Eye, Moreton And Ashton
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Eye, Moreton and Ashton is a
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 ...
in the county of
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. The parish is north from the city and
county town In Great Britain and Ireland, a county town is usually the location of administrative or judicial functions within a county, and the place where public representatives are elected to parliament. Following the establishment of county councils in ...
of
Hereford Hereford ( ) is a cathedral city and the county town of the ceremonial county of Herefordshire, England. It is on the banks of the River Wye and lies east of the border with Wales, north-west of Gloucester and south-west of Worcester. With ...
. The closest large town is the
market town A market town is a settlement most common in Europe that obtained by custom or royal charter, in the Middle Ages, a market right, which allowed it to host a regular market; this distinguished it from a village or city. In Britain, small rura ...
of
Leominster Leominster ( ) is a market town in Herefordshire, England; it is located at the confluence of the River Lugg and its tributary the River Kenwater. The town is north of Hereford and south of Ludlow in Shropshire. With a population of almos ...
, to the south. Within the parish is the
National Trust The National Trust () is a heritage and nature conservation charity and membership organisation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The Trust was founded in 1895 by Octavia Hill, Sir Robert Hunter and Hardwicke Rawnsley to "promote the ...
property of
Berrington Hall Berrington Hall is a country house located about north of Leominster, Herefordshire, England. During the 20th century it was the seat of the Cawley family. It is a neoclassical country house building that Henry Holland designed in 1778-81 ...
, and the villages of
Eye An eye is a sensory organ that allows an organism to perceive visual information. It detects light and converts it into electro-chemical impulses in neurons (neurones). It is part of an organism's visual system. In higher organisms, the ey ...
, Moreton, and Ashton.


History


Medieval to 18th century

Eye is from the
Old English Old English ( or , or ), or Anglo-Saxon, is the earliest recorded form of the English language, spoken in England and southern and eastern Scotland in the Early Middle Ages. It developed from the languages brought to Great Britain by Anglo-S ...
'ēg' or 'īeg', for the place at "the island or well-watered land, or dry ground in the marsh". At c.1175 Eye was written as 'Eia'. Moreton is from the Old English 'mōr' with 'tūn' for "farmstead in moorland or marshy ground". Ashton is from the Old English from 'æsc' with 'tūn' for "farmstead where ash trees grow", and written as 'Estune' in 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 at the behest of William the Conqueror. The manuscript was originally known by ...
''. Ashton, the only one of the three parish settlements listed in the ''Domesday Book'', was in the
Hundred 100 or one hundred (Roman numerals, Roman numeral: C) is the natural number following 99 (number), 99 and preceding 101 (number), 101. In mathematics 100 is the square of 10 (number), 10 (in scientific notation it is written as 102). The standar ...
of Leominster and the county of Herefordshire, and was under a number of manors estimated at 20.9 households, with 224 villagers, 81 smallholders, 13 slaves, 12 female slaves, six priests, and a further 20 occupants. Ploughlands comprised 29 lord's and 201 men's plough teams. Manorial assets included 60 further lord's lands, woodland of 6.3
league League or The League may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Leagues'' (band), an American rock band * ''The League'', an American sitcom broadcast on FX and FXX about fantasy football * ''League of Legends'', a 2009 multiplayer online battle a ...
s and eight mills. In 1066 Queen Edith held the manorial lordship, which in 1086 was transferred to
