Llangrove
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Llangrove is a small village in the
civil parish In England, a civil parish is a type of administrative parish used for local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government. Civil parishes can trace their origin to the ancient system of parishes, w ...
of
Llangarron Llangarron is a small village and civil parish in southwest Herefordshire within of both Ross-on-Wye (Herefordshire, England) and Monmouth (Monmouthshire, Wales). The population of the civil parish at the 2011 census was 1,053. The civil paris ...
in southwest
Herefordshire Herefordshire ( ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the West Midlands (region), West Midlands of England, bordered by Shropshire to the north, Worcestershire to the east, Gloucestershire to the south-east, and the Welsh ...
within seven miles of
Ross-on-Wye Ross-on-Wye is a market town and civil parish in Herefordshire, England, near the border with Wales. It had a population estimated at 10,978 in 2021. It lies in the south-east of the county, on the River Wye and on the northern edge of the Fore ...
(
Herefordshire Herefordshire ( ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the West Midlands (region), West Midlands of England, bordered by Shropshire to the north, Worcestershire to the east, Gloucestershire to the south-east, and the Welsh ...
, England) and
Monmouth Monmouth ( or ; ) is a market town and community (Wales), community in Monmouthshire, Wales, situated on where the River Monnow joins the River Wye, from the Wales–England border. The population in the 2011 census was 10,508, rising from 8 ...
(
Monmouthshire Monmouthshire ( ; ) is a Principal areas of Wales, county in the South East Wales, south east of Wales. It borders Powys to the north; the English counties of Herefordshire and Gloucestershire to the north and east; the Severn Estuary to the s ...
,
Wales Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the England–Wales border, east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic ...
). The village has a
pub A pub (short for public house) is in several countries a drinking establishment licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption on the premises. The term first appeared in England in the late 17th century, to differentiate private ho ...
, The Royal Arms,The Royal Arms Facebook Page
/ref> a school, Llangrove CE Academy,Llangrove CE Academy website
/ref> a village hall,
/ref> and a church, Christ Church. The village did have a shop and
post office A post office is a public facility and a retailer that provides mail services, such as accepting letter (message), letters and parcel (package), parcels, providing post office boxes, and selling postage stamps, packaging, and stationery. Post o ...
. The village of Llangrove has had many names and spellings, Langrove, Longrove, Longgrove, Longuegroue, Long-grove, Long Grove. In the 14th and 15th centuries the village was referred to as 'Longegrove', but the early parish registers of Llangarron mention 'Long Grove'. By the 1850s the spelling had changed to Llangrove. In 1862 a local directory referred to 'Llangrove Common'. The parish records from Llangarron (before there was a church at Llangrove) refer to the burial of 'Elizabeth Evans of the Grove'. In fact, the older residents of the village, now departed, always spoke of 'living on the Grove'. The village is not a 'traditional village' built around a village green but the centre is marked by the church, the war memorial and the school. The village is sited on high ground. From the north there are perfect views extending to the Malverns and round to May Hill. From the south one can see Symonds Yat and the Doward, round to Welsh Newton Common, then westwards to Garway and the Brecon hills.


