Bosbury

9 BOSBURY (D.c.)

(O.S. 6 in. ^(a)XXVIII, S.E., ^(b)XXXV, N.W., ^(c)XXXV, N.E., ^(d)XXXV, S.W., ^(e)XXXV, S.E.)

Bosbury is a parish and village 4 m. N. of Ledbury. The church with a detached bell-tower, the Morton Chapel and Harford monuments, Old Court, formerly a manor house of the Bishops of Hereford, the Grammar School, Hillhouse Farm and the Crown Inn, with interesting shields-of-arms on the intersections of its ceiling-beams, are the principal monuments.

Ecclesiastical

^c(1). Parish Church of Holy Trinity (Plate 88) stands in the village. The walls and dressings are of local sand-stone and the roofs are tiled. There was a 12th-century church on the site, of which only the W. wall of the Nave remains standing. At the end of the 12th century, and extending into the 13 th, the church, including the Chancel, N. and S. arcades and North and South Aisles, was re-built and enlarged. The detached Bell-tower was built c. 1230–40. The South Porch was added probably in the 15th century. The Morton Chapel was built early in the 16th century by Thomas Morton and, perhaps, Rowland Morton. The church was restored in 1871, when the Organ Chamber was added, and again in 1921.

The church is of considerable architectural interest, especially the Morton Chapel; among the fittings the Harford monuments are noteworthy.

Architectural Description—The Chancel (37 ft. by 22 ft.) has a late 15th-century E. window of four cinque-foiled lights with vertical tracery in a four-centred head, with moulded jambs and modern mullions; flanking it are the outer jambs of two late 12th-century windows, with part of the arch of the northern window. In the N. wall is a modern arch and farther E. a late 12th or early 13th-century lancet-window, partly restored. In the S. wall are three similar windows; between the two westernmost is a doorway of the same date, with chamfered jambs and round head. The late 12th or early 13th-century chancel-arch is two-centred and of two orders, the outer moulded and the inner chamfered; the responds have each two attached shafts with moulded bases and scalloped or foliated capitals.

The Nave (71 ft. by 23 ft.) has late 12th or early 13th-century N. and S. arcades (Plate 90) of six bays, with two-centred arches of two chamfered orders with a chamfered label; the cylindrical shafts and semicylindrical responds have moulded bases and scalloped capitals; the three easternmost columns are more slender than the others, and may be of slightly later date. The clearstorey has, on each side, six lancet-windows of the same date as the arcades; above them runs a corbel-table with moulded corbels. The W. wall is probably of earlier date than the rest of the nave and has a single round-headed 12th-century window; there are slight traces of the earlier and lower W. gable.

The North Aisle (9 ft. wide) has a modern arch in the E. wall. In the N. wall are five windows all of a single light; the easternmost has a segmental-pointed head and is of uncertain date; the rest are all of lancet-form and of late 12th or early 13th-century date; the N. doorway, of the same date, has chamfered jambs, round head and a chamfered label. In the W. wall is a lancet-window similar to those in the N. wall.

The South Aisle (9 ft. wide) has, in the S. wail, three windows, the two easternmost similar to those in the N. aisle; the westernmost is modern; the late 12th-century S. doorway has a round arch of two rounded orders with a moulded label; the inner order is continued down the jambs and the outer springs from detached shafts with scalloped capitals and moulded bases. In the W. wall is a lancet-window similar to that in the N. aisle.

