Gloucestershire Family History Society

09/10/2025

Dymock - continued

This is one of the few remaining traces of Dymock railway station.

The station was a stop on the Ledbury and Gloucester Railway, and opened in 1885 and was closed for passengers in 1959, remaining open for freight traffic until 1964 when the line was closed.

Before the railway, the same route was taken by Hereford and Gloucester Canal, which was opened in 1798 and closed in 1881.

08/10/2025

Not bore-ing at all...the Severn Bore will rise up the River Severn tonight

This image was taken over 100 years ago c1904 at Minsterworth (SR44/36297.29GS)

07/10/2025

Would you like to gain some insight into the workings of Gloucestershire Archives and the Gloucester History Festival? You are invited to join the Friends of Gloucestershire Archives in their Annual General Meeting! This meeting will feature a talk by Richard Graham, former MP for Gloucester, who will speak about the founding and growth of the Gloucester History Festival (now one of the largest and most important history festivals in the UK).

Date: Thursday 9th October
Venue: Gloucestershire Heritage Hub, Clarence Row, Alvin Street, Gloucester, GL1 3DW
Time: 4pm

The event will begin with a short business meeting, followed by the serving of refreshments at approximately 4:30. This will be followed by Richard Graham’s talk.
(Please note that non-members are welcome to attend, especially at the talk, although not permitted to vote during the business meeting.)

More details on the work of the Friends of Gloucestershire Archives can be found on their website.

We look forward to seeing you there!

07/10/2025

In 2022 one of our colleagues explored the UK’s changing eating habits and growth of new cuisines, and since it is we wanted to share her blog post again.

Find out more here: https://orlo.uk/1xSDl

07/10/2025

Dymock - continued

The interior of the church.

Pevsner states (perhaps with some justification) that 'The whole of the interior has been most disastrously scraped, revealing a disturbing patchwork resulting from many alterations'.

St Mary's, however, is obviously loved and cared for, and has excellent exhibitions for those interested in the history of the area. A mystery to me are there Tithe Boards, and I would be delighted if someone could tell me how they had been used.

The Religious Census of 1851 comments that ‘the parish contains 7,000 acres. Hundreds of people are from two to three and a half miles from their own church [Dymock] while there are seven parish churches withing half or one mile from them; and consequently many of them attend worship in one or other of those churches’

05/10/2025

Dymock - continued

St Mary's church still contains traces of an earlier Anglo-Saxon building on the site. Unusually, it has no aisles. The tower. with its 'dumpy shingled spire' (Pevsner) dates from the 15th century.

The south doorway has a beautifully carved tympanum, with the motif of the Tree of Life, dating back to the early 12th century.

A 19th century incumbent, William Newbolt, was appointed by the 6th Earl Beauchamp, Lord of the Manor of Dymock. Newbolt kept a journal of his 'trials and tribulations' stemming from his High Church zeal, shared by his patron, which was at odds with the sentiment and practices of his parishioners. Services were boycotted and ostentatious walkouts were staged.

For more information, see
www.bgas.org.uk/tbgas_bg/v135/247-250-Jurica.pdf

04/10/2025

03/10/2025

Dymock - continued

There's a good chance that all of us have passed through the parish, as it is crossed by the M50, which was opened in 1960.

In December 1978, in torrential rain, a lorry drove into a bridge support on the Dymock to Newent road, where it crossed the motorway. It burst into flames, and the force of the impact brought the road down onto the motorway.

The photo is of where a footpath crosses under the motorway

cc-by-sa/2.0 - © Bob Embleton - geograph.org.uk/p/SO7029

01/10/2025

The parish for October is Dymock, on the Herefordshire border. In 1935, the parish of Preston was included within its boundaries.

The landscape is generally low and rolling, with several scattered hamlets, and crossed by the B4215, a Roman Road running between Gloucestershire and Herefordshire.

30/09/2025

Staunton - finis

In October, we will move east, to Dymock.

I'll finish with two more pictures from the church - a delightful harmonium, complete with decorative pipes, and a carving of a heraldic device. I wonder if anyone can work out what it portrays? I took me a long time to realise it was a pestle and mortar.

29/09/2025

Staunton - continued

In 1828 a small single-room school was built near the east end of the main village street, on the site of the pound. It school was closed in 1911 (the village children went to school in Coleford) and the building used as a Reading Room. Subsequently it has been used as the Village Hall.