History In Black and White

History in Black and White by Simon Whaley

(History in Black and White was published in Discover Britain magazine)

The corner of north-west Herefordshire is colourfully black and white. Here, the villages have everything a traditional English village should have: beautiful location, a country pub or two, an historic church, and the chocolate box charm of timber-framed cottages nestling like calorific creations in a luxury selection box. Although the black timber-frame and white panels look traditional, this colour scheme is actually a Victorian concept. Some cottages date as far back as the 14^th Century, although many are 16^th and 17^th Century, reflecting the times when this rural landscape was thriving on the rich commerce of wool.

The official 40-mile circular Black and White Village Trail begins in the North Herefordshire market town of Leominster (pronounced Lemster), and ambles westwards, through the fertile, rolling landscape to Kington, huddled on the English/Welsh border, before returning to Leominster. An excellent audio CD, available from the Tourist Office, provides the perfect accompaniment, unwrapping the amazing history behind these seemingly quiet and tranquil villages. Here are five of the trail’s highlights.

Weobley

There’s an unmistakeable sense of pride when entering Weobley (pronounced Webley) and not just because it was Village of the Year in 1999. Strolling up Broad Street, it doesn’t take a craftsman to appreciate that these characterful buildings are some of the finest to be found in England. One of the oldest black and white timber-framed buildings in in the village is the 14^th Century Manor House. Originally a single-story building, open to its rafters, it would have had a central hearth for heating and cooking. The windows would have been glassless, although shuttered to keep out the worst weather. It wasn’t until the 16^th Century that chimneys, first floors and glass were used to improve the living accommodation.

Timber-framed buildings had small rooms, so pity the two wives of Weobley-man James Tomkins. Between them, they gave birth and brought up 33 of his children, all of whom survived. It was a Tomkins descendant who developed the famous Hereford breed of cattle, synonymous with this area, and now found in 56 different countries across the world.

On a hot summer’s day, the cool interior of the Church of St Peter and St Paul offers an interesting diversion. It has one of the highest church spires in the area, another sign of the village’s one-time wealth. Inside, stands the statue of Colonel John Birch, a remarkable turncoat. He was originally a Royalist supporter, but during the English Civil War became one of Cromwell’s Commanders. He even put his name to the death warrant of Charles I (who once stayed in Weobley after the Battle of Naseby in 1645), yet somehow, changed sides again to become part of Charles II’s welcoming party, when he returned to England.

Eardisley

Eardisley is lined with timber-framed buildings on both sides of its main thoroughfare. Adjacent to the Church are a series of long timber-framed buildings, which were originally tithe barns, before they were converted into dwellings. A tithe was a payment, usually a tenth of a person’s annual produce, or earnings, which were paid to support the local church or clergy. The tithe barn was where the church stored the in-kind payments, often the produce from a villager’s smallholding or plot of land.

Walking through the village, most of the timber-framed buildings here date from the 15^th and 17^th centuries. Original dwellings like this may look idyllic, but there are drawbacks. As Brian Beach comments on the Black and White Trail audio CD, “The disadvantages are considerable. First of all, they are small, built for small country folk eating a diet of perhaps five hundred years ago. Today’s corpulent giants get knocked about in small areas when bending over, or heads knocked on ceilings, which are too low. The external walls of wattle and daub are thin and they offer very poor insulation, by modern standards, so these houses are not easy to heat.”  Properties built from these natural materials often attract other natures other creatures such as beetles, centipedes, cockroaches, mice and many other small furry animals, to take up residence too.

Eardisley’s Church of St Mary Magdalene has two wonderful secrets. Inside, an ornately carved, Romanesque-style font, dating from 1135 continues to be used for christenings today. The second secret concerns the novelist, Charles Dickens, who visited the area on numerous occasions. Literature-lovers should investigate the Church’s vestry, for there, high on the stone wall, are two memorials to the Barnsley family. Those in the know soon realise that the memorial recounts exactly the same plot as used in Dickens’ Bleak House.

Kington

Driving through Kington, spotting timber-framed buildings is not easy, for many of these buildings now have a Georgian, or Victorian façade masking their solid wooden structure. When cut and dried, oak is almost as hard as iron. Trees were felled and squared up in the woods before being hauled to a framing yard where the joints were cut. The building was prefabricated and the timbers carted to the construction-site for assembly. This process gives the building immense strength. Pick up a timber-framed building today, turn it upside down, and the basic structure would remain intact.

Kington is the only Herefordshire town lying on the Welsh side of Offa’s Dyke, the 8^th century earth-mound border frontier, designed to keep the English and Welsh apart. It offered Kington publicans a useful economic bonus, because English pubs were permitted to open on a Sunday, whereas Welsh pubs were not: an idiosyncrasy that wasn’t harmonised until 1996.

Kington also has a literary claim to fame, based upon one of the town’s most feared residents, Thomas ‘Black’ Vaughan. An influential family, they controlled the area with a tight rule during the 15^th Century. Black Vaughan’s death, fighting for King Edward IV’s army at the Battle of Edgecote Moor in July 1469 did not end the locals’ terror, because his spirit continued to torment the people of Kington. Sometimes it was as a fly, once as a bull that caused havoc in St Mary’s Church, and at other times as a large, ghostly, black dog. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle regularly visited relations near Kington, suggesting that perhaps Black Vaughan was the inspiration for the Hound of the Baskervilles. Consider the clues: the ghostly back dog terrorising local people, and a local Eardisley family named Baskerville. Even some of the character’s names (Dr Mortimer, Mr Stapleton) may have been drawn from the surrounding area. Mortimer Forest once covered huge swathes of North Herefordshire, whilst the village of Stapleton lies five miles away.