The Morton Chapel (15 ft. by 10½ ft.) is of early 16th-century date, with an embattled parapet. In the E. wall is a window of four cinque-foiled ogee lights with vertical tracery in a two-centred head; the reveals and label are moulded. In the S. wall are two windows, each of three trefoiled lights with a transom and tracery in a four-centred head; the reveals and label are moulded and there are trefoiled heads below the transom. At the back of the first bay of the S. nave arcade is a four-centred arch with responds and soffit enriched with trefoil-headed panelling and with a moulded impost at the springing level. The four-centred W. arch, opening into the aisle, has moulded arch and responds, the latter with triple attached shafts; the head of the arch rises above the aisle roof, the end of which is boarded; the wall-face S. of the arch has trefoil-headed panelling and tracery. The chapel has a stone fan-vault (Plate 89) of two bays, springing from moulded corbels and from a pendant in the middle of the N. side; the flat soffit, in the middle of each bay, has a quatrefoil carved with a tun with a capital M enclosing a 'black-letter' M. for Morton; at the base of the pendant is carved a tun with the initials T.M.

The South Porch is of the 15 th-century and of timber on modern dwarf walls. The outer entrance has an arch formed by modern struts and a gable with exposed framing; the barge-boards are modern. The sides are open and have curved braces and modern intermediate posts. Against the N. wall is a tie-beam with curved struts.

The Bell-tower (18 ft. square) stands detached about 60 ft. S. of the Morton Chapel. It was built c. 1230–40 and is of three stages with an embattled parapet. The E., S. and W. walls of the ground-stage have each a narrow lancet window; the doorway, in the N. wall, is set in a projection with a weathered top; it has jambs and two-centred head of two chamfered orders. The second stage has, in each wall, a narrow lancet-window. The bell-chamber has, in each wall, two similar windows.

The Roof of the nave, of trussed-rafter type with seven tie-beams, is perhaps of the 13th century. The aisles have pent-roofs with moulded principals and wall-plates, perhaps of the 15th century.

Fittings—Bells: six; 2nd and 5th by John Finch, 1632 and 1640; 3rd and 6th by John Martin, latter dated 1660 (Plate 40); 4th with groups of capitals and initial W, twice repeated, 16th-century or earlier. Churchyard Cross: S. of nave—square moulded base on three steps, square to octagonal shaft, 15th-century, repaired in cement, re-set cross-head with 17th-century inscriptions, "Honour not the †," "Honour God for Christ." Coffin-lids: In nave—under S. arcade, (1) cross (Plate 48) in relief with foliated head in quatrefoil, two subsidiary formy crosses and a sword, early 14th-century; (2) cross in relief with head in double circle, late 13 th or early 14th-century. Door: In towerdoorway, of plain battens, 17th-century. Font (Plate 5 3): square bowl with square to round concave under side, octagonal central shaft with moulded base and foliated capital (reversed), four subsidiary shafts, c. 1200. Glass: In Morton chapel—in E. window, sacred initials, foliage and fragments; in S. window, foliations and fragments, early 16th-century, partly in situ. Lectern (Plate 76): with turned post on three-armed base with scrolled struts to post, early 17th-century, desk restored. Monuments and Floor-slabs. Monuments: In chancel—recessed in N. wall, (1) of Richard Harford, 1578, and Martha (Fox), his wife, also to Anthony Harford, large freestone monument (Plate 92), probably by John Guldo, with sarcophagus, effigies and canopy; moulded sarcophagus resting on monsters, effigy of man in civil costume, effigy of woman behind holding book, canopy with enriched round arch and side pilasters, flanked by male and female standing figures supporting an entablature with central curved pediment enclosing the arms of William Paulet, K.G., 1st Marquis of Winchester, cresting of crude acanthus-leaves and scrolls; at back of recess, foliage, achievement and two shields-of-arms; recessed in S. wall, (2) of John Harford, 1559, large freestone monument (Plate 93) with sarcophagus, effigy and canopy, signed by John Guldo of Hereford, 1573; sarcophagus in form of chest resting on two lions, effigy of man in civil costume, canopy with round arch, side pilasters and enriched spandrels, flanked by Corinthian columns supporting an entablature and pediment enclosing the arms of John Skippe, Bishop of Hereford, 1539–52; at back of recess three panels with conventional vases, two shields and an achievement-of-arms; on S. wall, (3) to William Hopton, 1647, plain stone tablet. In S. aisle—on S. wall, (4) to [Stephen Swinefeld, father of the Bishop, 1282], slab with inscription in Lombardic capitals, now defaced, found in 1776; (5) to William Brydges, Thomas Brydges, his son, 1692, Joan (Hill) first wife of Thomas, 1678, Catherine (Barret) his second wife and William Brydges, his son, 1704, tablet with enriched frame, apron and broken pediment with cartouche-of-arms. Floor-slabs: In nave—(1) to William Coke, 1690; (2) to Joshua Elmshurst, A.M., vicar, 1708. In S. aisle—(3) to Ann, wife of Edward Stedman, c. 1700. Panelling: In nave—on W. wall and at W. end of S. aisle, re-used 16th-century panelling. Pulpit: modern but incorporating two foreign panels carved with figure-subjects, (a) Adoration of the Magi, (b) the Virgin and Child, late 16th-century. Screen (Plate 91): under chancel-arch, of five bays including central doorway, all with four-centred heads, side bays with modern lower panels and open upper panels, each bay of three cinque-foiled ogee lights with tracery, loft with moulded cornice and ribbed and panelled vaulting (Plate 70), with moulded front beam, late 15 th-century, considerably restored. Seating: In nave and aisles— many 16th-century benches, made up with new material. Stoup: In E. jamb of S. doorway—broken round bowl, mediæval. Miscellanea: In S. aisle—re-set in S. wall, head-corbel, 13th-century. Loose in S. aisle—rough oval stone bowl with drain, date uncertain.

