Dorstone
Encyclopedia
Dorstone is a village
within the Golden Valley, Herefordshire
, England
. There is a thriving community
with a church and public house
with restaurant. The Golden Valley area offers excellent hillwalking
and horseback riding countryside and is noted for its scenery. It is within the catchment area of the popular Fairfield secondary school
.
Dorstone once contained a castle
, Dorstone Castle
. A mile to the south the fragmentary remains of Snodhill Castle can still be seen.
Dorstone is home to the Golden Valley Young Farmers' Club. In 2006 and 2009 they won the National Federation of Young Farmers' Clubs
pantomime
competition in Blackpool
making them the only YFC club in the country to have achieved this accolade.
St. Faith's parish church
in Dorstone was reputedly built by Richard de Brito, one of the knight
s who murder
ed Thomas Becket
, as penance
for the murder. He also built the Pandy Inn
in Dorstone to house the workmen who built the church. During Victorian era
rebuilding of the church in the 1890s a tomb to another de Brito was found which contained a pewter
chalice
. This was housed in the church for many years but was stolen in 2006.
A Dorstone History Society has just been founded which hopes to find out more about the church and the village
- which stretches back to Neolithic
times as suggested by the local Arthur's Stone, Herefordshire
, an ancient monument.
An annual Sloe gin
competition is held in Dorstone. Each year the winner is crowned the "Grand Master of the Sloes".
branch line to Hay-on-Wye
was opened on 1 September 1881 as far as Dorstone and later extended to Hay-on-Wye
. The new railway station and junction involved considerable addition to the track layout and buildings at Pontrilas
.
The last passenger train out of Dorstone was on 23 August 1951.
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...
within the Golden Valley, Herefordshire
Golden Valley, Herefordshire
The Golden Valley is the name given to the valley of the River Dore in western Herefordshire, England. The valley is a picturesque area of gently rolling countryside...
, 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...
. There is a thriving community
Community
The term community has two distinct meanings:*a group of interacting people, possibly living in close proximity, and often refers to a group that shares some common values, and is attributed with social cohesion within a shared geographical location, generally in social units larger than a household...
with a church and public house
Public house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
with restaurant. The Golden Valley area offers excellent hillwalking
Hillwalking
In the British Isles, the terms hillwalking or fellwalking are commonly used to describe the recreational outdoor activity of walking on hills and mountains, often with the intention of visiting their summits...
and horseback riding countryside and is noted for its scenery. It is within the catchment area of the popular Fairfield secondary school
Secondary school
Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of schooling, known as secondary education and usually compulsory up to a specified age, takes place...
.
Dorstone once contained a 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...
, Dorstone Castle
Dorstone Castle
Dorstone Castle was in the village of Dorstone in Herefordshire, England, located 6 miles to the east of Hay-on-Wye.-Motte and bailey:This was a motte and bailey castle which probably originated in the 12th century when the site was held by the de Sollers family.-Strengthened against Owain:In 1403...
. A mile to the south the fragmentary remains of Snodhill Castle can still be seen.
Dorstone is home to the Golden Valley Young Farmers' Club. In 2006 and 2009 they won the National Federation of Young Farmers' Clubs
National Federation of Young Farmers' Clubs
The National Federation of Young Farmers' Clubs is the largest rural youth organisation of its kind, in the United Kingdom. The Federation covers various Young Farmers' Clubs throughout England and Wales, helping support young people in agriculture and the countryside...
pantomime
Pantomime
Pantomime — not to be confused with a mime artist, a theatrical performer of mime—is a musical-comedy theatrical production traditionally found in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Jamaica, South Africa, India, Ireland, Gibraltar and Malta, and is mostly performed during the...
competition in Blackpool
Blackpool
Blackpool is a borough, seaside town, and unitary authority area of Lancashire, in North West England. It is situated along England's west coast by the Irish Sea, between the Ribble and Wyre estuaries, northwest of Preston, north of Liverpool, and northwest of Manchester...
making them the only YFC club in the country to have achieved this accolade.
