|
|
|
|
|
Real-life Brockhampton Estate Much of the below information is taken from the National Trust's lovely website on Brockhampton. The Brockhampton Estate comprises 1736 acres of typical Herefordshire farmland and woods situated 1 mile east of Bromyard in Herefordshire. The estate was bequeathed to the National Trust in 1946 and still maintains traditional farms and extensive areas of woodland, including ancient oak and beech. Visitors can enjoy a variety of walks through park and woodland, which combine to form a rich habitat for wildlife such as the dormouse, buzzard and raven. At the heart of the estate lies Lower Brockhampton House, a late 14th-century moated manor house with a beautiful timber-framed gatehouse and interesting ruined chapel. It's a moated manor house, one of the very few survivals from the medieval period. (Most of them are gone, or thoroughly rebuilt in Tudor and Victorian times.)
Lower Brockhampton manor house was built between 1380 and 1400 for John Domulton. John was a descendant of the Brockhampton family who had been here from at least the 12th century. The manor house was built in an isolated spot in the depths of a wooded valley. In the unsettled country of the Welsh Marches defence was considered essential. However, the moat with which John Domulton surrounded his house may also have been regarded as a status symbol. A small 15th century detached gatehouse bridges the waters of the moat. This is one of the few surviving timber-framed gatehouses. Its upper floor is jettied out over the lower and the whole building has a precarious appearance. Only three sides of the moat now survive. The manor house is set back 15 yards from the moat and faces south across a grassy court. The building is L-shaped and the great hall, which is open to the rafters, occupies the stub of the L. The great hall is attached to the two-storey east wing and the family's great chamber is on the first floor. Great red-brick chimneys rise up from the end walls. The manor house was built of massive timbers from the
1,680 acre estate of rolling hills and woods. The woodwork was of very
high standard and this is particularly evident in the framework and roof
of the great hall. In the farmyard to the west of the house is the ruin
of a Norman chapel probably built by the Brockhampton family in around
1180. There are a number of trails that lead across the park and through adjoining woodland with superb views across the Teme Valley and Herefordshire Countryside. The whole area is a haven for all types of wildlife. Many water birds can still be seen and heard here, such as kingfisher, mallard, moorhens, coots, and occasionally a grey heron which stalks some of the wild carp that enjoy the spring fed pools on the Estate. Frogs and toads use the pools to breed and in the spring their spawn can be seen at the edges of the water. On the grassy banks, the habitat is ideal for grass snakes, which lie basking in the suntraps and swim in the lakes. At dusk badgers dig the ground for worms at night and forage for berries, insects and roots. Disused badger sets are often taken over by foxes, which are opportunistic animals glad of a ready-made burrow. Birds like the nuthatch and tree creeper scale the trees in search of food. In the lower branches of hazel and young ash the flycatcher moves swiftly, picking up insects in the open areas where the sun breaks through. Hazel is also the main habitat of the native dormouse. Once common, now it is an endangered species, and the Brockhampton Estate is one of its strongholds due to the abundance of hazel and other valuable shrubs. Many years ago many of the pastures on the Estate were cider orchards. The fruit was brought down the slopes to the presses, remnants of which can still be seen in the park today. The juices were then carted away to produce fine cider, a tradition which is still strong in the county of Herefordshire.
{text 2}
|
|||