Condition—Good.

Secular

^b(2). Homestead, Moat, 300 yards S.E. of Upleadon Court and 2 m. W.S.W. of the church.

^c(3). Temple Court, house and moat 500 yards W.S.W. of the church was formerly a possession of the Knights of the Temple. The House is of two storeys, partly with attics; the walls are of stone and brick and the roofs are tiled. The stone N. wing is perhaps of mediæval date, but there is no definite evidence of this; the rest of the house was re-built in the 18th century or more modern times, but the middle part may incorporate some 17th-century work. Inside the building are some exposed ceiling-beams and in the S. wall of the N. wing are three rectangular recesses.

The Moat formerly surrounded the house and was of rounded form. Ditches and a stream form various outer enclosures.

Condition—Of house, good.

^c(4). Old Court Farm, house, gatehouse and earthworks, N. of the churchyard, was formerly a manor house of the Bishops of Hereford. The House is of two storeys; the walls are of stone and modern brick and the roofs are tiled. The stone S. block of the house is of 15th-century date and to it was added the L-shaped block on the N. side, early in the 17th century; this block was perhaps timber-framed, but has been re-faced with brick. Inside the building the original block has an inserted chimney-stack; the room E. of it has an open timbered ceiling, with original moulded beams (Plate 96), joists and wall-plates. The roof is partly original and of five bays with tie-beams and curved braces below the collar-beams. The 17th-century addition has chamfered ceiling-beams and a dado of early 17th-century panelling.

The Gatehouse (Plate 95) range faces the road on the E. side of the site. It is now of two storeys with a stone outer wall, perhaps of the 14th century, and a timber-framed inner wall. The gateway has a major and minor archway, the former has jambs and two-centred arch of two chamfered orders; the smaller archway has jambs and two centred arch of one chamfered order; it is now blocked. Inside the building, in the E. wall is a recess, perhaps a fireplace, with chamfered jambs and re-built head. The S. part of the building is a later extension.

The Earthworks, in the field N.W. of the house, consist of a series of banks and ditches. There are traces of ditches also to the E. of the house, and the stream bounding the farm enclosure on the N. and W. appears to have been straightened.

Condition—Of house, fairly good.

^c(5). The Grammar School, 20 yards N.E. of the church, is of one storey, timber-framed and with a slate-covered roof. The Free Grammar School was founded by Sir Rowland Morton in 1540; the building has been much altered and the W. side appears to have been reconstructed in the 17th century and has exposed framing of that date. The E. side and S. end have been re-faced in brick. Inside the building, two large tie-beams are exposed.

