Goodrich, Herefordshire
Encyclopedia
Goodrich is a village
, in south Herefordshire
, England
which is very close to Gloucestershire
and the Forest of Dean
situated near the River Wye
at and is famous for its old red sandstone
Norman
and medieval castle
.Not strictly in the Forest of Dean but close enough to count (especially with tourists, and historically, invaders!) Goodrich is a small village that grew up next to Goodrich Castle, a fine 'Marcher Castle' which stands on a high spur of land commanding strategic position above a ford, an important ancient crossing point of the Wye. The castle was begun c1101 and from 1326 onwards was the family seat of the Earls of Shrewsbury, although by the 16th century it had passed into the hands of the Earls of Kent and was no longer inhabited on a permanent basis.
In 1642, at the start of the civil war, Goodrich was seized by the Earl of Stamford for Parliament, but the surrounding countryside was against him and he withdrew. A Royalist force under Colonel So Henry Lingen occupied the castle and held it for four years, but after Hereford fell to Parliament in 1644, the garrison of Goodrich became rather isolated and in May 1646 Colonel John Birch, the Parliamentary commander of Hereford was given orders to advance on the castle and secure it. The castle walls however were unaffected by the Parliamentary cannon so Birch ordered that the castle's water supply be cut off and a siege mortar made to help in the attack. This weapon, which was capable of firing a 200lb /90kg explosive shell, was cast locally (ether at nearby Whitchuch or Lydbrook) and earned the nickname 'Roaring Meg' (it still survives today in the grounds of the castle, previously being at Churchill Gardens Museum in Hereford). In mid June the weapon arrived and after being moved into a position, its first few rounds soon breached the South wall. By this time, conditions inside were desperate and when news reached the castle that the king had been captured, the defenders finally surrendered. After the Civil War, the castle was left uninhabitable and it remained in ruins unitil 1920, when the last private owner placed it into the care of the Commissioners of the Works (now English Heritage), who carried out a preservation programme.
was known at one time as Castellum Godrici after Godric of Mappestone
, the builder of the first castle on the site. Over time the name changed to Goodrich and the castle changed hands many times through the centuries, passing from family to family. In 1646, near the end of the English civil war
, the castle was besieged
and captured, using a cannon
cast in the Forest of Dean
called Roaring Meg
, from Sir Henry Lingen
by Parliamentarians
led by Colonel Birch
. The castle is now in the care of English Heritage
.
Goodrich Castle featured in an advertising poster
produced by Train Operating Company 'one' in 2005. Unfortunately, the text read 'Escape to Hertfordshire
', and the company does not provide trains to Herefordshire.
Goodrich church contains the tomb of the Countess of Salisbury
, (an altar tomb on the left side of the altar, plain with no inscription or effigy), who was charged by Henry Bolingbroke with bringing up his son, later to become King Henry V, after the death of Mary de Bohun
his first wife. The young boy was brought up at nearby Courtfield at Welsh Bicknor
.
trunk road
which forms part of the main route between South Wales
and the West Midlands
but is in a sheltered rural location.
Goodrich has retained its village shop and post office
together with a village hall
and two public houses.
The village also has a tennis
club with three all-weather courts and a very active village cricket
club.
The Coppett hill
nature reserve
streches along a hill above the Wye south of Goodrich.
, built between 1828 and 1831 by Sir Samuel Meyrick. Goodrich Court and other nearby buildings became the evacuation home to Felsted School
in the World War II
years 1940-1945. Although demolished in the 1950s, Goodrich Court Stables and its walled garden still exists; Sculptor Jon Edgar
lived and worked here between 2004 and 2007.
Goodrich's prominent position overlooking the Wye meant that both Castle and Court were stopping points on the first Wye Tour
of Sir William Gilpin
in 1770. The trip from Ross-on-Wye
to Monmouth
was instrumental in the development of The Picturesque
and Picturesque Tourism.
The history of Goodrich Court is documented in Rosalind Lowe's book. The author lives in the area in a house once owned by Sir Samuel Meyrick. His collection of armoury
forms the core of the original Wallace Collection
.