St. Faith's parish church
Parish church
A parish church , in Christianity, is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish, the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches....
in Dorstone was reputedly built by Richard de Brito, one of the knight
Knight
A knight was a member of a class of lower nobility in the High Middle Ages.By the Late Middle Ages, the rank had become associated with the ideals of chivalry, a code of conduct for the perfect courtly Christian warrior....
s who murder
Murder
Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
ed Thomas Becket
Thomas Becket
Thomas Becket was Archbishop of Canterbury from 1162 until his murder in 1170. He is venerated as a saint and martyr by both the Roman Catholic Church and the Anglican Communion...
, as penance
Penance
Penance is repentance of sins as well as the proper name of the Roman Catholic, Orthodox Christian, and Anglican Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation/Confession. It also plays a part in non-sacramental confession among Lutherans and other Protestants...
for the murder. He also built the Pandy Inn
INN
InterNetNews is a Usenet news server package, originally released by Rich Salz in 1991, and presented at the Summer 1992 USENIX conference in San Antonio, Texas...
in Dorstone to house the workmen who built the church. During Victorian era
Victorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
rebuilding of the church in the 1890s a tomb to another de Brito was found which contained a pewter
Pewter
Pewter is a malleable metal alloy, traditionally 85–99% tin, with the remainder consisting of copper, antimony, bismuth and lead. Copper and antimony act as hardeners while lead is common in the lower grades of pewter, which have a bluish tint. It has a low melting point, around 170–230 °C ,...
chalice
Chalice (cup)
A chalice is a goblet or footed cup intended to hold a drink. In general religious terms, it is intended for drinking during a ceremony.-Christian:...
. This was housed in the church for many years but was stolen in 2006.
A Dorstone History Society has just been founded which hopes to find out more about the church and the village
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...
- which stretches back to Neolithic
Neolithic
The Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...
times as suggested by the local Arthur's Stone, Herefordshire
Arthur's Stone, Herefordshire
Arthur's Stone, Herefordshire is a Neolithic chambered tomb, or Dolmen, dating from 3,700 BC – 2,700 BC and is situated on the ridge line of a hill overlooking both the Golden Valley, Herefordshire and the Wye Valley, Herefordshire.- Location :...
, an ancient monument.
An annual Sloe gin
Sloe gin
Sloe gin is a red liqueur flavoured with sloe berries, which are a small fruit relative of the plum. Sloe gin has an alcohol content between 15 and 30 percent by volume. The traditional way of making sloe gin is to infuse gin with the berries. Sugar is required to ensure the sloe juices are...
competition is held in Dorstone. Each year the winner is crowned the "Grand Master of the Sloes".
Railway
The Golden Valley RailwayGolden Valley Railway
The Golden Valley Railway was a 19-mile-long single-track branch railway line that ran along the valley of the River Dore from in Herefordshire, England, to Hay on Wye in Brecknockshire, Wales , via six intermediate stations at Abbey Dore, Vowchurch, Peterchurch, Dorstone, Westbrook, and...
branch line to Hay-on-Wye
Hay-on-Wye
Hay-on-Wye , often described as "the town of books", is a small market town and community in Powys, Wales.-Location:The town lies on the east bank of the River Wye and is within the Brecon Beacons National Park, just north of the Black Mountains...
was opened on 1 September 1881 as far as Dorstone and later extended to Hay-on-Wye
Hay-on-Wye
Hay-on-Wye , often described as "the town of books", is a small market town and community in Powys, Wales.-Location:The town lies on the east bank of the River Wye and is within the Brecon Beacons National Park, just north of the Black Mountains...
. The new railway station and junction involved considerable addition to the track layout and buildings at Pontrilas
Pontrilas
Pontrilas is a village in south Herefordshire, England, half a mile from the border with Wales. It is in the parish of Kentchurch and lies midway between Hereford and Abergavenny....
.
The last passenger train out of Dorstone was on 23 August 1951.