Held at:	Library of the Woolhope Club
Reference:	Marshall copy of Robinson’s Castles of Herefordshire
Source:	Manuscript note tipped into a bound volume
Title:	Guest Contribution: Boundaries of the Manor of Snodhill
Place name:	Snodhill, Peterchurch, Turnastone
Date:	1824

Description:

George Marshall JP FSA 1859-1950, was a prominent member of the Woolhope Club. He was the Hon Secretary for 29 years and President of the Club in 1922 and 1940. He contributed many articles to the Transactions. In 1940 he bequeathed many of his books to the Woolhope Club.

 

The following is a transcription of a manuscript note made by him. For readability some abbreviations have been expanded and line breaks introduced. The script is difficult to read in places, an unreadable word is indicted by [..?..]. Modern names have been added in brackets [thus]. Items in brackets ( ) are in the copy made by George Marshall.

 

Boundaries of the Manor of Snodhill, Lord of the Manor, Thomas Prosser, Clerk
before Thomas Bird, Esq. Steward. 27^th October 1824

 

From a Survey by the ancient Court Rolls of said manor we present that the boundaries includes the several Parishes, Townships and Places vneut [sic] Hosty [Holsy], Wilmaston [Wilmastone], Godway, Greenway, Mowbach, Lyonshall, Wilbrook [Wellbrook], Turnaston [Turnastone], Trellers Hope [otherwise Trenant], Dolworth [Dolward], Urishay, Vagar Hill and Snodhill oherwise Snowdle.
Beginning at a Hawthorn Tree growing in a certain piece of ground called Ten Acres in the parish of Peterchurch in the occupation of Mr Edward Snead and which tree divides the several parishes of Dorston [Dorstone] and Peterchurch,
from thence to a brook called Pitts Brook at the stank upon the Horse road leading from Snodhill to Dorston,
from thence to a certain ash tree growing in a meadow called the Pike Meadow in the possession of Thos Williams, which tree divides the said parishes of Peterchurch and Dorston,
from thence to a certain stone fixed in a meadow called Lords Meadow in the possession. of Thos Williams and which stone divides the parishes of Peterchurch and Dorston,
from thence down a certain lane to a bridge called Gattymore [Gattimer] Bridge which.crosses the river Dore which river divides the parishes of Dorston and Peterchurch,
and thence [..?..] side of the river Dore to a Weare called Parry’s Weare which divides Dorston and Peterchurch,
from thence to the left across a meadow called the Ash Meadow through Ashfield to Wilmaston Corner,
from thence up the side of Moccas Park hedge along the said hedge in the left to the spring called the Golden Spring,
from thence to an Oak Tree at the top of Woodbury Hill growing immediately within the the pales there,
from thence to the right along Woodbury Brow, leaving a Lime Tree on the left,
from thence by a hedge side parting the said Parishes of Peterchurch and Dorston Blakemore leaving Lime Kilns on the right and the said hedge on the left,
from thence to a cross road leading from the Godway to Blakemore,
from thence over a stile then short to the left by the Hedgeside leaving it to the left, all the way along Blakemore Hill to Brillers Wood,
and thence across the road leading from Lyonshall to Blakemore,
from thence to Lyonshall barn,
from thence along the hedgeside to a Coppice at the corner of a field called Morgans Coppice,
from thence short to the right by the hedgeside leaving the hedge on the left, thence across Stockley Hill road at a withy (‘Ash’ in pencil) tree growing on (‘near’ in pencil) a spot a well called Powells Well formerly stood,
from thence to the further end of Wilbrook Park leaving the hedge immediately on the left then short to the right leaving a public road on the left leading from Stockley Hill to Poston,
from thence through the Barn belonging to Newton Dickenson Esq. adjoining to Poston Court (‘Lodge’ in pencil),
and from thence straight along the road dividing the parishes of Peterchurch and  Vowchurch to a certain house called the Park House leaving the house on the right,
from thence straight to the river Dore and by the side of same.river which divides the parishes of Vowchurch and Turnaston (leaving the said river on right), to Vowchurch Bridge,
from thence by side of said river to the old house, lately a blacksmiths shop, then short to the right and thence to Weaths Barn leaving the said barn on the right to Slough Brook at [..?..] on to Slough Lane  to the Slought  House then turn up the right by a valley and up to Great Dolworth then turn up the road to the left hand and up to the White House,
from thence to the right through the Slough Lane to the Slought House then turn up to the right by a valley up to Great Dolworth House leaving the house on the right,
from thence to Little Dolworth
from thence along the foot path to Wittwal [Whitewall] House leaving the house on the right to a certain Lane called City Lane,
from thence along the foot path to Werwillym [Wern William] House leaving the House on the right,
from thence along the foot path to Lannon [Llanon] leaving the house on the right,
from thence along the footway to a Public House called the Kings Arms,
from thence to the [..?..] upon Urishay Common by a certain stone fixed upright in the ground,
from thence round the south west side of Urishay Common to the top of Pouka [Pucha] Lane then to the right across the Camaur [Cae Mawr] to a gate at the top of Camaur that leads onto the Vagar Hill,
from thence short to the left by a circular hedge to a stone in the corner of the said hedge, then short to the right by an old ditch to another stone then follow an old road to a third stone,
from thence straight to a Quarry, where stone tiles are now raised, leaving half of the said quarry on the right and half on the left,
from thence to a fourth stone also in an old road, up to a wall then over the wall to a fifth stone fixed in the ground lately inclosed the possession of Thomas Bird Esq. which divides the manor of Snodhill from the [..?..] of Dorstone and the Common belonging to the Lord of Abergavenny,
from thence to the right, straight down the Vagar Hill leaving a certain channel or mark of the Boundary of the said manor on the left [..?..] to the Common vsath [sic],
from thence to the Pit Dingle and from there to the Hawthorn tree in the said piece called Ten Acres and herein before described.