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
, in south Herefordshire
Herefordshire
Herefordshire is a historic and ceremonial county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire" NUTS 2 region. It also forms a unitary district known as the...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
which is very close to Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn, and the entire Forest of Dean....
and the Forest of Dean
Forest of Dean
The Forest of Dean is a geographical, historical and cultural region in the western part of the county of Gloucestershire, England. The forest is a roughly triangular plateau bounded by the River Wye to the west and north, the River Severn to the south, and the City of Gloucester to the east.The...
situated near the River Wye
River Wye
The River Wye is the fifth-longest river in the UK and for parts of its length forms part of the border between England and Wales. It is important for nature conservation and recreation.-Description:...
at and is famous for its old red sandstone
Old Red Sandstone
The Old Red Sandstone is a British rock formation of considerable importance to early paleontology. For convenience the short version of the term, 'ORS' is often used in literature on the subject.-Sedimentology:...
Norman
Norman architecture
About|Romanesque architecture, primarily English|other buildings in Normandy|Architecture of Normandy.File:Durham Cathedral. Nave by James Valentine c.1890.jpg|thumb|200px|The nave of Durham Cathedral demonstrates the characteristic round arched style, though use of shallow pointed arches above the...
and medieval castle
Castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble...
.Not strictly in the Forest of Dean but close enough to count (especially with tourists, and historically, invaders!) Goodrich is a small village that grew up next to Goodrich Castle, a fine 'Marcher Castle' which stands on a high spur of land commanding strategic position above a ford, an important ancient crossing point of the Wye. The castle was begun c1101 and from 1326 onwards was the family seat of the Earls of Shrewsbury, although by the 16th century it had passed into the hands of the Earls of Kent and was no longer inhabited on a permanent basis.
In 1642, at the start of the civil war, Goodrich was seized by the Earl of Stamford for Parliament, but the surrounding countryside was against him and he withdrew. A Royalist force under Colonel So Henry Lingen occupied the castle and held it for four years, but after Hereford fell to Parliament in 1644, the garrison of Goodrich became rather isolated and in May 1646 Colonel John Birch, the Parliamentary commander of Hereford was given orders to advance on the castle and secure it. The castle walls however were unaffected by the Parliamentary cannon so Birch ordered that the castle's water supply be cut off and a siege mortar made to help in the attack. This weapon, which was capable of firing a 200lb /90kg explosive shell, was cast locally (ether at nearby Whitchuch or Lydbrook) and earned the nickname 'Roaring Meg' (it still survives today in the grounds of the castle, previously being at Churchill Gardens Museum in Hereford). In mid June the weapon arrived and after being moved into a position, its first few rounds soon breached the South wall. By this time, conditions inside were desperate and when news reached the castle that the king had been captured, the defenders finally surrendered. After the Civil War, the castle was left uninhabitable and it remained in ruins unitil 1920, when the last private owner placed it into the care of the Commissioners of the Works (now English Heritage), who carried out a preservation programme.
Goodrich Castle
Goodrich CastleGoodrich Castle
Goodrich Castle is a now ruinous Norman medieval castle situated to the north of the village of Goodrich in Herefordshire, England, controlling a key location between Monmouth and Ross-on-Wye...
was known at one time as Castellum Godrici after Godric of Mappestone
Godric of Mappestone
Godric of Mappestone was an Anglo-Saxon thane and landowner mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086 as a tenant of Howel in modern Herefordshire. Godric is best known for the construction of the first timber version of Goodrich Castle, probably during the late 1080s, when it was originally known as...
, the builder of the first castle on the site. Over time the name changed to Goodrich and the castle changed hands many times through the centuries, passing from family to family. In 1646, near the end of the English civil war
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
, the castle was besieged
Siege
A siege is a military blockade of a city or fortress with the intent of conquering by attrition or assault. The term derives from sedere, Latin for "to sit". Generally speaking, siege warfare is a form of constant, low intensity conflict characterized by one party holding a strong, static...
and captured, using a cannon
Cannon
A cannon is any piece of artillery that uses gunpowder or other usually explosive-based propellents to launch a projectile. Cannon vary in caliber, range, mobility, rate of fire, angle of fire, and firepower; different forms of cannon combine and balance these attributes in varying degrees,...
cast in the Forest of Dean
Forest of Dean
The Forest of Dean is a geographical, historical and cultural region in the western part of the county of Gloucestershire, England. The forest is a roughly triangular plateau bounded by the River Wye to the west and north, the River Severn to the south, and the City of Gloucester to the east.The...
called Roaring Meg
Roaring Meg (cannon)
Roaring Meg was the name of several powerful cannons used in the 17th century. It is not to be confused with Mons Meg, a medieval cannon preserved at Edinburgh Castle.-Created by Colonel Birch for the Siege of Goodrich Castle:...
