Pembridge
Encyclopedia
Pembridge is a village located just south of the River Arrow on the A44
between Leominster
and Kington
in Herefordshire
, England
.
Describing itself as The Jewel in the Crown of the Black and White Village Trail, Pembridge has a history stretching back at least eight hundred years and is notable for its many timber-framed
buildings. As a result, it has been possible to date the construction of many of them using tree ring counting
techniques with remarkable accuracy. In some cases this has allowed dating to the precise season in which they were erected, not just the year.
Pembridge gained a royal charter allowing it to hold a market and two fairs in 1239. During the Middle Ages
, the Cowslip Fair (held every May) and the Woodcock Fair (held in November) were important places for agricultural labourers across the county to seek work from landowners.
In 1856, the Leominster and Kington Railway
developed a railway station to connect to Kington
to Leominster
. Taken over by the Great Western Railway
, it closed to passengrs in 1955, and freight in 1961.
Today, Pembridge has a population of around 1,000 with three pubs/restaurants, gallerie, a wonderful village shop which was built as the original church rectory, and a church. The shop closed in Dec 2010.
Black and White village trail-http://www.localtoleominster.co.uk
A44 road
The A44 is a major road in the United Kingdom that runs from Oxford in southern England to Aberystwyth in west Wales.-History:The original route of the A44 was Chipping Norton to Aberystwyth. No changes were made to the route of the A44 in the early years...
between Leominster
Leominster
Leominster is a market town in Herefordshire, England, located approximately north of the city of Hereford and south of Ludlow, at...
and Kington
Kington, Herefordshire
Kington is a market town and civil parish in Herefordshire, England. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 2,597.-Location:Kington is near the Wales-England border and, despite being on the western side of Offa's Dyke, has been English for over a thousand years. The town is in the...
in 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...
.
Describing itself as The Jewel in the Crown of the Black and White Village Trail, Pembridge has a history stretching back at least eight hundred years and is notable for its many timber-framed
Timber framing
Timber framing , or half-timbering, also called in North America "post-and-beam" construction, is the method of creating structures using heavy squared off and carefully fitted and joined timbers with joints secured by large wooden pegs . It is commonplace in large barns...
buildings. As a result, it has been possible to date the construction of many of them using tree ring counting
Dendrochronology
Dendrochronology or tree-ring dating is the scientific method of dating based on the analysis of patterns of tree-rings. Dendrochronology can date the time at which tree rings were formed, in many types of wood, to the exact calendar year...
techniques with remarkable accuracy. In some cases this has allowed dating to the precise season in which they were erected, not just the year.
Pembridge gained a royal charter allowing it to hold a market and two fairs in 1239. During the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
, the Cowslip Fair (held every May) and the Woodcock Fair (held in November) were important places for agricultural labourers across the county to seek work from landowners.
In 1856, the Leominster and Kington Railway
Leominster and Kington Railway
Leominster and Kington Railway was one of four branches which served the Welsh Marches border town of Kington, Herefordshire.Opened in August 1857, its peak was during World War II, when it served two US Army hospitals...
developed a railway station to connect to Kington
Kington, Herefordshire
Kington is a market town and civil parish in Herefordshire, England. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 2,597.-Location:Kington is near the Wales-England border and, despite being on the western side of Offa's Dyke, has been English for over a thousand years. The town is in the...
to Leominster
Leominster railway station
Leominster railway station lies on the Welsh Marches Line serving the Herefordshire town of Leominster in England.Leominster has 2 Platforms for North and South bound trains respectively.-History:...
. Taken over by the Great Western Railway
Great Western Railway
The Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...
, it closed to passengrs in 1955, and freight in 1961.
Today, Pembridge has a population of around 1,000 with three pubs/restaurants, gallerie, a wonderful village shop which was built as the original church rectory, and a church. The shop closed in Dec 2010.
Organisations, people and places sharing the name of the village
Despite its small size, Pembridge has a remarkable number of things named for it, including:- Hauntings presenter James Pembridge, who is also cousin of Mark PembridgeMark PembridgeMark Anthony Pembridge is a former footballer whose favoured position was the left side of midfield. He won numerous caps for Wales. He is currently a coach at the academy for Fulham.-Club career:...
. - Welsh Footballer Mark PembridgeMark PembridgeMark Anthony Pembridge is a former footballer whose favoured position was the left side of midfield. He won numerous caps for Wales. He is currently a coach at the academy for Fulham.-Club career:...
- A square and several streets in Notting HillNotting HillNotting Hill is an area in London, England, close to the north-western corner of Kensington Gardens, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea...
, LondonLondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its... - Numerous hotels
- Pembridge CastlePembridge CastlePembridge Castle, originally called Newland Castle, is a late 12th century to early 13th century Grade I listed former border castle located approximately northwest of Welsh Newton in Herefordshire, England....
(Castles99 and Castle Wales websites) - A business accelerator on Great Portland Street, London
- An insurance company in Ontario
- A stud in Milford Haven, Pembrokeshire and
- A puppy-breeding business in New York State, USA.
- The Pembridge Helm A well-preserved example of a great helmGreat helmThe great helm or heaume, also called pot helm, bucket helm and barrel helm, of the High Middle Ages arose in the late twelfth century in the context of the crusades and remained in use until the fourteenth century...
which belonged to Sir Richard Pembridge, a knight who died in 1375
Black and White village trail-http://www.localtoleominster.co.uk