edited by Heather Hurley 264 pages with over 330 mainly colour illustrations (maps, photographs, tables, documents) 978 1 904396 96 3 (hardback) £20 (now out of print) 978 1 904396 97 0 (paperback) £15 This book is the result of a unique investigation into the history and development of the landscape in the northern section of the Wye Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The twelve Herefordshire parishes covered are those of Ballingham, Bolstone, Brampton Abbotts, Bridstow, Brockhampton, Fownhope, Foy, Hentland, Holme Lacy, How Caple, King’s Caple and Sellack. The two year project brought together an enthusiastic group of volunteers who were advised and trained by experts in archaeology, local history and landscape analysis. A wide range of traditional and modern methods were utilised, from simple field walking to the latest geophysics, from local history research to deciphering Latin manuscripts, and from oral history to aerial photography. Previously unknown sites were investigated, recently sourced archives and maps were digitally recorded, and comprehensive surveys were undertaken which led to new discoveries and a better understanding of the process of change from the remote past to the present day. The ten chapters of this book cover the development of these rural parishes from prehistoric times through medieval settlements to more recent industries and modern farming and land use. The history of the area’s woods, parks and buildings has been based on new archival material. The almost forgotten hollow-ways and river crossings together with transport by river, road and rail have all been carefully researched and illustrated. The final chapters deal with changes in the landscape and the effects of agriculture today. The book suggests ways to appreciate, conserve and manage this rural heritage in the future. The Mansions and Manors of Herefordshire by Charles J. Robinson about 400 pages ISBN 978 1873827 47 5 Price £16 Robinson's book was first published in 1872. Our facsimile edition (with extensive index) is again available.  edited by Fiona Grant and Jane Patton 112 pages, 55 mainly colour illustrations ISBN 978 1 906663 12 4 Price: £10 The book follows on from the work carried out by David Whitehead and others for Historic Parks and Gardens in Herefordshire, which brought to light how many walled gardens still exist and their varying state of preservation. A gazetteer lists all these gardens and summarises their condition, whilst seven are selected for detailed study: George Skippe’s at Upper Hall, Ledbury; those at Old Sufton and Sufton Court at Mordiford; that at Downton Castle; one currently being restored at Nieuport House, Almeley; Donald Beaton’s garden at Haffield; and one which has been much restored in recent years at Lugwardine Court. These studies outline the initial plans for the gardens and sometimes list the species planted and explain how the gardens were managed. They sometimes tell the story of the head gardener and occasionally of other workers, as well as recording recent works of conservation, repair and restoration. Stories emerge of the ad hoc and unregulated naming of fruit trees, of attempts to make wine in 1690, and of how seeking refuge in the Civil War gave rise to a model for a British Elysium. The creators of these walled gardens went in for all kinds of experiments: fruit breeding, trials of different shapes of glasshouses, even growing pineapples, to which great status was attached although the resultant fruit was ‘universally destitute of fibre’. Well illustrated, this book is a joy to dip into and makes one appreciate the wealth of walled gardens that were once created in Herefordshire, and how many of them still exist. Haunted Herefordshire by Rupert Matthews 96 pages with 48 black and white photographs ISBN: 978 1904396 98 7 £7.95 Herefordshire has many ghosts, from semi-mythical figures like Merlin and Arthur to known historic figures like ‘Black’ Vaughan, from spectral apparitions of members of the gentry to those of monks, friars, farmers, shepherds and servants. Some seem malevolent, others benign; some just appear as a face at a window, others as a complete figure, whilst some manifest themselves as poltergeists. In addition there are tales of a phantom cat, a dragon, and bells ringing in the river. There are even stories of spectral transport, mainly in the shape of coaches and horses. Certain villages seem to have more than their fair share of hauntings, quite a few of which take place in inns and hotels. Some of the appearances might be the result of murder or blighted love, but the book also discusses other possible reasons for the appearance of ghosts, and considers why some people may be more aware of spectres in their vicinity than others. With tales of exorcism, buried treasure and much besides, this is a book full of mysterious and often inexplicable happenings. Rupert Matthews is a prolific author of books on history, both