Stapleton, Herefordshire
Encyclopedia
Stapleton is a small hamlet and civil parish
in Herefordshire
near the Welsh
border town of Presteigne
. The hamlet itself has approximately 25 residents as well as the ruins of a medieval castle
.
were once more important than its now larger neighbour, Presteigne
, during the Middle Ages
, but eventually slipped into decline while its neighbour grew. There was also a recent archaeological excavation of a field, which found some ancient remains.
The parish
began life in 1144 when the lord of Richards Castle was expelled from Presteigne
. In response he built Stapleton castle which became the new centre of his lordship in the Welsh Marches
.
The parish borders on several other parishes, including Willey
, Kinsham
and Presteigne
.
Civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and, where they are found, the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties...
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...
near the Welsh
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
border town of Presteigne
Presteigne
Presteigne is a town and community in Powys, Wales. It was the county town of the historic county of Radnorshire, and is in the Diocese of Hereford...
. The hamlet itself has approximately 25 residents as well as the ruins of a 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...
.
History
Historically, the hamlet and parishParish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
were once more important than its now larger neighbour, Presteigne
Presteigne
Presteigne is a town and community in Powys, Wales. It was the county town of the historic county of Radnorshire, and is in the Diocese of Hereford...
, 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...
, but eventually slipped into decline while its neighbour grew. There was also a recent archaeological excavation of a field, which found some ancient remains.
The parish
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
began life in 1144 when the lord of Richards Castle was expelled from Presteigne
Presteigne
Presteigne is a town and community in Powys, Wales. It was the county town of the historic county of Radnorshire, and is in the Diocese of Hereford...
. In response he built Stapleton castle which became the new centre of his lordship in the Welsh Marches
Welsh Marches
The Welsh Marches is a term which, in modern usage, denotes an imprecisely defined area along and around the border between England and Wales in the United Kingdom. The precise meaning of the term has varied at different periods...
.
Local area
The village is surrounded by farmland, from which most of its employment is based. There is also a gardens, Bryan's Ground, which attracts tourists.The parish borders on several other parishes, including Willey
Willey, Herefordshire
Willey is a civil parish in Herefordshire, on the Welsh-English borders. The main source of employment is farming and there were a total of 61 residents in the parish as of the 2001 census. The parish borders on Stapleton, Lingen and Presteigne....
, Kinsham
Kinsham
The village of Kinsham lies in the wooded hills of Herefordshire, England in the Marches near to the border with Wales and near the town of Presteigne. Surrounding villages include Stapleton and Lingen. Kinsham lies on the River Lugg...
and Presteigne
Presteigne
Presteigne is a town and community in Powys, Wales. It was the county town of the historic county of Radnorshire, and is in the Diocese of Hereford...
.