History


The parish of Llangrove is of relatively recent formation, having been carved out of
Llangarron Llangarron is a small village and civil parish in southwest Herefordshire within of both Ross-on-Wye (Herefordshire, England) and Monmouth (Monmouthshire, Wales). The population of the civil parish at the 2011 census was 1,053. The civil paris ...
in 1856–7. The land for the building of the church and the school was given by Mrs Marriott, the lady of the manor of Goodrich. The fact that she owned land in the centre of the village reflects the fact that the populated centre of Llangrove has been largely formed upon land which was originally a common belonging to the lord of the manor of Goodrich. Extensive encroachment settlement took place on this common, and the adjacent one of Old Grove from the 17th C onwards, though mostly in the later 18th C & 19th C. By the time of the formation of the new parish, there were many souls in need of a nearer church than the parish church at Llangarron, though there was already a non-conformist element. Long Grove and Old Grove commons were enclosed with the consent of the manor's ‘meese’ tenants after proposals were initiated in 1815. The original name of the common was Long Grove, and in 1372 it is mentioned as ‘Longegroue’ with ‘Douwarth’ as underwood ‘containing 100acres; it is made into charcoal every ninth year, and is then worth 10l.’ Old Grove is not mentioned separately at this early date. Old Grove is typical of the wooded commons within the manor of Goodrich, being steeply sloping uncultivatable land. Long Grove is different, mostly being relatively flat land although somewhat exposed at around 140m above sea level. It bears a resemblance in situation to Garway common, which has remained largely undeveloped. Perhaps this is a reflection of the easier attitude to encroachment of Goodrich manor, provided (of course) that the encroachers paid their fines in lieu of rent. Together, Old Grove and Long Grove covered about 124 acres in 1718.


Wellington Bomber Crash

On 7 July 1942, a Wellington bomber (T2962) on a training flight from Edgehill, near Banbury, crash-landed in Llangrove after two of its engines failed. It ended up in a field opposite Christ Church in the village, only narrowly avoiding the church and school. Two of the six crewmen were killed: Pilot Sgt F. H. S. Bush from London, and Observer Sgt R. J. McKean from Glasgow. Other crew members Sgt LC Baker, Sgt TG Baycroft, Sgt A Hill and Sgt HA Hill were all injured in the crash. The Revd Frank Easton, who had been the Vicar since 1936, rushed to assist the crew, but had a heart attack and died as he cycled home afterwards. He was 59. Sarah Watkins, the church organist, also collapsed and died of heart failure on the way to the crash scene. A memorial plaque was unveiled 3 October 2010 in Christ Church Llangrove.


Churches and Chapels of Llangrove


Christ Church

Christ Church is currently the only active church within Llangrove. It is located in the village centre on the main route through the village. Built between 1854 and 1856, it is the first complete church building to be designed by
George Frederick Bodley George Frederick Bodley (14 March 182721 October 1907) was an English Gothic Revival architect. He was a pupil of Sir George Gilbert Scott and worked with C. E. Kempe. He was in partnership with Thomas Garner for much of his career and was ...
(1827–1907) who went on to become one of the major architects of the Victorian
Gothic revival Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic or neo-Gothic) is an Architectural style, architectural movement that after a gradual build-up beginning in the second half of the 17th century became a widespread movement in the first half ...
. Coursed and square sandstone rubble, ashlar dressings, C20 tiled roof. Nave, south porch and south aisle, chancel. In the style of c1300. Four-bay nave: three windows with 2-trefoiled lights to south aisle; lean-to roof east of gabled porch. Gabled bell cote to west end. Two-bay chancel with one window of 2-trefoil headed lights and cinquefoil in roundel with hoodmold to west and 3-light window to east with trefoils and cusping to outer lights flanking central trefoil headed light with trefoil roundel above, hoodmold, central stepped buttress and diagonal buttressing to east end. Interior: nave: trussed rafter roof. Open wagon roof to chancel; south arcade: three bays, simple chamfered piers without capitals. The land was given by Mrs Catherine Marriott, Lady of the Manor of Goodrich, so that the new church could be built. She paid for the whole cost of building and furnishing, about £1,500. Christ Church is also a Grade II listed building.


Glynston Chapel

Glynston Chapel was a church situated in Chapel Meadow, adjacent to the road to Welsh Newton Common on the edge of Llangrove and was a Chapel of Worship. It is believed that there were never any wedding or funerals carried out in the chapel. There are no remains today but mention was made of it in the 17th century as Glynstons Chapill. In 1816 ruins of a chapel called Gluistons Chapel were recorded. In September 1989 a parched area 29 paces into the meadow. This was apparently visible on a level area a few yards north of a line of an old watercourse, c12' wide, 20' long, area then widened c18-26' & about 22' long giving an overall length of c42'. The chapel is thought to have stood until the
Black Death The Black Death was a bubonic plague pandemic that occurred in Europe from 1346 to 1353. It was one of the list of epidemics, most fatal pandemics in human history; as many as people perished, perhaps 50% of Europe's 14th century population. ...
after which it fell into decline.