tenant-in-chief In medieval and early modern Europe, a tenant-in-chief (or vassal-in-chief) was a person who held his lands under various forms of feudal land tenure directly from the king or territorial prince to whom he did homage, as opposed to holding them ...
and king
William I William I may refer to: Kings * William the Conqueror (–1087), also known as William I, King of England * William I of Sicily (died 1166) * William I of Scotland (died 1214), known as William the Lion * William I of the Netherlands and Luxembour ...
. A 12th-century
priory A priory is a monastery of men or women under religious vows that is headed by a prior or prioress. They were created by the Catholic Church. Priories may be monastic houses of monks or nuns (such as the Benedictines, the Cistercians, or t ...
of canons at Eye had been originally founded at
Shobdon Shobdon is a village and civil parish in Herefordshire, England, about 15 miles north of Hereford, six miles west of Leominster, and 2 miles southwest of the Mortimer's Cross. According to the 2001 census, the parish population was 769, consist ...
in 1140 by Oliver de Merlylond, steward to
Hugh de Mortimer Hugh de Mortimer (1117 – 26 February 1180/81) was a Norman English medieval lord. Lineage The son of Ranulph de Mortimer, he was Lord of Wigmore Castle, Stratfield Mortimer, Cleobury Mortimer and at times, Bridgnorth, Bishop's Castle and ...
. The manor of Eye during the 13th-century reign of Henry III was owned by the Abbot of
Reading Reading is the process of taking in the sense or meaning of symbols, often specifically those of a written language, by means of Visual perception, sight or Somatosensory system, touch. For educators and researchers, reading is a multifacete ...
, under whom Walter de Eye was lord of the manor. It remained in the De Eye family until the 15th-century reign of Henry VI, when it passed by marriage to John Blount. After being in the Blount family for five or six generation, Walter Blount mortgaged the manor, which was later sold to a servant of Baron Coventry, the
Lord Keeper of the Great Seal The Lord Keeper of the Great Seal of England, and later of Great Britain, was formerly an officer of the English Crown charged with physical custody of the Great Seal of England. This position evolved into that of one of the Great Officers of ...
. The manor was eventually sold to
Sir Ferdinando Gorges Sir Ferdinando Gorges ( – 24 May 1647) was a naval and military commander and governor of the important port of Plymouth in England. He was involved in Essex's Rebellion against the Queen, but escaped punishment by testifying against the mai ...
, who was entrusted by
Queen Elizabeth Queen Elizabeth, Queen Elisabeth or Elizabeth the Queen may refer to: Queens regnant * Elizabeth I (1533–1603; ), Queen of England and Ireland * Elizabeth II (1926–2022; ), Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms * Queen B ...
with the custody of
Mary, Queen of Scots Mary, Queen of Scots (8 December 1542 – 8 February 1587), also known as Mary Stuart or Mary I of Scotland, was List of Scottish monarchs, Queen of Scotland from 14 December 1542 until her forced abdication in 1567. The only surviving legit ...
, and deputed to observe the
Earl of Essex Earl of Essex is a title in the Peerage of England which was first created in the 12th century by King Stephen of England. The title has been recreated eight times from its original inception, beginning with a new first Earl upon each new cre ...
. Eye remained in the Gorges' family until the end of the 18th century, during which, between 1754 and 1761 Richard Gorges became MP for
Leominster Leominster ( ) is a market town in Herefordshire, England; it is located at the confluence of the River Lugg and its tributary the River Kenwater. The town is north of Hereford and south of Ludlow in Shropshire. With a population of almos ...
. The manor was sold in 1787 by Richard Gorges' son to Thomas Harley, son to the 3rd Earl of Oxford, who also bought the Berrington estate in 1775.''History, Topography, and Directory, of Herefordshire'', pp.76, 77