, from Sir Henry Lingen
Henry Lingen
Sir Henry Lingen , Lord of Sutton, Lingen and Stoke Edith, was a Royalist military commander in Herefordshire during the English Civil War, and later a Member of Parliament.-Ancestry:...
by Parliamentarians
Parliament of England
The Parliament of England was the legislature of the Kingdom of England. In 1066, William of Normandy introduced a feudal system, by which he sought the advice of a council of tenants-in-chief and ecclesiastics before making laws...
led by Colonel Birch
John Birch (soldier)
Colonel John Birch was a soldier in the English civil war and later Member of parliament for Leominster and Weobley, Herefordshire....
. The castle is now in the care of English Heritage
English Heritage
English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
.
Goodrich Castle featured in an advertising poster
Poster
A poster is any piece of printed paper designed to be attached to a wall or vertical surface. Typically posters include both textual and graphic elements, although a poster may be either wholly graphical or wholly text. Posters are designed to be both eye-catching and informative. Posters may be...
produced by Train Operating Company 'one' in 2005. Unfortunately, the text read 'Escape to Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford.The county is one of the Home Counties and lies inland, bordered by Greater London , Buckinghamshire , Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire and...
', and the company does not provide trains to Herefordshire.
Goodrich church contains the tomb of the Countess of Salisbury
Maud Montacute, Countess of Salisbury
Maud Montacute, Countess of Salisbury was the foster mother of the future King Henry V of England, after the death of his mother....
, (an altar tomb on the left side of the altar, plain with no inscription or effigy), who was charged by Henry Bolingbroke with bringing up his son, later to become King Henry V, after the death of Mary de Bohun
Mary de Bohun
Mary de Bohun was the first wife of King Henry IV of England and the mother of King Henry V. Mary was never queen, as she died before her husband came to the throne.-Early life:...
his first wife. The young boy was brought up at nearby Courtfield at Welsh Bicknor
Welsh Bicknor
Welsh Bicknor is an area of Herefordshire, England. Despite its name, it is not currently in Wales, but was historically a detached parish of the county of Monmouthshire....
.
The Village today
Goodrich is close to the A40A40 road
The A40 is a major trunk road connecting London to Fishguard, Wales and officially called The London to Fishguard Trunk Road in all legal documents and Acts...
trunk road
Trunk road
A trunk road, trunk highway, or strategic road is a major road—usually connecting two or more cities, ports, airports, and other things.—which is the recommended route for long-distance and freight traffic...
which forms part of the main route between South Wales
South Wales
South Wales is an area of Wales bordered by England and the Bristol Channel to the east and south, and Mid Wales and West Wales to the north and west. The most densely populated region in the south-west of the United Kingdom, it is home to around 2.1 million people and includes the capital city of...
and the West Midlands
West Midlands (region)
The West Midlands is an official region of England, covering the western half of the area traditionally known as the Midlands. It contains the second most populous British city, Birmingham, and the larger West Midlands conurbation, which includes the city of Wolverhampton and large towns of Dudley,...
but is in a sheltered rural location.
Goodrich has retained its village shop and post office
Post office
A post office is a facility forming part of a postal system for the posting, receipt, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail.Post offices offer mail-related services such as post office boxes, postage and packaging supplies...
together with a village hall
Village hall
In the United States, a village hall is the seat of government for villages. It functions much as a city hall does within cities.In the United Kingdom, a village hall is usually a building within a village which contains at least one large room, usually owned by and run for the benefit of the local...
and two public houses.