Congregational Chapel

Former non-conformist chapel adjoining former rectory (Llangrove Cottage qv). c1840. Built of coursed and squared sandstone rubble with ashlar dressings and a hipped slate roof. Rectangular shaped building adjoining Llangrove Cottage to west, north entrance, moulded cornice and string course, cast iron canopy supported on four pillars to entrance, semi-circular headed doorway with fanlight and panelled doors. Two windows to west side with flat arches, stone heads with keystones and glazing bar sash windows. Interior consists of panelled shutters to windows and panelled dado and central cupola. Llangrove Cottage was bought by the Reverend John Jones who added a large room which was used for public worship and it became known as the Langrove Congregational Church. In the garden, it is said lie several gravestones and somewhere under the front doorway is the Jones family vault where some of the family, and the children who died young, are buried. This ceased to be a place of worship 20 October 1968. It remains on its old site in a farmyard. It obtained
Grade II In the United Kingdom, a listed building is a structure of particular architectural or historic interest deserving of special protection. Such buildings are placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Hi ...
Listed Building In the United Kingdom, a listed building is a structure of particular architectural or historic interest deserving of special protection. Such buildings are placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Hi ...
status on 3 July 1985.


Methodist Chapel

This has ceased to be a place of worship 23 June 1968 and has been converted into a dwelling.


Dwellings

The village consists of a number of old cottages, small farmhouses, bungalows and modern housing; much of the building has taken place in the last few years. The housing is mainly along the minor road that leads through the village. The tiny hamlet of Trewen lies just outside the village. It consists of Great Trewen, Symond's Trewen, Little Trewen, Trewen Cottage and Trewen farm. There was an old house at Great Trewen, pre-Elizabathan era, which has sadly burned down, but it is thought that it was whitewashed and so the hamlet was named Trewen; gwyn, from which wen comes, meaning white. There still remains an old barn whose beams and crucks are said to have come from oaks in the Forest of Dean; some of the beams are reputed to be old ships' timbers. Many of the old cottages in Llangrove are built end-on to the lane; this was so that residents did not have to step out of their front doors onto the muddy lane. Cobblers Cottage is an example of the typical small dwellings that originally existed in the village, built probably around the middle of the 18th century,. It is the last surviving intact building of its kind in the village (the only other surviving cottage is derelict, fronting the grounds of Llangrove House). It is named after the occupation of a former inhabitant who is reputed to have lived there with his wife and six children. The cobbler worked under a tarpaulin at the front of the house and his children slept in the loft. The surrounding grounds would have originally been a
smallholding A smallholding or smallholder is a small farm operating under a small-scale agriculture model. Definitions vary widely for what constitutes a smallholder or small-scale farm, including factors such as size, food production technique or technolo ...
providing fresh meat and vegetables for the family. The cottage is now an outbuilding in the grounds of a house called Breamore.


Listed Buildings

Listed Buildings In the United Kingdom, a listed building is a structure of particular architectural or historic interest deserving of special protection. Such buildings are placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, H ...
in Llangrove are the forme
Congregational Chapel
the adjoinin
Llangrove CottageChrist Church
an
Llangrove War Memorial
On the outskirts of the village two other listed buildings are th
Cow Shed at The Grove
and th
Barn at The Grove
both of which have now been converted into accommodation. Beyond the village to the west four properties have listed status
Great Trewen FarmhouseBarn at Great Trewen FarmRagged House
an
Ruxton Court
Llangrove Cottage gained Grade II Listed Building status on 3 July 1985. Former rectory, now farmhouse. Dated 1824. Ashlar, rendered to rear, brick stacks, hipped slate roof. Two rooms deep with rear service wing forming T-plan with former congregational chapel (qv) adjoining to west. Main central entrance and stairwell, end stacks. Two storeys, three windows: glazing bar sashes, central gabled porch, partly-glazed C19 door. Interior: contemporary ramped staircase.