19th to 21st century

In the 19th century the joint
township A township is a form of human settlement or administrative subdivision. Its exact definition varies among countries. Although the term is occasionally associated with an urban area, this tends to be an exception to the rule. In Australia, Canad ...
of Eye with Luston was listed under the parish of Eye, with Moreton-cum-Ashton as a further united township within the parish; later Moreton and Ashton with Eye became a joint township and a civil parish. The parish lay between two
Ludlow Ludlow ( ) is a market town and civil parish in Shropshire (district), Shropshire, England. It is located south of Shrewsbury and north of Hereford, on the A49 road (Great Britain), A49 road which bypasses the town. The town is near the conf ...
to Leominster turnpike roads. The
Shrewsbury and Hereford Railway The Shrewsbury and Hereford Railway was an English railway company that built a standard gauge line between those places. It opened its main line in . Its natural ally seemed to be the Great Western Railway. With other lines it formed a route be ...
ran through the parish, its
station Station may refer to: Agriculture * Station (Australian agriculture), a large Australian landholding used for livestock production * Station (New Zealand agriculture), a large New Zealand farm used for grazing by sheep and cattle ** Cattle statio ...
at the west from Eye village. The route of the 18th-century Stourport and Leominster Canal passed through the parish, and flowed through Moreton-cum-Ashton and along the western edge of the Berrington Hall estate. The canal route had been surveyed by Thomas Dadford Jr. in 1789, was built for an estimated £83,000, and was operating by 1793. Of the three canal tunnels was one at Putnall Hill, at the north-west of the parish on today's Tunnel Lane. The canal closed in 1848 after it was sold to the Shrewsbury and Herefordshire Railway Company for £12,000. Ludlow was the post town for Eye, Leominster that for Luston. In 1858 the village of Eye was described as comprising the church, vicarage, and farm and the railway station. The same year Ashton comprised two "respectable" farm houses, a
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 ...
's and
wheelwright A wheelwright is a Artisan, craftsman who builds or repairs wooden wheels. The word is the combination of "wheel" and the word "wright" (which comes from the Old English word "''wryhta''", meaning a worker - as also in shipbuilding, shipwright ...
's shop, dispersed cottages, and "the mound of Castle Tump" camp to the north. Moreton consisted of a farm house, a school building which included girls' classes in sewing and knitting and which was built by Lady Rodney in 1855, and "several" cottages. Occupations and residencies in Eye parish in 1858 included eleven farmers. At the Berrington Hall estate lived Lord Rodney, and his
gamekeeper In the United Kingdom, a gamekeeper (often abbreviated to keeper) is a person who manages an area of countryside (e.g., areas of woodland, moorland, waterway or farmland) to make sure that there is enough Game (hunting), game for hunting, or fish ...
and head gamekeeper, and his farm
bailiff A bailiff is a manager, overseer or custodian – a legal officer to whom some degree of authority or jurisdiction is given. There are different kinds, and their offices and scope of duties vary. Another official sometimes referred to as a '' ...
. At Eye village was the
station master The station master (or stationmaster) is the person in charge of a Train station, railway station, particularly in the United Kingdom and many other countries outside North America. In the United Kingdom, where the term originated, it is now lar ...
. At Moreton was a shoemaker, the mistress of a free school, and the master of the free school who was also the parish clerk and collector of taxes. At Ashton was a blacksmith & agricultural implement maker''The National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland (1868)''''
Kelly's Directory Kelly's Directory (or more formally, the Kelly's, Post Office and Harrod & Co Directory) was a trade directory in Britain that listed all businesses and tradespeople in a particular city or town, as well as a general directory of postal addresses ...
of Herefordshire'' (1909), pp.61, 62
''The Comprehensive Gazetteer of England & Wales'', 1894-5 The
parish church A parish church (or parochial church) in Christianity is the Church (building), church which acts as the religious centre of a parish. In many parts of the world, especially in rural areas, the parish church may play a significant role in com ...
, Ss Peter and Paul, in Eye village, was described as "a plain building of stone in the gothic style", and included a tower with six bells and a clock, a Rodney chapel divided from the chancel by carved oak screens, and two altar tombs "believed to belong to the Cornewall family", one with the recumbent
effigy An effigy is a sculptural representation, often life-size, of a specific person or a prototypical figure. The term is mostly used for the makeshift dummies used for symbolic punishment in political protests and for the figures burned in certain ...
of a knight, the other with effigies of a knight and his lady. Recorded memorials in the church included a
stained glass Stained glass refers to coloured glass as a material or art and architectural works created from it. Although it is traditionally made in flat panels and used as windows, the creations of modern stained glass artists also include three-dimensio ...
window to Sarah (died 1 October 1882), the wife to the 6th Baron Rodney, and a wall memorial to Thomas Harley (1730 – 1804),
Lord Mayor of London The Lord Mayor of London is the Mayors in England, mayor of the City of London, England, and the Leader of the council, leader of the City of London Corporation. Within the City, the Lord Mayor is accorded Order of precedence, precedence over a ...
and MP. Fixtures and fittings include a Jacobean
pulpit A pulpit is a raised stand for preachers in a Christian church. The origin of the word is the Latin ''pulpitum'' (platform or staging). The traditional pulpit is raised well above the surrounding floor for audibility and visibility, accesse ...