Condition—Good.

^c(6). Hillhouse Farm (Plate 80), house 1,520 yards N.E. of the church, is of two storeys with cellars and attics; the walls are timber-framed and the roofs are tiled. The house is of T-shaped plan with the cross-wing at the E. end. The E. part of the building dates from late in the 16th century, and there are 17th-century and modern extensions towards the W. On the S. side is a staircase-wing, perhaps of early 18th-century date. Much of the timber-framing is exposed, that of the cross-wing being mostly of close-set studs, with square ornamental panels in the upper storey, and a gable at the N. end. The upper storey projects on the N., E. and S. sides of this wing and has moulded bressummers and brackets; the projection has been partly under-built in stone. The large stone chimney-stack on the N. side has re-built diagonal shafts of brick; E. of this stack and now within the house is an original moulded bressummer. Inside the building are some exposed ceiling-beams. The middle room has an original stone fireplace with moulded jambs and flat four-centred head. In the cross-wing is a doorway with a flat ogee-shaped head; the S. room has late 16th or early 17th-century panelling with a fluted frieze. The early 18th-century staircase has moulded strings, turned balusters and plain newels.

Condition—Good.

^c(7). Crown Inn, on the S. side of the road, 120 yards S.W. of the church, is of two storeys with cellars; the walls are of stone and the roofs are tiled. It was built in the second half of the 16th century, but much of the house was re-built late in the 18th century. The original block has in the N.W. end a window of six transomed and square-headed lights of stone, with a wooden lintel; the lintel of a destroyed similar window remains in the S.E. end. Inside the building, the ground-floor room has exposed and chamfered ceiling-beams forming nine square panels; the intersections have flat round bosses, three of which retain shields-of-arms, (a) a quartered coat of Paulet with the garter, for William Paulet, K.G., 1st Marquis of Winchester, (b) John Skippe, Bishop of Hereford, 1539–52, (c) quartered coat of Scrope; the walls are lined with panelling in six heights with frieze-panels and an enriched cornice; the overmantel (Plate 96) is of four bays with enriched and arcaded panels divided and flanked by fluted pilasters; three of the main panels contain cartouches-of-arms, (a) Wrottesley, (b) Scrope, (c) Fox of Bromfield; on the pilasters are cartouches with the date and initials, 1571, R.H. and M.H., for Richard Harford and Martha (Fox) his wife.

Condition—Good.

Monuments (8–58)

The following monuments, unless otherwise described, are of the 17th century and of two storeys, timber-framed and with tile or slate-covered roofs. Most of the buildings have exposed timber-framing and ceiling-beams and some of the chimney-stacks are original.

Condition—Good or fairly good, unless noted.

^c(8). House, 25 yards N. of (7), is of 16th-century origin with 18th-century and later alterations and additions on the N. and S. Inside the building is an original moulded ceiling-beam with the mouldings turned down the post. There are some early 18th-century panelled doors.

^c(9). Bridge House, on the S. side of the road, 25 yards N.E. of (7).

^c(10). House, E. of (9), is probably of early 18th-century date, but has been refronted in modern brick.

^c(11). House, three tenements, 15 yards E. of (10). The E. tenement has been partly refronted in brick; the W. tenement has a doorway with a flat pointed head.

^c(12). House, two tenements, 40 yards E. of (11), was built probably in the 15th century with a central block and cross-wings at the E. and W. ends. The crosswings have close-set framing, and the E. gable has original barge-boards with sex-foiled panels. Inside the building some of the original roof-construction is exposed.

^c(13). Bell Inn (Plate 94), 25 yards E. of (12), was built probably in the 15th century, but has been much altered and extended to the W. and S. The gable on the N. front has original barge-boards with running tracery and sex-foiled panels.

^c(14). House, E. of (13), is of late 17th or early 18th-century date and has been partly re-faced in brick.