The village also has a tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
club with three all-weather courts and a very active village cricket
Village cricket
Village cricket is a term, sometimes pejorative, given to the playing of cricket in rural villages in England. Many villages have their own teams that play at varying levels of the English cricket pyramid....
club.
The Coppett hill
Coppett hill
Coppet Hill, in the parish of Goodrich near Ross-on-Wye in Herefordshire, Coppet Hill Common is a local Nature Reserve of over 100 hectares .- Nature Reserve :...
nature reserve
Nature reserve
A nature reserve is a protected area of importance for wildlife, flora, fauna or features of geological or other special interest, which is reserved and managed for conservation and to provide special opportunities for study or research...
streches along a hill above the Wye south of Goodrich.
Cultural and historic links
Goodrich was also the location of Goodrich CourtGoodrich Court
Goodrich Court was a 19th century, neo-gothic castle built by the antiquarian Sir Samuel Rush Meyrick in Goodrich, Herefordshire in 1828.Samuel Meyrick was a noted antiquarian with a strong interest in Welsh history and claimed, incorrectly, to be related to the Welsh prince Owain Gwynedd. Meyrick...
, built between 1828 and 1831 by Sir Samuel Meyrick. Goodrich Court and other nearby buildings became the evacuation home to Felsted School
Felsted School
Felsted School, an English co-educational day and boarding independent school, situated in Felsted, Essex. It is in the British Public School tradition, and was founded in 1564 by Richard Rich, 1st Baron Rich who, as Lord Chancellor and Chancellor of the Court of Augmentations, acquired...
in the World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
years 1940-1945. Although demolished in the 1950s, Goodrich Court Stables and its walled garden still exists; Sculptor Jon Edgar
Jon Edgar
Jon Edgar is a British artist born in Rustington, West Sussex in 1968, the grandson of British cartoonist Brian White. He direct-carves in wood and stone using methods of improvisation, and works in clay.-Biography:...
lived and worked here between 2004 and 2007.
Goodrich's prominent position overlooking the Wye meant that both Castle and Court were stopping points on the first Wye Tour
Wye Tour
The Wye Tour consisted of a series of scenic buildings, natural phenomena, and factories located along the River Wye. It was a popular vacation destination for British travelers from 1782 to around 1850, and reached its peak popularity during the Napoleonic Wars, when travel to Continental Europe...
of Sir William Gilpin
William Gilpin (clergyman)
The Reverend William Gilpin was an English artist, clergyman, schoolmaster, and author, best known as one of the originators of the idea of the picturesque.-Early life:...
in 1770. The trip from Ross-on-Wye
Ross-on-Wye
Ross-on-Wye is a small market town with a population of 10,089 in southeastern Herefordshire, England, located on the River Wye, and on the northern edge of the Forest of Dean.-History:...
to Monmouth
Monmouth
Monmouth is a town in southeast Wales and traditional county town of the historic county of Monmouthshire. It is situated close to the border with England, where the River Monnow meets the River Wye with bridges over both....
was instrumental in the development of The Picturesque
Picturesque
Picturesque is an aesthetic ideal introduced into English cultural debate in 1782 by William Gilpin in Observations on the River Wye, and Several Parts of South Wales, etc. Relative Chiefly to Picturesque Beauty; made in the Summer of the Year 1770, a practical book which instructed England's...
and Picturesque Tourism.
The history of Goodrich Court is documented in Rosalind Lowe's book. The author lives in the area in a house once owned by Sir Samuel Meyrick. His collection of armoury
Armory (military)
An armory or armoury is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, issued to authorized users, or any combination of those...
forms the core of the original Wallace Collection
Wallace Collection
The Wallace Collection is a museum in London, with a world-famous range of fine and decorative arts from the 15th to the 19th centuries with large holdings of French 18th-century paintings, furniture, arms & armour, porcelain and Old Master paintings arranged into 25 galleries.It was established in...
.
External links
- Goodrich Castle on English Heritage website
- The Destruction of Goodrich Castle, Historic HerefordshireOnline
- Geograph : photographs of Goodrich and surrounding area
- Village Shop - Jolly's Of Goodrich
- Sir Samuel Meyrick and Goodrich Court
- Repicturing the Picturesque; following Sir William Gilpin's 1770 tour