, a
Norman Norman or Normans may refer to: Ethnic and cultural identity * The Normans, a people partly descended from Norse Vikings who settled in the territory of Normandy in France in the 9th and 10th centuries ** People or things connected with the Norma ...
font In metal typesetting, a font is a particular size, weight and style of a ''typeface'', defined as the set of fonts that share an overall design. For instance, the typeface Bauer Bodoni (shown in the figure) includes fonts " Roman" (or "regul ...
, and an 1887 organ. The church was restored in 1874 by William Chick of Hereford for £3,000. The
ecclesiastical parish A parish is a territorial entity in many Christianity, Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest#Christianity, priest, often termed a parish pries ...
living was a
vicarage A clergy house is the residence, or former residence, of one or more priests or Minister (Christianity), ministers of a given religion, serving as both a home and a base for the occupant's ministry. Residences of this type can have a variety of n ...
, an office supported by
tithes A tithe (; from Old English: ''teogoþa'' "tenth") is a one-tenth part of something, paid as a contribution to a religious organization or compulsory tax to government. Modern tithes are normally voluntary and paid in cash, cheques or via onli ...
and
glebe A glebe (, also known as church furlong, rectory manor or parson's close(s)) is an area of land within an ecclesiastical parish used to support a parish priest. The land may be owned by the church, or its profits may be reserved to the church. ...
, with vicarage house and glebe—an area of land used to support a parish priest—in the
gift A gift or present is an item given to someone (who is not already the owner) without the expectation of payment or anything in return. Although gift-giving might involve an expectation of reciprocity, a gift is intended to be free. In many cou ...
of the
Lord Chancellor The Lord Chancellor, formally titled Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain, is a senior minister of the Crown within the Government of the United Kingdom. The lord chancellor is the minister of justice for England and Wales and the highest-ra ...
, and in
rural dean In the Roman Catholic Church and the Anglican Communion as well as some Lutheran denominations, a rural dean is a member of clergy who presides over a "rural deanery" (often referred to as a deanery); "ruridecanal" is the corresponding adjective ...
ery of Leominster and the
archdeacon An archdeacon is a senior clergy position in the Church of the East, Chaldean Catholic Church, Syriac Orthodox Church, Anglican Communion, St Thomas Christians, Eastern Orthodox Church, Eastern Orthodox churches and some other Christian denomina ...
ry and
Diocese of Hereford The Diocese of Hereford is a Church of England diocese based in Hereford, covering Herefordshire, southern Shropshire and a few parishes within Worcestershire in England, and a few parishes within Powys and Monmouthshire in Wales. The cathedral i ...
. The vicarage house was the former
manor house A manor house was historically the main residence of the lord of the manor. The house formed the administrative centre of a manor in the European feudal system; within its great hall were usually held the lord's manorial courts, communal mea ...
built in 1680 by Ferdinando Gorges, the grandson of
Ferdinando Gorges Sir Ferdinando Gorges ( – 24 May 1647) was a naval and military commander and governor of the important port of Plymouth in England. He was involved in Essex's Rebellion against the Queen, but escaped punishment by testifying against the ma ...
. The parish register dates to 1573. At Eye village the parish room, "an iron building", was recorded next to the railway station, and a
Moravian Mission Moravian is the adjective form of the Czech Republic region of Moravia, and refers to people of ancestry from Moravia. Moravian may also refer to: * A member or adherent of the Moravian Church, one of the oldest Protestant Christian denominations ...
was in existence. At Luston was a Wesleyan chapel which was built in 1862. Berrington Hall in 1868 was the seat of George Bridges Harley Dennett Rodney, 7th Baron Rodney, and in 1909, that of Frederick Cawley, 1st Baron Cawley, and was described as "a mansion of stone beautifully situated in a well-wooded park of 400 acres". In 1909, in Nordan (hamlet) at the south of the Luston part of Eye parish, is recorded Nordan Hall, a "mansion of brick, pleasantly situated on the summit of the hill... with a fine prospect over the vale of Leominster", the residence of Major (later Lt-Colonel) James Gurwood King-King DSO, a veteran of the North-West Frontier and
Boer War The Second Boer War (, , 11 October 189931 May 1902), also known as the Boer War, Transvaal War, Anglo–Boer War, or South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer republics (the South African Republic an ...
. In 1868 the parish children's school was at Eye village; by 1909 the parish school was a Public Elementary School at Moreton, which had been built in 1906 to accommodate 140 children, and at the time attended by 88. At The Broad, a hamlet at the extreme south of the Luston part of the parish, was the parish post office. The parish' principal landowners were Sir Frederick Cawley, William Kevill-Davies of
Croft Castle Croft Castle is a English country house, country house in the village of Croft, Herefordshire, Croft, Herefordshire, England. Owned by the Croft family since 1085, the castle and estate passed out of their hands in the 18th century, before bei ...
, and James Gurwood King-King. Lords of the manors were Sir Frederick Cawley at Eye and William Kevill-Davies at Luston. Population in Eye in 1851 was 309, and in 1891 was 315 in Eye and 694 in Luston. Population in 1901 was 315 in the Eye, Moreton and Ashton township, 369 in Luston, and 684 in the ecclesiastical parish. Parish area in 1851 was , and in 1894 was and that of the Luston part being . Eye, Moreton and Ashton township area in 1909 was of land and of water, and at Luston, . The land was clayey over a subsoil of part gravel and part peat, on which the chief crops grown were wheat, beans, hops and apples. Much land at Luston land was given to hop-grounds and orchards, and there existed a sandstone quarry which supplied stone for local building. In Eye parish in 1909, residents included Sir Frederick Cawley, who was also a member of the