ancient and modern, about the UK and beyond, and the supernatural is one of his special interests. by Tony Williams and Derek Foxton 96 pages with just under 200 black and white photographs ISBN: 978 1 906663 05 6 £10 The photographs in this book were selected from an archive of work by Tony Williams, an assistant production engineer and photographer who moved to Hereford with Barronia Metals Ltd. This was a firm whose premises were bombed in London in 1940 and were relocated to the comparative safety of Hereford as they produced a vital component for multi-engined aircraft. Barronia Metal’s managing director, Major F.J. Bullen, subsequently acquired the Hereford Citizen & Bulletin newspaper and Tony Williams, who seems to have been the firm’s official photographer, was also employed to take photographs for the paper. During the war, photographic material was scarce and virtually unobtainable by members of the public, so it is particularly fortunate for Hereford to have this pictorial record. As the city was sheltered from the direct ravages of the war, this record is mainly of day to day life at the end of the war and in the three years immediately afterwards. The book opens with the celebrations held to mark Victory in Europe (VE) and Victory in Japan (VJ) days – a combination of organised parades, impromptu celebrations and a host of street parties. Sections then look at aspects of the city towards the end of the war, and the immediate post-war problems, not least the need to queue to obtain some rare post-war luxuries – bananas and fireworks. Problems didn’t go away with the ending of war, and another section depicts a series of floods, road and rail accidents, and fires. The gradual return to ‘normality’ is shown with the re-emergence of the May Fair, the Three Counties Show (held alongside Hampton Park Road), the revival of local businesses, the rebuilding of parts of the city, the return of sporting competitions, and the involvement of young people in the life of the city. The war was not forgotten though, and the book ends, appropriately, with pictures showing various ceremonies of remembrance. Some of the photographs give an overall impression of an event, while others home in on the people of the city – friends having a good time at the May Fair, or children at a street party, evocatively depicting the mood and fashions of the time. And, of course, there was the occasional appearance of the extraordinary – elephants, for example ... Derek Foxton is well known in Herefordshire for his wide archive of photographic and other images from which he has produced many books. by John Powell 224 pages, with a dozen black and white photographs ISBN: 978 1 906663 00 1 £12.95 In 1830 parts of southern England were affected by the Swing Riots, when grievances in rural areas spilled over into direct action. With the Revolution in France still a comparatively recent event, an alarmed propertied class decided to overhaul the system of poor relief and in 1834, the ‘Old’ Poor Law was replaced by the ‘New’ Poor Law. This saw a relatively flexible system locally administered (by each parish), replaced by a national system that aimed to provide equally for the poor in all areas of the country. Based on a belief that the poor were responsible for their own poverty and a desire to reduce costs, it created Unions of parishes which came together to build new workhouses designed to deter the poor from seeking help. A Poor Law Commission was formed in London to control this much harsher system, and among the Commissioners were members of the Herefordshire and Radnorshire gentry, notably the Lewises of Harpton Court, near New Radnor. This book looks at each of the eight Herefordshire Unions (Hereford, Leominster, Ledbury, Bromyard, Ross, Kington, Dore and Weobley) focusing in each case on a different aspect of the Law (such as the treatment of the poor, the apprenticeship of children, the provision of education, the role of Guardians and the quality of staff). A theme throughout the book is the effect of the change in the law, and the extent to which the new system achieved what it was intended to achieve. The stories are often appalling, sometimes heart-warming, occasionally amusing, and all serve to shed light on the impoverished social conditions in which many people existed in Herefordshire in the 19th century. The book also shows that the debate as to whether poverty and perceived fecklessness can be deterred by harsh methods and, conversely, whether a humane approach will only be exploited, is not new — and, of course, it is not yet resolved, almost 200 years later. Dr. John Powell is a native and lifelong resident of Ross-on-Wye. In recent years he has devoted much of his time to the study of eighteenth- and nineteenth-century poor relief systems in Herefordshire, discovering a number of clerical and farming ancestors involved in parochial administration along the way. He worked for many years