Pembridge

Pembridge proudly displays its wealth for all to see. The Kings House in East Street has numerous vertical strips of wood, known as close studding, particularly on its upper floor. Structurally, it’s unnecessary; it is merely window dressing, but because wood was an expensive material, close studding proclaimed the homeowner’s wealth.

The village’s affluence means there are many timber-framed buildings here, but the wealth did not last. Ironically, this helped preserve the village’s current identify, for had its economic fortunes continued, many of the houses would have been replaced with modern brick structures.

Just off the High Street, lies the quintessential English pub, The New Inn, which isn’t that new because its structure is 17^th Century. On a warm summer’s day, it’s the perfect location for an English Ploughmans lunch and a pint of locally brewed beer or cider at one of the picnic tables under the Wisteria bush or in the shade of the old Market Hall, built over 500 years ago. Seek out the southwest corner of the hall for two stones, known locally as nails. In days gone by, when a deal was negotiated, the stones were struck to close the deal and money exchanged: hence the English phrase, paying on the nail.

Not all timber-framed buildings are dwellings. Steps near the Market Hall lead up to St Mary’s Church and its unusual detached wooden belfry, the only one of this style in Britain. A coin activates the lighting system, enabling visitors to see the intricate wooden structure, built in the 13^th Century. One theory suggests it was constructed to temporarily house the bells whilst the church was being built, but when the money ran out, the bells were left where they were.

Eardisland

Eardisland is an artists’ and photographers’ dream. Tranquil waters of the River Arrow reflect picturesque cottages in their calm, mirror-like surfaces. An unusual wooden structure can be seen outside the Cross Inn. The 1920s Automobile Association phone box was sited where the road through the village meets the main A44. Originally designed as shelters for AA patrolmen, they were soon made available to AA members to call for help from. This box was rededicated in 1995, to commemorate 50 years of peace in Europe.

Not far from the banks of the River Arrow, an impressive brick-built Dovecote stands, which was once used to provide the local Lord of the Manor with fresh meat, all year round. Today, it feeds anyone in the community, and visitors, for it now houses the village shop.

This brief taste of North Herefordshire’s Black and White Trail offers a hint of some of the richer flavours that can be enjoyed here. Stop and explore the villages on foot, feel the history, admire the unique structures, chat to the locals in the village shop or pub, and sample the local produce. That’s how to get the true essence of North Herefordshire’s architecture. Proof that first impressions are never simply black and white.

Planning Your Visit

More Information

The Black and White Trail Audio CD can be purchased (£6) from the Leominster Tourist Information Centre, 1 Corn Square Leominster, Herefordshire, HR6 8LR.

Open: Monday to Saturday – 10am to 2pm.

Tel: 01568 616460

The CD can also be purchased in advance from www.marchestourstalks.co.uk/tour_guides.aspx or downloaded in mp3 format for £5.

Getting There

By car, Herefordshire is best accessed from the south; the M50 to Ross on Wye is accessible via the M4 and M5. Head north on the A49, through Hereford, to Leominster in the north. Leominster is accessible by rail from London, changing at Newport, and lies on the Manchester to Cardiff line. Visit www.nationalrail.co.uk.

Where To Stay

Stay in the heart of the black and white village of Weobley, at the 16^th Century, Mellington House, which offers B&B accommodation, and also self-catering accommodation with some exposed beams. Visit www.mellingtonhouse.co.uk. Tel: 01544 318537. B&B from £30 per person, per night. Self-catering apartments from £200 per week.

Where To Eat

For an olde worlde experience, visit the New Inn at Pembridge, with its beams and well-worn flagstone floor. Tel: 01544 388427. For a gastronomic delight, visit The Stagg Inn, Titley, 3 miles from Kington, and the first UK pub to be awarded a Michelin Star. Visit www.thestagg.co.uk. Tel: 01544 230221.

Don’t Miss

Hergest Croft Gardens, Kington. With stunning views towards the Black Mountains in Wales, Hergest Croft extends to over 70 acres with many smaller gardens, such as the Azalea Garden and the Maple grove, and has over 5,000 rare trees and shrubs. Visit: www.hergest.co.uk.

The Tour – Directions

To Weobley: From Leominster, take the main A44 road, (signed to Kington and Rhayader), passing through Monkland. Approximately 5 miles from Leominster, where A44 turns right at crossroads – continue ahead, onto A4112, signed to Brecon and Weobley. After three miles, turn left onto the B4230, and follow to village centre.

To Eardisley: From Weobley, return to the main A4112 and turn left. Follow this through the hamlets of Sarnesfield and Kinnersley to a T-junction with the A4111. Turn right (signed Eardisley, Kington, Rhayader) into Eardisley. Take Park Road on left after zebra crossing, to park beside Church.

To Kington:    Take A4111 through Eardisley, heading north, climbing up through hills, then dropping to roundabout with A44 after six miles. Turn left, into Kington, follow round to the right, then turn left, through the High Street. Fork left into Mill Street for the car park.

To Pembridge:           Return to roundabout with A44, continue ahead, signed, Pembridge, Lyonshall and Leominster. Follow this for approximately 7 miles. Entering Pembridge, pass turning on left, then shortly after, turn left, by the Kings House, into signed car park.

To Eardisland: Turn left and follow A44 for 1 ½ miles. Turn left, signed to Eardisland. Follow for ½ mile into the village. The car park is on the right, once you have passed The White Swan pub, The Cross Inn and the War Memorial, also on the right.

To Return to Leominster: From car park, turn right, and cross over River Arrow. Follow this road, which crosses the A4110 and becomes the B4529. Continue along here, to rejoin the A44 in Leominster.

(c) Simon Whaley