Reform Reform refers to the improvement or amendment of what is wrong, corrupt, unsatisfactory, etc. The modern usage of the word emerged in the late 18th century and is believed to have originated from Christopher Wyvill's Association movement, which ...
and
National Liberal National liberalism is a variant of liberalism, combining liberal policies and issues with elements of nationalism. Historically, national liberalism has also been used in the same meaning as conservative liberalism (right-liberalism). A serie ...
clubs in London, and the parish vicar. Commercial trades and occupations in the parish included seven farmers, one of whom was also a hop grower, the farm bailiff and the gardener to Sir Frederick Cawley, a cowkeeper, a
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 ...
, a
coal merchant A coal merchant is the term used in the UK and other countries for a trader who sells coal and often delivers it to households. Coal merchants were once a major class of local business, but have declined in importance in many parts of the developed ...
and a coal & lime merchant at the railway station, a shopkeeper, a
carpenter Carpentry is a skilled trade and a craft in which the primary work performed is the cutting, shaping and installation of building materials during the construction of buildings, ships, timber bridges, concrete formwork, etc. Carpenter ...
, a
house painter A house painter and decorator is a tradesperson responsible for the painting and decorating of buildings, and is also known as a decorator, or house painter.''The Modern Painter and Decorator'' volume 1 1921 Caxton The purpose of painting is t ...
, and a boot & shoe maker who was also a carrier (transporter of trade goods, with sometimes people, between different settlements). Resident at Luston was Major James Gurwood King-King, while trades and occupations included one cottage farmer and eight farmers one of whom was also a hop grower, and an assistant overseer of the poor. There were two
market garden A market garden is the relatively small-scale production of fruits, vegetables and flowers as cash crops, frequently sold directly to consumers and restaurants. The diversity of crops grown on a small area of land, typically from under to s ...
ers of the same family, six cow keepers, two castrators of the same family, a carpenter &
wheelwright A wheelwright is a Artisan, craftsman who builds or repairs wooden wheels. The word is the combination of "wheel" and the word "wright" (which comes from the Old English word "''wryhta''", meaning a worker - as also in shipbuilding, shipwright ...
, a blacksmith, a
dressmaker A dressmaker, also known as a seamstress, is a person who makes clothing for women, such as dresses, blouses, and evening gowns. Dressmakers were historically known as mantua-makers, and are also known as a modiste or fabrician. Notable dr ...
, a shoemaker, a timber merchant who ran a
sawmill A sawmill (saw mill, saw-mill) or lumber mill is a facility where logging, logs are cut into lumber. Modern sawmills use a motorized saw to cut logs lengthwise to make long pieces, and crosswise to length depending on standard or custom sizes ...
, a shopkeeper & postmistress, a
monthly nurse A monthly nurse is a woman who looks after a mother and her baby during the Postpartum period, postpartum or postnatal period. The phrase is now largely obsolete, but the role is still performed under other names and conditions worldwide. In ...
, the
licensee A licensee can mean the holder of a license or, in U.S. tort law, is a person who is on the property of another, despite the fact that the property is not open to the general public, because the owner of the property has allowed the licensee to en ...
of The Balance Inn, and the
sanitary inspector An environmental health officer (EHO), also referred to as an environmental health practitioner (EHP) or public health inspector, is a person responsible for carrying out measures to protect public health, which includes the administration and en ...
to Leominster Rural District Council. At The Broad was a farmer and two jobbing gardeners. In 2019, three
metal detector A metal detector is an instrument that detects the nearby presence of metal. Metal detectors are useful for finding metal objects on the surface, underground, and under water. A metal detector consists of a control box, an adjustable shaft, and ...
ists and a coin dealer were convicted at
Worcester Crown Court The Shire Hall is a municipal building in Foregate Street in Worcester, England. It is a Grade II* listed building. History The ( 1 & 2 Will. 4. c. xlviii) allowed for ''"erecting a County Hall and Courts of Justice, and also for providing A ...
of "theft, conspiracy to conceal criminal property and conspiracy to convert criminal property" of an estimated worth of £3m, relating to a
hoard A hoard or "wealth deposit" is an archaeological term for a collection of valuable objects or artifacts, sometimes purposely buried in the ground, in which case it is sometimes also known as a cache. This would usually be with the intention of ...
discovered at Eye. The
treasure trove A treasure trove is an amount of money or coin, gold, silver, plate, or bullion found hidden underground or in places such as cellars or attics, where the treasure seems old enough for it to be presumed that the true owner is dead and the he ...
was possibly from the 878-79 Great Viking Army. It included a "ninth century gold ring, a dragon's head bracelet, a silver ingot, a crystal rock pendant dating to the fifth century and up to 300 coins, some dating to the reign of King Alfred", with some coins valued at £50,000 each. At the time of the court case and the police investigation, described as of "national significance", only about 10% of the coins had been recovered.