as a primary school teacher and latterly as head teacher of Lea Church of England School. The Churches of Herefordshire and their Treasures by John Leonard Second edition 2006 Paperback, 240 pages, 280 b/w photographs ISBN 978 1 873827 91 8 £12.95 An introductory chapter tells of the origins of the churches, of the influence of the Welsh, the Anglo-Saxons and the Normans; then follows a description of the treasures of the churches – the Herefordshire School of Romanesque Sculpture; the fonts; rood screens; stained glass; memorials and effigies. The book then divides the county into areas, and the author indicates the medieval churches that he considers to be the most interesting to visit. All the medieval churches feature in a gazetteer of each area. Finally, the post-medieval churches are considered across the county as a whole. John Leonard is a retired consultant physician who lives on the Welsh border and has written books on the parish churches of several counties. Herefordshire Churches through Victorian Eyes by Sir Stephen Glynne, with watercolours by Charles F. Walker, edited by John Leonard Paperback, 176 pages, over 100 watercolours ISBN 978 1 904396 59 8 £12.95 Before this volume, Sir Stephen Glynne’s notes on Herefordshire churches were only available in handwritten notebooks. Glynne was the original ‘church-crawler’ and during his lifetime (1807-74) he visited over 5,000 churches. He provides an excellent description of the churches he visited, and often describes features (or, indeed, churches) which have now vanished. The paintings by Charles Walker were executed in 1849-51, and many are roughly contemporaneous with Glynne’s notes. Little is known about Walker: he lived at Bell Lane, Ludlow at the time of the 1851 census, occupation ‘artist’; over 100 of his paintings are reproduced for the first time in this volume. The Essence of Herefordshire by Andy Johnson & John Wilson Paperback, 24 pages, full colour ISBN 978 1 904396 76 5 £3.95 A look at the land, countryside, towns, villages, prehistory, Roman remains, castles, churches, carving, inns and cider that help define Herefordshire. Tales from Herefordshire’s Graves & Burials by Nicola Goodwin Paperback, 128 pages, 90 black and white illustrations ISBN 978 1 904396 44 4 £9.95 A mixture of people have ended their days in Herefordshire’s soil—a Russian princess, a Hungarian general, a little known King of England, a successful British commanders in the War of American Independence, a few saints, and possibly Hamlet, Prince of Denmark as well as Amr, the son of King Arthur. There are two survivors from the Battle of Waterloo and one from Rorke’s Drift. There is the godfather of Horatio Nelson, a murdered vicar, and a midwife who successfully saw to 526 births. Tablets record deaths from a wolf and by jumping from a moving stagecoach. The subject of the book may appear morbid, but the tales are usually anything but. Nicola Goodwin worked for the Hereford Times and in rugby journalism (having represented England at women’s rugby) before moving to the BBC. Herefordshire Bricks & Brickmakers by Edwin Davey & Rebecca Roseff Paperback, 160 pages, 70 b/w and 25 colour illustrations ISBN 978 1 904396 70 3 £9.95 An account of the brick industry in Herefordshire which locates and explains many hollows in the ground as old brickworks, looks at the changing sizes of bricks, the move from hand-made clamp-fired bricks to industrial production, the patterns of brickwork used and the lives of the workers. This book will leave you better placed to ‘read’ a brick building: its age of construction; whether the bricks were made locally, in one of the factories in Herefordshire or outside the county; to what pattern the bricks were laid. The second part is a gazetteer of the sites of known brickworks. Edwin Davey and Rebecca Roseff have worked together in the Sites and Monuments office for Herefordshire. A Slap of the Hand: The History of Hereford Market Paperback, 112 pages, 100 illustrations ISBN 978 1904396 85 7 £10 A Slap of the Hand is the history of Hereford’s livestock and butter markets told in the words of the people who worked there. Auctioneers, farmers, farmers’ wives, cattle, sheep, pig and poultry dealers, hauliers, butchers and drovers all lend their voices to this unique record of Herefordshire country life. Published in conjunction with Herefordshire Lore. James Wathen’s Herefordshire 1770-1820: his sketches and paintings by David Whitehead & Ron Shoesmith Case bound, 228 pages, over 90 colour illustrations ISBN 978 1 873827 04 8 £65 A high quality production, this details the life of James Wathen, including his early years in Hereford’s gloving industry before turning to watercolour painting. The paintings show the city gates before demolition, street scenes now disappeared, country houses as they were being rebuilt with the profits from a buoyant agriculture, the Wye Tour and rural scenes and villages before mechanisation. |