Much Cowarne
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Much Cowarne is a village and
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 below districts and counties, or their combined form, the unitary authority ...
in the
English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...
county of
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 ...
, located off the
A417 The A417 is a main road in England running from Streatley, Berkshire to Hope under Dinmore, Herefordshire. It is best known for its section between Cirencester and Gloucester where it has primary status and forms part of the link between the m ...
about 16 miles from
Hereford Hereford () is a cathedral city, civil parish and the county town of Herefordshire, England. It lies on the River Wye, approximately east of the border with Wales, south-west of Worcester and north-west of Gloucester. With a population ...
and 10 miles from its post town of
Bromyard Bromyard is a town in Herefordshire, England, in the valley of the River Frome. It lies near the county border with Worcestershire on the A44 between Leominster and Worcester. Bromyard has a number of traditional half-timbered buildings, inclu ...
.


Geography

The village is located in countryside away from main roads, with views to the Malvern Hills and Wye Valley. Composer
Edward Elgar Sir Edward William Elgar, 1st Baronet, (; 2 June 1857 – 23 February 1934) was an English composer, many of whose works have entered the British and international classical concert repertoire. Among his best-known compositions are orchestr ...
considered the landscape around the village as a source of inspiration, frequently cycling in the area to visit the church or friends at Cowarne Court. The civil parish includes the hamlet of Hope's Rough.


History

The ''
Domesday Book Domesday Book () – the Middle English spelling of "Doomsday Book" – is a manuscript record of the "Great Survey" of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086 by order of King William I, known as William the Conqueror. The manusc ...
'' form of the name, ''Cuure'', suggests a meaning ''cow house'', perhaps implying a significant dairying centre.
Little Cowarne Little Cowarne is a village and civil parish in the county of Herefordshire, England, and is north-east from the city and county town of Hereford. The closest town is the market town of Bromyard, to the north-east. History Cowarne is from the ...
, to the north west, appears in Domesday as ''Colgre'' which seems a quite different name, perhaps ''charcoal wood''. The two manors became linked, probably wrongly, in a 12th-century exchequer manuscript, and have shared a name ever since. It has recently been suggested that Much Cowarne, like its neighbours
Bromyard Bromyard is a town in Herefordshire, England, in the valley of the River Frome. It lies near the county border with Worcestershire on the A44 between Leominster and Worcester. Bromyard has a number of traditional half-timbered buildings, inclu ...
and
Ledbury Ledbury is a market town and civil parish in the county of Herefordshire, England, lying east of Hereford, and west of the Malvern Hills. It has a significant number of timber-framed structures, in particular along Church Lane and High Street ...
, was an Anglo-Saxon minster, though not as long lasting as they, and also a royal ''tun'', the administrative centre of an area stretching from
Bishop's Frome Bishop's Frome (or Bishops Frome) is a village and civil parish in eastern Herefordshire, England. The village is north-east of the city and county town of Hereford, west of Malvern and south of Bromyard. The civil parish includes the haml ...
to
Mordiford Mordiford is a village in Herefordshire, England on the B4224 Hereford to Mitcheldean road 4 miles east south east of the city of Hereford. This village grew up around an ancient ford over the River Lugg. The river is now crossed by the oldest ...
and
Tarrington Tarrington is a small village in Herefordshire, England located halfway between Ledbury and Hereford on the A438 road. The village The village has approximately 225 residences and a population, according to the 2001 census, of 506. The village ...
. In Domesday Book there are 41 households, a large number, in "Cuure". The Lord in 1066 was Earl Harold, to whom it was worth £25. The Lord in 1086 was Agnes daughter of Alfred of Marlborough, to whom it was worth £20. There was a priest, and 2 lord's plough teams and 32 men's plough teams. In 1148 Bishop
Gilbert Foliot Gilbert Foliot ( c. 1110 – 18 February 1187) was a medieval English monk and prelate, successively Abbot of Gloucester, Bishop of Hereford and Bishop of London. Born to an ecclesiastical family, he became a monk at Cluny Abbey in ...
appropriated the revenues of the church to Gloucester Abbey for candles and ornaments. This was confirmed by Bishops Hugh Foliot and John le Breton. In the 1291 Taxation, the church was valued at £23 6s. 8d. The connection with Gloucester may go back to Bernard de Neufmarché in 1088 On 15 May 1255 Richard Pauncefot was granted a market on Thursdays and an annual fair at Much Cowarne by King Henry III, to be held at the manor. Similar markets and fairs were granted to Grimbald Pauncefot by Edward I on 16 November 1281. A large medieval settlement south east of Mill House has been scheduled as an important archaeological site.


Notable buildings

Cowarne Hall is a former school building built in a Victorian Gothic architectural style, which has now been converted into a village hall and holiday cottages. The village has a medieval church building, dedicated to St Mary the Virgin, which dates to the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. There is a plaque inside the church celebrating Edward Elgar's connection to the village. The church is a grade I listed building


Community

The Much Cowarne History Group has published several books and booklets, including ''A Jugful of Much Cowarne Cider'' (2003) and ''Much Cowarne Church: A Guidebook and History'' (2008). It is currently involved in producing a collection of stories and pictures about the village as part of a Local Heritage Initiative project.


Local produce

The village has its own apple variety known as the Much Cowarne Red.


References

{{authority control Villages in Herefordshire