Llangrove War Memorial

Llangrove War Memorial is situated in the centre of the village at the eastern gate to the church and one of the school entrances at the junction of Church Lane. It is listed at Grade II for the following two principal reasons, firstly historic interest as an eloquent witness to the tragic impact on the local community of the events of the First World War, secondly for architectural interest since the memorial is a dignified and sombre Celtic-style cross, neatly made and well-proportioned.


History

The aftermath of the First World War saw the biggest single wave of public commemoration ever with tens of thousands of memorials erected across England. This was the result of both the huge impact on communities of the loss of three quarters of a million British lives, and also the official policy of not repatriating the dead: therefore the memorials provided the main focus of the grief felt at this great loss. One such memorial was raised at Llangrove as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by the members of the local community who lost their lives in the First World War.


Details

A
First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
memorial, dating from around 1920. The memorial is constructed of stone. The memorial stands in a prominent roadside location in front of the primary school and a short distance from Christ Church (Grade II). The memorial comprises a tall Celtic wheel-cross with tapering shaft on a tapering rectangular pedestal and single-stepped base. The face and shaft of the cross are decorated with carved interlace. The main inscription in leaded lettering on the south face of the plinth reads:
IN GRATEFUL MEMORY OF THESE WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES FOR KING AND COUNTRY IN THE GREAT WAR. A.D. 1914 – 1918 (14 NAMES) GREATER LOVE HATH NO MAN THAN THIS, THAT A MAN LAY DOWN HIS LIFE FOR HIS FRIENDS


Notable People


Authors

The village has several published authors: Simon Jones - The transit of Mercury Julia Sutherland - The Tug of War Karen Wren - The Forest of Dean, The Wye Valley -, The Best of Herefordshire's Golden Valley & Welsh Borderland, The Elan Valley - a Photographic Tour, Caring for your Companion Pet Rabbit - a Guide for Grown-Ups: The ultimate rabbit-owner's manual to help you provide the best for your furry friend. Caroline Davis Hayward - My Garland of Verses, A Selection of Poems


Singers

Catherine King,
mezzo-soprano A mezzo-soprano (, ), or mezzo ( ), is a type of classical music, classical female singing human voice, voice whose vocal range lies between the soprano and the contralto voice types. The mezzo-soprano's vocal range usually extends from the A bel ...
, studied at Trinity College Cambridge and the
Guildhall School of Music The Guildhall School of Music and Drama is a music and drama school located in the City of London, England. Established in 1880, the school offers undergraduate and postgraduate training in all aspects of classical music and jazz along with dram ...
.


Awards


Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...

Air Commodore Air commodore (Air Cdre or Air Cmde) is an air officer rank used by some air forces, with origins from the Royal Air Force. The rank is also used by the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence and it is sometimes ...
(Retired) Vivian (Viv) Warrington OBE - learnt to fly during National Service with the RAF from 1952 to 1954. On completion of his National Service he went to university and, after graduating, he re-joined the RAF in 1957 on a permanent engagement. He has flown a variety of aircraft but principally the Canberra and Vulcan bombers. He has served in Cyprus, Germany and Belgium, plus nearly 10 years in Lincolnshire (often referred to in the RAF as 'Bomber County'!), and has travelled widely on service deployments. His postings have included CO of No 617 Squadron (The Dambusters), Station Commander of RAF Scampton and Deputy United Kingdom Military Representative at the NATO Headquarters in Brussels. He retired early from the RAF in 1988 and took up the appointment of Director of Protocol in the Hong Kong Government. He retired finally following the transfer of sovereignty over Hong Kong to The People's Republic of China in 1997.
Brigadier Brigadier ( ) is a military rank, the seniority of which depends on the country. In some countries, it is a senior rank above colonel, equivalent to a brigadier general or commodore (rank), commodore, typically commanding a brigade of several t ...
(Retired) Martin Vine OBE served in the Gloucestershire Regiment and was their last Commanding Officer before amalgamation in 1994. He is a past Honorary Colonel of the Herefordshire & Worcestershire ACF and Rifles County Colonel Herefordshire.