^c(15). House, two tenements, 4 yards E. of (14). The W. tenement is of late 17th or early 18th-century date.

^c(16). Cottage, 30 yards E. of (15) and 110 yards E.S.E. of the church, was built probably early in the 18th century and has a thatched roof.

^c(17). Cottage, two tenements and shops, 12 yards E. of (16), was built probably early in the 18th century and has a thatched roof.

^c(18). Dog Farm, house on the N. side of the road, 70 yards E.S.E. of the church, is of late 16th or early 17th-century date and of L-shaped plan with the wings extending towards the W. and N.

^c(19). Cottage, by Dowding's Brook, 500 yards N.E. of the church, is probably of early 18th-century date and has a thatched roof.

^c(20). Lower House Farm, house and outbuilding, about ½ m. N.N.E. of the church. The House is of L-shaped plan with the wings extending towards the W. and N. The central chimney-stack has four detached brick shafts with V-shaped pilaster-strips. Inside the building are some original moulded ceiling-beams.

The Cider-house and hop-store, W. of the house, is probably of early 18th-century date.

^c(21). Brook Farm, house, 80 yards N.N.E. of (20).

^c(22). Cottage, E. of Pow Green and about 1¼ m. N.E. of the church, was built probably early in the 18th century and was subsequently heightened.

^c(23). Cottage, on the N.W. side of the road at Old Country, nearly 1½ m. N.E. of the church, is probably of early 18th-century date and has a thatched roof. An outbuilding is probably of the same date.

^a(24). Palace Farm, house and outbuilding, 120 yards N.E. of (23). The House has a cross-wing at the N. end. The upper storey projects on the W. side of the main block, on a moulded bressummer and shaped brackets. The Outbuilding is probably of late 17th or early 18th-century date.

^c(25). Quebb Cottage, about 1 m. E.N.E. of the church, was built probably early in the 18th century and has a thatched roof.

^c(26). Green Farm, house, 200 yards E.S.E. of (25).

^c(27). Cottage, at Stoneyard Green and 130 yards S. of (26), is probably of early 18th-century date and has a thatched roof.

^c(28). Cottage, two tenements, on the S. side of the road, 80 yards S.W. of (27), has a thatched roof.

^c(29). The Moats, two tenements, 150 yards E.S.E. of (28) and nearly 1¼ m. E.N.E. of the church, has a thatched roof. The doorways have shaped wooden heads.

^c(30). Slatchwood Cottages, two tenements, 430 yards E. of (29), were built early in the 18th century.

^c(31). Slatchwood, cottage, on the N.E. side of the road 50 yards E. of (30), is probably of early 18th-century date, but has been much altered.

^c(32). Cottage, N.W. of Broad Oak Farm and 1,520 yards E.N.E. of the church, is of early 18th-century date and has a thatched roof.

^c(33). Upper Townend Farm, house and barns, 1,600 yards E. of the church. The House was built late in the 16th or early in the 17th century and consists of three bays of framing. On the S. side is a gabled porch with baluster-shaped pilasters, scrolls and a moulded lintel and base-beam to the gable.

The Barn, adjoining the house, has a heavy framed partition. The barn, N.W. of the house, is probably of early 18th-century date.

^c(34). Lower Townend Farm, house, 270 yards S.S.E. of (33), has been reduced in size. The original chimney-stack has four square shafts with V-shaped pilasters.

^c(35). Lower House, over 1¼ m. S.W. of the church, is probably of early 18th-century date and has a thatched roof.

Condition—Ruinous.

^c(36). Swinmore Wood (Plate 33), cottage, 150 yards W.S.W. of (35), is of late 17th or early 18th-century date and has a thatched roof.

^c(37). Swinmore Farm, house, 1¾ m. S.W. of the church, was built probably early in the 18th century and the door on the N.E. side is of this date.