On testmony where [..?..]
S. Exton M.D. Peterchurch
T Llanwarn Sen. Wilmaston, Godway
Thos Llanwarn Jun .Wilmaston, Godway
(another 18 or 19 other names there added, Merdy [Maerdy]; New Lodge; Oakley; Thos Llanwarn of the Park; Mowbage [Mowbach], Hinton are the places not mentioned before.)

 

(note by George.Marshall, dated 30^th May 1938. Original manuscript and signatures in Hereford Public Library, given here not quite verbatim. These boundaries practically follow and include the boundaries of Peterchurch and Turnastone – with a little variation at Turnaston at Llanion [Llanon])

 

Observations:

The Manor of Snodhill was part of the Honor of Snodhill Castle, it would date to the foundation of the Castle and be well before the definition of parish boundaries. In this case the parish boundaries follow those of the Manor rather than those of the Manor following the Parishes.

 

The Manor of Snodhill is outside the Hundred of Ewyas Lacy but abuts Ewyas Lacy to the north east.

 

Manuscript material once held in the Hereford City Library has now been transferred to the Hereford Record Office.

 

Some places mentioned (modern spelling)
with their Ordnance Survey map references - all in square SO

 

Blakemore Hill	364394	Poston Lodge	361380
Cae Mawr	383298	Pucha (Farm)	379307
Dolward (Farm)	363333	Slough Lane	359348
Gattimer (Bridge & Lane)	327411	Snodhill (Castle)	413323
Greenway (Farm)	400350	stank (Pool or Ditch)	317409
Hinton	387341	Stockley Hill	370388
Holsy (Farm)	385363	Trenant (Farm & Valley)	376342
Kings Arms	367314	Urishay	376323
Llanon (Farm)	366316	Urishay Common	375313
Lyonshall	355391	Vagar Hill	395290
Lyonshall Barn	362394	Vowchurch Bridge	362364
Maerdy (Farm)	378303	Wellbrook	352384
Moccas Park	425340	Wern William (Farm)	366319
Mowbach (Farm)	394345	White House	357350
New Lodge (Farm)	391307	Whitewall (Farm)	363325
Oakley (Farm)	380325	Wilmastone	401341
Park (Farm)	396306	Woodbury Hill	415350

 

For Snodhill Castle and its descent click here