British Empire Medal The British Empire Medal (BEM; formerly British Empire Medal for Meritorious Service) is a British and Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth award for meritorious civil or military service worthy of recognition by the Monarchy of the United Ki ...

Mrs. Wendy Price, Manager and Supervisor, Llangrove Leapfrogs Childcare and Girl Guide Leader, Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire. For services to Children, Young People and Families. (The London Gazette, 29 December 2012, Supplement: 60367, Page: 32) Mrs. Agnes Lawrence. Agnes was left a widow at the age of 28 with four small children and another baby on the way. She undertook the delivery of the daily and Sunday newspapers in the village and surrounding area while her children were at school and a neighbour looked after her baby son. The newspapers had to be collected from a village three miles away and delivered to a very scattered community. She also delivered the mail. For 54 years, come rain, sun, wind or snow, Mrs Lawrence never failed to deliver the mail, still on foot. Agnes was also employed a
school caretaker and cleaner
and she cleaned the church and rang the bell for 43 years. In 1969 she was awarded the BEM which was presented to her by Colonel J. F. Maclean, the Lord Lieutenant of the county. Agnes died in 1975 aged 86. After her death her daughter, Mary, recalled the times during the dreadful winters of 1940 and 1946 when the snow was as high as the hedges, but still she and her mother got the mail and newspapers delivered.


Amenities

The
village hall A village hall is a public building in a rural or suburban community which functions as a community centre without a religious affiliation. United Kingdom In the United Kingdom, a village hall is a building which is owned by a local gover ...
is located opposite the village school and was built in 1960. The parish has scout and brownie groups.
Herefordshire Wildlife Trust The Herefordshire Wildlife Trust (formally Herefordshire Nature Trust) is a wildlife trust covering the county of Herefordshire, England. References External links Herefordshire Wildlife Trust website* Wildlife Trusts of England {{En ...
has a
nature reserve A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, funga, or features of geologic ...
on the edge of the village. The village is close to the
Wye Valley The Wye Valley () is a valley in Wales and England. The River Wye () is the Rivers of Great Britain#Longest rivers in the United Kingdom, fourth-longest river in the United Kingdom. The upper part of the valley is in the Cambrian Mountains an ...
an
Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty An Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB; , AHNE) is one of 46 areas of countryside in England, Wales, or Northern Ireland that has been designated for conservation due to its significant landscape value. Since 2023, the areas in England an ...
(
AONB An Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB; , AHNE) is one of 46 areas of countryside in England, Wales, or Northern Ireland that has been designated for conservation due to its significant landscape value. Since 2023, the areas in England an ...
)


Public House

The only public house in the village is The Royal Arms. There was another 'beer house' called the Plough and Harrow during the 1850s run by a Richard Meredith, but the site is unknown. The Royal Arms, a wayside pub, is in a building that dates back to the 17th century. It was a blacksmith's shop and 'beer house' in the early 19th century owned by the Watkins family of blacksmiths and by 1851 became known as the Smith's Arms run by James Weal. From around 1858 until 1870 the landlady was Mrs. Elizabeth Burford, and although Charles Mapp had purchased the Smiths Arms in 1862 for £300, he did not take over the running of the pub until 1870. During his occupancy of nearly 30 years he changed the pub's name to The Royal Arms in 1881 to commemorate Queen Victoria's long reign. In 1890, The Royal Arms was sold to Alton Court Brewery, and since then, despite various changes, it has remained open. It is now an independent pub.