Geography

Eye, Moreton and Ashton is approximately from north to south and east to west, with an area of ,"Eye, Moreton and Ashton"
City Population, ''www.citypopulation.de''. Retrieved 5 March 2020
and is approximately east from the England border with
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 ...
, with the north border of the parish south from the border of
Shropshire Shropshire (; abbreviated SalopAlso used officially as the name of the county from 1974–1980. The demonym for inhabitants of the county "Salopian" derives from this name.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the West M ...
. Adjacent parishes are Luston at the west,
Croft and Yarpole Croft and Yarpole is a civil parish in the county of Herefordshire, England, and is north from the city and county town of Hereford. The closest large town is the market town of Leominster, to the south. Within the parish is the National Tru ...
and Orleton at the north-west, Brimfield at the north, Kimbolton at the south and, with Middleton on the Hill, at the east. The parish is rural, of farms, arable and pasture fields, managed woodland and coppices, watercourses, isolated and dispersed businesses, residential properties, and the nucleated settlements of Eye at the west, Morton at the centre and Ashton at the east, laterally across the centre of the parish. South from the three settlements is the house, parkland, woodland and gardens of the
National Trust The National Trust () is a heritage and nature conservation charity and membership organisation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The Trust was founded in 1895 by Octavia Hill, Sir Robert Hunter and Hardwicke Rawnsley to "promote the ...
property of
Berrington Hall Berrington Hall is a country house located about north of Leominster, Herefordshire, England. During the 20th century it was the seat of the Cawley family. It is a neoclassical country house building that Henry Holland designed in 1778-81 ...
which extends over virtually the whole south-east part of the parish. The parish is in the catchment area of the
River Lugg The River Lugg () rises near Llangynllo in Powys, Wales. From its source, it flows through the border town of Presteigne and then into Herefordshire, England. It meets its main tributary, the River Arrow, to the south of Leominster, then ...
. The parish boundary with Luston is defined by the Ridgemoor Brook, a tributary of the River Lugg which it joins at Leominster. The north-to-south artificial watercourse of the Main Ditch, which is fed from the parishes of Orleton, and Croft and Yarpole, runs parallel to the east of Ridgemoor Brook and the west of Berrington Hall park where it is linked to the parkland lake of Berrington Pool. The Main Ditch joins Ridgemoor Brook at the south-west of Kimbolton.Extracted fro
"Eye, Moreton and Ashton"
Google Maps Google Maps is a web mapping platform and consumer application offered by Google. It offers satellite imagery, aerial photography, street maps, 360° interactive panorama, interactive panoramic views of streets (Google Street View, Street View ...
. Retrieved 5 March 2020
Extracted fro
"Eye, Moreton and Ashton"
Grid Reference Finder. Retrieved 5 March 2020
Extracted fro
"Eye, Moreton and Ashton"
''GetOutside'',
Ordnance Survey The Ordnance Survey (OS) is the national mapping agency for Great Britain. The agency's name indicates its original military purpose (see Artillery, ordnance and surveying), which was to map Scotland in the wake of the Jacobite rising of ...
. Retrieved 5 March 2020
Extracted fro
"Eye, Moreton and Ashton"
OpenStreetMap OpenStreetMap (abbreviated OSM) is a free, Open Database License, open geographic database, map database updated and maintained by a community of volunteers via open collaboration. Contributors collect data from surveying, surveys, trace from Ae ...
. Retrieved 5 March 2020
The major route of the
A49 road The A49 is an A road in western England, which traverses the Welsh Marches region. It runs north from Ross-on-Wye in Herefordshire via Hereford, Leominster, Ludlow, Shrewsbury and Whitchurch, then continues through central Cheshire to Warrin ...
, locally from
Ludlow Ludlow ( ) is a market town and civil parish in Shropshire (district), Shropshire, England. It is located south of Shrewsbury and north of Hereford, on the A49 road (Great Britain), A49 road which bypasses the town. The town is near the conf ...
at the north to Leominster at the south, runs north to south through the east of the parish. A minor road, Eye Lane, runs west from a junction with the A49 at Ashton, across the parish and through Moreton to Eye, and then on to the village of Luston. The only other parish through road is the minor Tunnel Lane, which runs from Ashton north-west to the village of Orleton beyond the parish. All other routes are bridleways, public footpaths, farm roads and tracks,
cul-de-sac A dead end, also known as a ''cul-de-sac'' (; , ), a no-through road or a no-exit road, is a street with only one combined inlet and outlet. Dead ends are added to roads in urban planning designs to limit traffic in residential areas. Some d ...
s and residential access roads. Running north to south at the very west of the parish is the Welsh Marches railway line, which is intersected by a Berrington Park to Luston public footpath unmanned crossing south from
Berrington and Eye railway station Berrington and Eye railway station was located in Eye, Herefordshire. It opened on 6 December 1853 and closed on 9 June 1958. The station was opened under the Shrewsbury and Hereford Joint Railway and closed under the auspices of the Western ...
on Eye Lane.


