Fownhope is a village in

Herefordshire Herefordshire () is a county in the West Midlands of England, governed by Herefordshire Council. It is bordered by Shropshire to the north, Worcestershire to the east, Gloucestershire to the south-east, and the Welsh counties of Monmouthshire ...

, England, an area of outstanding natural beauty on the banks of the

River Wye The River Wye (; cy, Afon Gwy ) is the Longest rivers of the United Kingdom, fourth-longest river in the UK, stretching some from its source on Plynlimon in mid Wales to the Severn estuary. For much of its length the river forms part of Wal ...

. The population of the village at the 2011 Census was 999. The village has a

church Church may refer to: Religion * Church (building), a building for Christian religious activities * Church (congregation), a local congregation of a Christian denomination * Church service, a formalized period of Christian communal worship * Chris ...

, St. Mary's Parish Church;

primary school A primary school (in Ireland, the United Kingdom, Australia, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, and South Africa), junior school (in Australia), elementary school or grade school (in North America and the Philippines) is a school for primary e ...

, St. Mary's C of E Primary School; medical centre, Fownhope Medical Centre; two

pub A pub (short for public house) is a kind of drinking establishment which is licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption on the premises. The term ''public house'' first appeared in the United Kingdom in late 17th century, and was ...

s, the Green Man and the New Inn; two hotels, Bowen's Bed & Breakfast and Ferry Lane Bed & Breakfast (both of which are

bed and breakfast Bed and breakfast (typically shortened to B&B or BnB) is a small lodging establishment that offers overnight accommodation and breakfast. Bed and breakfasts are often private family homes and typically have between four and eleven rooms, wit ...

hotels); a fitness/leisure centre, Wye Leisure and

butcher A butcher is a person who may Animal slaughter, slaughter animals, dress their flesh, sell their meat, or participate within any combination of these three tasks. They may prepare standard cuts of meat and poultry for sale in retail or wholesal ...

s, John A Pritchard & Son. There is a village hall and a recreation/sports field and pavilion, both of which are well used by the many clubs and societies in the village, and in the centre is the village

Fire Station __NOTOC__ A fire station (also called a fire house, fire hall, firemen's hall, or engine house) is a structure or other area for storing firefighting apparatuses such as fire engines and related vehicles, personal protective equipment, fire h ...

. On the northern outskirts of the village, towards Hereford, the Lucksall campsite is situated on the river by the Holme Lacy bridge. It is owned by Sir Eli Cartwright whose family owned most of Hereford in the 19th Century. The nearby

Wye Valley Walk The Wye Valley Walk ( cy, Llwybr Dyffryn Gwy) is a long distance footpath in Wales and England following the course of the River Wye. History In 1975 the Wye Valley Walk opened with a stretch between St. Arvans and Monmouth. Further stretches ...

with many walks on the hills and banks along the river, is very popular with walkers. The

may not pass through Fownhope but is a perfect place to go nearby. In springtime there are fantastic displays of wild flowers in the woods and fields, particularly in the nearby woods, Lea & Pagets Wood. There are many small quarries and lime kilns scattered through the area, and the remains of an

Iron Age The Iron Age is the final epoch of the three-age division of the prehistory and protohistory of humanity. It was preceded by the Stone Age (Paleolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic) and the Bronze Age (Chalcolithic). The concept has been mostly appl ...

hill fort A hillfort is a type of earthwork used as a fortified refuge or defended settlement, located to exploit a rise in elevation for defensive advantage. They are typically European and of the Bronze Age or Iron Age. Some were used in the post-Roma ...

on Capler Hill. The village maintains a strong identity and the

Heart of Oak "Heart of Oak" is the official march of the Royal Navy. It is also the official march of several Commonwealth navies, including the Royal Canadian Navy and the Royal New Zealand Navy. It was also the official march of the Royal Australian Navy ...

society, an old friendly society, holds a number of events during the year including the annual Heart of Oak Club walk, where villagers, young and old, process through the streets with sticks decorated with elaborate flower decorations behind a local silver band, stopping off at houses along the way for drinks, including the

cider Cider ( ) is an alcoholic beverage made from the fermented juice of apples. Cider is widely available in the United Kingdom (particularly in the West Country) and the Republic of Ireland. The UK has the world's highest per capita consumption, ...

made from local apples. The Heart of Oak society also holds the annual fireworks display and bonfire night on the recreation field.

External links

Fownhope Village websiteWye Valley Walk

References

{{authority control Villages in Herefordshire