^d(38). Verne Farm, house, 2 m. S.W. of the church, has a cross-wing at the S.E. end and a later extension at the N.W. end. The upper storey projects at the S.W. end of the cross-wing. Inside the building are some original moulded ceiling-beams.

^b(39). Upleadon Farm, house, about 1½ m. W.S.W. of the church, is of two storeys with attics and cellars. It was built late in the 16th or early in the 17th century. Inside the building is a fireplace with moulded stone jambs.

^c(40). Upper Coldgreen Farm, house, 1 m. W.S.W. of the church, was built late in the 16th or early in the 17th century on a T-shaped plan with the cross-wing at the N. end. There are later and modern additions. The gables of the cross-wing have original barge-boards, those on the W. with simple ornament and those on the E. with cusped panels. Inside the building is some early 17th-century panelling and the upper part of the staircase is probably of early 18th-century date.

^c(41). Goldhill Farm, house, nearly 1¼ m. W. of the church, is perhaps of late 16th-century origin, but has been much altered and re-faced with later stone-work. Inside the building are some original moulded ceiling-beams.

^c(42). Cottage, on the S.W. side of Stanley Hill, about 1¼ m. W.N.W. of the church, is probably of early 18th-century date.

^c(43). Hill Farm, house and barn, 330 yards E.N.E. of (42). The House has a broad open fireplace (Plate 77) in the S. room. The Barn, S. of the house, is of two storeys, partly weather-boarded.

^c(44). Catley Court Farm (Plate 27), house and barn, nearly 1¼ m. N.W. of the church. The House has a large 18th-century wing on the N.W. side. Some of the windows with solid frames are probably of early 18th-century date. The Barn, E. of the house, is weather-boarded.

^c(45). Cottage, 300 yards N.E. of (44), is probably of early 18th-century date.

^c(46). Great Catley Farm, house, 1 m. N.W. of the church, is of late 16th or early 17th-century date with later extensions to the S.W. Inside the building is a little original panelling.

^c(47). Little Catley Farm, house, 100 yards E.S.E. of (46), is of L-shaped plan with the wings extending towards the W. and N. It has been partly re-faced in brick.

^c(48). Cottage, 320 yards S.W. of (47).

^c(49). Oozle's Nest, cottage, 1,180 yards W.N.W. of the church, has been partly re-faced in brick.

^c(50). Catley Cross Farm, house, ½ m. N.W. of the church, is of two storeys with attics. The E. part of the house is original with a cross-wing at the S. end; the W. wing is a late 17th or early 18th-century addition.

^c(51). Cottage, on the S.W. side of the road, at Long Acre, 1,020 yards N.N.W. of the church, is of early 18th-century date.

^c(52). Cottage, 20 yards S.E. of (51), is of early 18th-century date and has a thatched roof.

^c(53). Bentley's Farm, house, 300 yards N.N.W. of (51), is of late 17th or early 18th-century date.

Condition—Poor.

^c(54). Noverings Farm, house, 1,100 yards N.N.E. of the church, has been re-faced in brick and stone.

^a(55). Notehouse Farm, house and barn, about 1 m. N.N.W. of the church. The House is of late 16th or early 17th-century date, with a late 17th or early 18th-century extension to the N. The E. front has been re-faced in brick. The Barn, S.E. of the house, is partly weather-boarded.

^a(56). Gospel Yew Cottage, 1½ m. N.W. of the church, is probably of early 18th-century date and has a thatched roof.

^a(57). Dodd's Mill, nearly 1¼ m. N. of the church, has been partly re-faced, probably in 1788, the date on a small panel at the N.E. end.

^a(58). Cottage, 80 yards S.E. of (57), is of late 17th or early 18th-century date and has a thatched roof.

Unclassified

^a(59). Terraces in field, 150 yards S. of Notehouse Farm (55) and 1 m. N.N.W. of the church. Parallel with the N. side of the field are traces of six terraces, probably lynchets, extending for about 220 yards, with a further extension of two terraces to the W.

Condition—Bad.