Byford Common

Folklore suggests that Owain Glyndwr (Owen Glendower, anglicised) died at Monnington Court, and that he was buried in the churchyard. In the Middle Ages Monnington belonged to a family of the same name. It is thought that Margaret, one of Owain Glyndwr's five daughters married Roger Monnington. The court is Grade II* listed. Historic England description House. C14, extended mid-C17, refronted early C18 with some late C20 restoration. Timber-frame clad in coursed rubble with graduated stone tile roof. H-plan, hall range aligned north-west/south-east. Main stack lateral on rear wall of hall. Southern cross-wing is C14 of four bays, the rest C17. South-west front of two storeys with gabled cross-wings, one plus three plus one windows, all are 2-light casements, save the central one of three lights, all under segmental brick heads. Ground floor has one plus two plus one windows, that to left partially blocked by a lean-to buttress. Next window a 4-light casement and last two of three lights. Entrance to left of centre has a moulded oak frame, the shaped head carved with two monsters. The panelled door has incised diamond-shape patterns in each panel and strap hinges with fleurs-de-lis terminals. Side wall of southern cross-wing contains a 9-light timber window with mullions and transom. Interior: the entrance leads into a through-passage. Hall side of this wall has re-set woodwork, probably from the earlier screen, dated "T/ TL/ 1656". Includes two grotesque caryatids, two shields of arms, one supported by two cherubs, the other held by an angel. To left the inscription "Vive Deo gratus/ toti mundo tumulatus" and to right "Crimin mundatus/ semper transire peratus". The hall ceiling is divided into 24 panels by chamfered and stopped beams, the six panels to the south end bearing central geometrical designs with moulded ribs and fleurs-de-lis in the angles. Fireplace has a moulded three-centred head of stone. Roof of south cross- wing retains three and a half bays of a C14 roof. The main trusses have a single strut between the cambered tie-beam and collar. The intermediate trusses have arch-braced tie-beams. Two tiers of threaded purlins with a few cusped wind-braces surviving. Room below ceiled in C17. North cross- wing has two panelled rooms, most of it re-set. The ceiling beams have deep chamfers. (RCHM, Vol 3, pp 152-3). Source: Link

Attractive timber-framed lych gate to the churchyard at Monnington-on-Wye.

St Mary's church, Monnington-on-Wye. According to folklore, Owen Glendower was buried in the churchyard of this church.

Originally called Bycross Ferry, with the loss of the ferry it's now simply Bycross. (The River Wye is behind the trees, hence the ferry)

Rebuilt in the 19th Century.

A rather uninspiring view of Preston on Wye, the building on the left is the Baptist Church.

Byford church is dedicated to St John the Baptist.

Garnons is a large country house in parkland situated below the wooded Garnon Hill to the north Byford. Pevsner states that the house was built c.1860 as an addition to an earlier house.

Link

This pub is in the isolated village of Preston-on-Wye. The colour they chose to decorate the exterior would be more typical of Suffolk!

The concrete structure on the left is possibly a silage clamp. The footpath signpost indicates the route of the Wye Valley Walk.

Here the Hereford to Brecon road passes to the south of parkland at Garnons.

View to the west.

This once magnificent tree is slowly dying. Situated between the A438 and the River Wye. Close to the village of Monnington on Wye. I first photographed this Oak Tree six years ago [2000]. Then seeing it again, I was heart broken to see how many branches have gone and only one living branch left.

St John the Baptist church, Byford.

One of the two lodges on the Garnons estate.