to live in Weobley. Its 350k but sadly already sold!

St Peter and St Paul with its tall spire visible from miles around. I've visited the church before so we didn't bother on this occasion.

The Old Corner House - 15th century. Jettied 2 bay cross wing on the corner.

The Red Lion once a hotel and now a restaurant. 15th century or possibly older with some later additons.

A cruck framed timber house where a curved timber (one of a pair) supports the roof.

The Gables - the largest Hall House in Weobley with a Georgian porch.  The gabled wings were once jettied. We once stayed here for a long weekend some years ago.  The breakfasts were lovely and we had evening meals at the Salutation Inn.

'The Green Bean - we bought some Welsh Cakes from here and they were lovely. They also sell Logaston Press books but I resisted temptation as I have four still to read!

Classic view of Weobley - shame about the parked cars though!

Magnus the Magpie - the sculpture is by Walenty Pytel - we saw another of his in Leominster. The magpie is a symbol of the black and white villages.

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Salutation Inn - probably 15th century with later additions.

The 17th century Unicorn Inn. Fruit from trees in the Unicorn Orchard was used to make cider for the pub.  The pickers were paid in tokens that could only be used in the pub!

Unicorn House -  The only Herefordshire example of a half Wealden house.

The house on the right is The Throne where King Charles I stayed.

The Old Grammar School

A rare example of a 17th century schoolhouse built 1659/60 because of a bequest and annuity by Mr. William Crowther - a local farmer and landowner.  His coat of arms is above the porch.  In his will he left £100 for the school to be built and an annuity of £20 to pay for a schoolmaster. It is a close studded timber framed house and some of the windows are original. It is listed Grade 2.  It was the grammar school until 1815 when it was unoccupied for 6 years but then it was in educational use until 1888 when it was sold as a private house.

The whole of the ground floor would have been used as a school room and the boys' dormitory and schoolmaster's office was on the first.

The porch is Jacobean and richly decorated. It was probably built by John Abel who built the Grange in Leominster.  He was known as the King's Carpenter in the reign of Charles I.

We found the footpath that leads to Weobley Castle.  Wild Arum (also called Lords and Ladies and Jack in the Pulpit) berries by the side of the path.

Today only the castle earthworks remain there is no stone work. The castle may originally date back to the 11th century and was rebuilt by Walter de Lacy 1216-23.  There is a double ditch ringwork and the moats would once have been filled with water.

Marlbrook House was once a butcher's shop.  It is a large jettied cross wing house and the timbers have been dated to 1441.  The main hall was built later from wood felled in 1494.  The archway on the left is a later addition.

Corn Mill built c1850-60.

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After eating a packed lunch in the car we decided to have a look around Dilwyn which was on the way back and only a few miles away. Too many photos already so I will write about Dilwyn and the church in a separate post.

I hope everyone is staying safe and well.

Photos taken by me with the Panasonic Lumix FZ330 bridge camera and those marked *D were taken by my son with the Canon SX50HS bridge camera. (I don't particularly rate most of my photos but if anyone wishes to use them or my son's I would be grateful for an email first - thanks).

Reference: Buildings of England Herefordshire by N Pevnser and A Brookes Yale University Press

Information in the Weobley Heritage Trail.