Governance

Eye, Moreton and Ashton is represented in the lowest tier of UK governance by three members on the 10-member Luston Group Parishes council. As Herefordshire is a
unitary authority A unitary authority is a type of local government, local authority in New Zealand and the United Kingdom. Unitary authorities are responsible for all local government functions within its area or performing additional functions that elsewhere are ...
—no district council between parish and county councils—the parish is represented as part of the Bircher Ward on Herefordshire County Council. The parish is represented in the UK Parliament as part of the
North Herefordshire North Herefordshire is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2024 by Ellie Chowns of the Green Party of England and Wales. It is the first Green seat in the West Midlands region. Constituency profile Th ...
constituency. In 1974 Croft and Yarpole became part of the now defunct Leominster District of the county of
Hereford and Worcester Hereford and Worcester ( ) was an English non-metropolitan county created on 1 April 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972 from the areas of the former administrative county of Herefordshire, most of Worcestershire (except Halesowen, Stourbridg ...
, instituted under the
Local Government Act 1972 The Local Government Act 1972 (c. 70) is an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales on 1 April 1974. It was one of the most significant acts of Parliament to be passed by the Heath Gov ...
. In 2002 the parish, with the parishes of Brimfield, Moreton and Ashton, Eyton, Kimbolton, Laysters, Little Hereford, Luston and Middleton on the Hill, was reassessed as part of Upton Ward which elected one councillor to Herefordshire district council.


Community

Parish population in 2001 was 188, and in 2011, 178. The parish is served by stops for two bus routes, these on the A49 road at Ashton, and at Moreton and Eye, providing part circuitous village connections between Leominster and Wigmore and Leominster and Mortimer's Cross in
Aymestrey Aymestrey ( ) is a village and civil parish in north-western Herefordshire, England. The population of this civil parish, including the hamlet of Yatton, Aymestrey, Yatton, at the United Kingdom Census 2011, 2011 Census was 351. Location It ...
. The closest rail connection is at
Leominster railway station Leominster railway station lies on the Welsh Marches Line, serving the town of Leominster in Herefordshire, England. It is situated north of Hereford. The station has two operational platforms, for northbound services via and southbound via ...
, to the south-east, and on the
Crewe Crewe () is a railway town and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire East in Cheshire, England. At the 2021 United Kingdom census, 2021 census, the parish had a population of 55,318 and the built-up area had a population of 74,120. ...
to Newport Welsh Marches Line. The closest hospital is Leominster Community Hospital at Leominster, with the closest major hospital
Hereford County Hospital Hereford County Hospital is an acute general hospital on Stonebow Road in Hereford. It is managed by Wye Valley NHS Trust. History The foundation stone for Hereford County Hospital was laid in 1937 by Queen Mary. It was built adjacent to the si ...
at Hereford. The closest schools are Luston Primary School to the west at Luston, Kimbolton St James C of E Primary School to the east at Kimbolton, and Earl Mortimer College & Sixth Form Centre
secondary school A secondary school, high school, or senior school, is an institution that provides secondary education. Some secondary schools provide both ''lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper secondary education'' (ages 14 to 18), i.e., b ...
, and the maintained
special school Special education (also known as special-needs education, aided education, alternative provision, exceptional student education, special ed., SDC, and SPED) is the practice of educating students in a way that accommodates their individual d ...
of Westfield School to the south at Leominster. The Anglican parish church at Eye is St Peter & St Paul which is served by the Leominster Team Ministry in the Deanery of Leominster and the
Diocese of Hereford The Diocese of Hereford is a Church of England diocese based in Hereford, covering Herefordshire, southern Shropshire and a few parishes within Worcestershire in England, and a few parishes within Powys and Monmouthshire in Wales. The cathedral i ...
. The closest community centre is Cawley Hall in Luston, just outside Eye village and the parish boundary. At Moreton is a centre for conductive education, at Ashton are holiday cottages and a catering company, on an A49 Rest area#United Kingdom#Lay-bys, lay-by a cafe in a double-decker bus, and at the north-east, a base for an online clothing and equipment supplier for horse riding.