Film & TV

Survivors (1975 TV series) ''Survivors'' is a British post-apocalyptic fiction drama television series created by Terry Nation and produced by Terence Dudley at the BBC, that broadcast from 1975 to 1977. It concerns the plight of a group of people who have survived ...
was filmed extensively in and around Herefordshire and the old black smith's/garage in Llangrove appears in Episode 4 of Series 1. An episode of 'Escape to the Country' was filmed in The Royal Arms and featured a number of local residents.


Sport and Leisure

Llangrove currently has a table tennis club. It did have cricket and football teams.


Transport

There have never been any railways in or around the village. The nearest station would have been Symonds Yat, some miles away and across the river. There is no daily public bus service to the village; school buses provide transport for secondary schooling.


Livelihoods

Llangrove is surrounded by open countryside with numerous farms. It is thought that the village supported these farms with workers and small industries such as
blacksmith A blacksmith is a metalsmith who creates objects primarily from wrought iron or steel, but sometimes from #Other metals, other metals, by forging the metal, using tools to hammer, bend, and cut (cf. tinsmith). Blacksmiths produce objects such ...
and
cobbler Cobbler(s) may refer to: *A person who repairs shoes * Cobbler (food), a type of pie Places * The Cobbler, a mountain located near the head of Loch Long in Scotland * Mount Cobbler, Australia Art, entertainment and media * ''The Cobbler' ...
. The soil is sandy and loamy; subsoil, sandstone rock. In 1921 the chief crops were wheat, barley, oats and turnips. The village supported several nurseries in the past: * Llangrove Nurseries, situated in the centre of the village to the south of the road through Llangrove. Owned by the Williams family, operated from the late 1930s through to 2000. Grew a variety of crops - tomatoes, freesias, bedding plans, geraniums, hanging bskets etc, ; and blackcurrants (supplied to Beechams for Ribena), raspberries (self pick), potatoes etc. * Bryn Elm, which grew mostly flowers situated to the east of the village. * Ken Trev Nurseries, situated beyond the north side of the village at the end of Church Lane. Believed to have ceased trading in 2019.


Population


Governance

Llangrove is within the
electoral ward A ward is a local authority area, typically used for electoral purposes. In some countries, wards are usually named after neighbourhoods, thoroughfares, parishes, landmarks, geographical features and in some cases historical figures connected t ...
of
Llangarron Llangarron is a small village and civil parish in southwest Herefordshire within of both Ross-on-Wye (Herefordshire, England) and Monmouth (Monmouthshire, Wales). The population of the civil parish at the 2011 census was 1,053. The civil paris ...
which stretches towards
Ross-on-Wye Ross-on-Wye is a market town and civil parish in Herefordshire, England, near the border with Wales. It had a population estimated at 10,978 in 2021. It lies in the south-east of the county, on the River Wye and on the northern edge of the Fore ...
with a total population taken at the 2011 Census of 3,357. The
Local Government Local government is a generic term for the lowest tiers of governance or public administration within a particular sovereign state. Local governments typically constitute a subdivision of a higher-level political or administrative unit, such a ...
is
Herefordshire Council Herefordshire Council is the local authority for the county of Herefordshire in England. It is a unitary authority, combining the powers of a district and county council. History Herefordshire was one of the historic counties of England. Elec ...
.


See also

*
Archenfield Archenfield (Old English: ''Ircingafeld'', Middle English: "Irchenfield") is the historic English name for an area of southern and western Herefordshire in England. Since the Anglo-Saxons took over the region in the 8th century, it has stretched ...


References


External links


Llangarron Parish Council

Llangrove Community

Llangrove CE Academy (formerly Llangrove CE Primary School)
{{authority control Villages in Herefordshire Civil parishes in Herefordshire