"What were country houses for? They were not originally, whatever they may be now, just large houses in the country in which rich people lived. Essentially they were power houses - the houses of a ruling class. As such they could work at the local level of a manor house, the house of a squire who was like a little king in his village and ran the county in partnership with his fellow J.P.s at quarter sessions. They could work at a local and national level as the seat of a landowner who was also a member of parliament, …basically, people did not live in country houses unless they either possessed power, or, by setting up in a country house, were making a bid to possess it."

Hellens in Much Marcle, ©Richard Surman	Bloody Mary room at Hellens, ©Richard Surman	White room at Hellens, © Richard Surman

Hellens, one of the most interesting Tudor country houses in the county has a fascinating history. It is open to the public. For further information, click here.

Originally a 16th century farmhouse, Porch House in Westhide, was rebuilt several times during the Georgian, Victorian and Edwardian periods. It has an extensive water garden and a cast iron framed conservatory to the rear. During the 20th century, Herbert R.Jenkins created a legendary garden here.
	©Simon van de Put

Brockhampton:

The Brockhampton Estate, now owned by the National Trust, is one of the best Herefordshire examples demonstrating continuity from the Middle Ages through the Tudor period and culminating in a Georgian Mansion of the 18^th century.

Lower Brockhampton manor house is a picturesque medieval moated timber house with an impressive base-crucked hall. (SMR 7157)

Much of the exposed timber work is decorated and attests to the expensive building technique.

J.W.Tonkin has surveyed timber houses in the county and has demonstrated that all the surviving base-cruck halls in Herefordshire belonged to the upper gentry. In the absence of detailed written sources, this would confirm the higher status and wealth of the Domulton family of Lower Brockhampton.

The exquisite timber framed 16^th century gatehouse bestrides the moat. (SMR 939) This moat, according to Dr.Ray, was built in several stages, the last phase being for ornamental purposes. In earlier, more troubled days, a moat could safeguard livestock from theft or help to repel attackers.

The medieval chapel is now in ruins. (SMR 938)

The nearly 688ha Lower Brockhampton estate near Bromyard is open to the public. April - October, Wed - Sun, 12.00-5.00pm, November 12-4.00pm. There are 6.5 miles of woodland walks and a sculpture trail.

School groups by prior arrangement with the estate office, tel. 01885 482077. The National Trust runs a group membership scheme which schools are encouraged to join. See: www.nationaltrust.org.uk/education

The website for children is : www.trusty.org

Croft Castle:

Another property now under the management of the National Trust is Croft Castle (HSMR 6347 and 2470). The grassy bit in the foreground conceals a terraced formal garden.

The grounds of Croft Castle are currently being excavated by Herefordshire Archaeology . The dig is continuing in August 2004 and there are guided visits to the excavation site. Please contact us for details if you would like to visit the site.

"…the manor of the Croftes, sett on the browe of a hill, somewhat rokky, dychid and waullyd castle like."

If you would like to find out more about Croft Castle, click here.

Croft Castle has been undergoing extensive refurbishment, and is now open to the public 18^th April to 29^th October, Wed-Sun, 1.00pm-4.30pm (last admittance). The grounds are open to visitors and an activity sheet, the Croft Castle Garden Trail, is available.

Harewood Park:

Harewood Park House is one of several country houses which had to be demolished because the owners could not afford to keep it in good repair. All that is left is a 19^th century chapel, a walled garden and a stable block. Nevertheless it merits a mention because of its history. Historical events can be mirrored in the waxing and waning fortunes of a country estate and of this Harewood Park is a particularly good example.

During the early Middle Ages Harewood was part of the royal forest which stretched from Hereford to the Forest of Dean. King John granted Harewood to the Knights Templar of Garway in 1215, who built a preceptory here. In 1324, upon the destruction of the Templar order, Harewood passed to the Knights Hospitallers.

If you would like to find out more about the Knights Templar in Herefordshire, click here.

Upon the dissolution of the monasteries, when the medieval chapel was ruined, the estate came into private ownership. The land speculators Robert and Hugh Thornhill paid £1399 18s 0d to the augmentation office (an office Henry VIII set up to collect all the money from the sell-off of the monasteries and church estates) in 1546.

The Brown's from Much Dewchurch bought Harewood Park a year later and it remained in that family for several generations. They erected a very large house built of stone with a round tower at one end of the building and a square tower at the opposite end. In the middle was a central semi-octagonal tower. At the end of the Civil War this Tudor House was sold to the Hoskyns of Morehampton in Abbeydore to cover debts.

Many Herefordshire families suffered severe financial set-backs during the time of the Civil War, although some weathered the storm. Bennet Hoskyns, a lawyer and an MP, was a man who seemingly did well under both sides of the conflict. Under Cromwell's Government he was High Sheriff yet in 1676 he was rewarded by Charles II with a baronetcy for maintaining 30 soldiers in Ireland.

Harewood Park © Hereford Record Office

The crumbling medieval chapel was also replaced with a new chapel in 1793. Chandos Hungerford Hoskyn did not like this chapel and when he inherited the estate in 1862, he replaced it with a new one designed by Rushforth in a Romanesque style. This was the last major building work to be undertaken and the estate went into decline.

	Harewood Park was purchased by the Governors of Guy's Hospital and during WWII the mansion served as an auxiliary hospital. After the war the house, in need of refurbishment and modernisation, was put on the market, but as no buyer could be found, it was stripped and demolished in 1959. Today the estate is owned by the Duchy of Cornwall and is not open to the public.
© Hereford Record Office

TFM