Landmarks

Within Eye, Moreton and Ashton are three Grade I and eight Grade II listed buildings, some repeated as part of fourteen scheduled monuments. The Grade I Listed building of St Peter and St Paul dates to the late 12th century with 14th-century changes, and an 1874 restoration by William Chick of Hereford. It comprises a chancel, nave, north chapel to the chancel, north and south Aisle#Architecture, aisles, a north Church porch, porch, a south vestry attached to the chancel, and a rebuilt west tower. The interior has nave north and south arcades of three Bay (architecture), bays, a chancel north arcade of two bays, and a 13th-century chancel arch. Fixtures and fittings include a late 13th- or early 14th-century
font In metal typesetting, a font is a particular size, weight and style of a ''typeface'', defined as the set of fonts that share an overall design. For instance, the typeface Bauer Bodoni (shown in the figure) includes fonts " Roman" (or "regul ...
, and a
pulpit A pulpit is a raised stand for preachers in a Christian church. The origin of the word is the Latin ''pulpitum'' (platform or staging). The traditional pulpit is raised well above the surrounding floor for audibility and visibility, accesse ...
. There are piscinas in the chancel and north chapel. Against the chancel north chapel north wall are two chest tomb English church monuments, monuments with recumbent Tomb effigy, effigies, one at the west dated c.1520 to Sir Rowland Cornewall, the other at the east c.1540 to Sir Richard Cornwall and his wife with sculpted figures of their sons and daughters as Pleurants, weepers. Above the tombs is a Commemorative plaque, wall tablet, designed by Reginald Blomfield, Sir Reginald Blomfield, which commemorates the three sons of Lord Cawley who died in the First world War. A further church memorial to both World Wars commemorates twenty-two parishioners who died in the First, and three in the Second. The second Grade I listing includes
Berrington Hall Berrington Hall is a country house located about north of Leominster, Herefordshire, England. During the 20th century it was the seat of the Cawley family. It is a neoclassical country house building that Henry Holland designed in 1778-81 ...
and its laundry, dairy and stable outbuildings surrounding the north-east courtyard. The hall is a Neoclassical architecture, neoclassical English country house dating to 1778 - 1781, designed by Henry Holland (architect), Henry Holland for Thomas Harley, a banker and
Lord Mayor of London The Lord Mayor of London is the Mayors in England, mayor of the City of London, England, and the Leader of the council, leader of the City of London Corporation. Within the City, the Lord Mayor is accorded Order of precedence, precedence over a ...
who had bought the Berrington estate in 1775. The building is of pink sandstone ashlar construction with a portico supported by Ionic order, Ionic columns. The present parkland was laid out by Capability Brown, which includes the Berrington Pool lake and island. Berrington hall, listed in 1959, is a
National Trust The National Trust () is a heritage and nature conservation charity and membership organisation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The Trust was founded in 1895 by Octavia Hill, Sir Robert Hunter and Hardwicke Rawnsley to "promote the ...
property. The third Grade I building is Eye Manor, a 17th-century country house built for Ferdinando Gorges, which stands north-west from St Peter and St Paul's Church. The building is of red brick, two parallel roof ridges, and of two storeys with cellar and attics. The eastern front fascia has a central Doric order, Doric portico entrance, and is of five bays with sash window, sash windows. Three roof dormer windows reflect the central three bays. Significant are the interior fixtures and fittings, particularly the ceilings in ornamental plaster-work hand modelled with naturalistic elements. To the east from Eye village is the site of the Shrewsbury and Hereford Joint Railway, Hereford and Shrewsbury line Berrington and Eye railway station, railway station which opened in 1866 and closed in 1958. At north from the junction of the A49 with Tunnel Lane, to the north from Ashton, is Castle Tump, the Earthwork (archaeology), earthwork remains of the circular mound of a Motte-and-bailey castle, motte, high above the end of a natural rise of . At 300 yards south-east from the junction of the A49 with Eye lane and in a field south-east from Lower Ashton Farm, are the medieval manorial earthworks of a possible fortified house, defined by two mounds, one square to a height of , the other of diameter to a height of ."Monument No. 110879"
''National Monuments Record'', English Heritage. Retrieved 9 March 2020


References


External links

*
Berrington Hall
National Trust
"Eye"
Genuki
"Eye, Moreton and Ashton
in ''An Inventory of the Historical Monuments in Herefordshire'', Volume 3, North West (London, 1934), pp. 57–61. {{Herefordshire, state=collapsed Civil parishes in Herefordshire