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Wigmore Abbey Grange

Coordinates: 52°20′11″N 2°52′00″W / 52.3364°N 2.8667°W / 52.3364; -2.8667
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Wigmore Abbey Grange
The entrance gatehouses to the Grange
TypeMonastic grange
LocationAdforton, Herefordshire
Coordinates52°20′11″N 2°52′00″W / 52.3364°N 2.8667°W / 52.3364; -2.8667
Built12-14th centuries with later additions
Listed Building – Grade I
Official nameThe Grange, Adforton
Designated11 June 1959
Reference no.1082057
Listed Building – Grade I
Official nameGatehouse Attached to West End of the Grange
Designated11 June 1959
Reference no.1349753
Listed Building – Grade I
Official nameOutbuilding About 95 Yards West-North-West of the Grange
Designated11 June 1959
Reference no.1082061
Listed Building – Grade I
Official nameStorage Building About 100 Yards West-North-West of the Grange
Designated11 June 1959
Reference no.1179912
Listed Building – Grade II
Official nameSummerhouse About 50 Yards South-East of the Grange
Designated19 February 1987
Reference no.1082059
Wigmore Abbey Grange is located in Herefordshire
Wigmore Abbey Grange
Location of Wigmore Abbey Grange in Herefordshire

Wigmore Abbey Grange is a complex of former monastic buildings just north of the village of Adforton, Herefordshire, England.

History

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Wigmore Abbey was founded by Hugh de Mortimer and was first established at Shobdon in 1135, moving to Wigmore in 1160 and finally to Adforton in 1172.[1] Much of the abbey was destroyed in a Welsh uprising in 1221,[2] but was rebuilt by Edmund Mortimer in the 1370s.[3] Very little of the rebuilt abbey now remains, beyond some stretches of wall.[1] In the Middle Ages the abbey developed into the largest in Herefordshire and built a farm, called a monastic grange, to supply provisions.[3]

The Grange at Wigmore comprises a complex of structures dating from the 12th and the 14th centuries.[4] The main building, The Grange, was developed from the abbot's lodgings and subsequently became the grange farmhouse.[1]

In the mid-18th century, a family called Galliers were resident at the Grange and established a notable herd of Hereford cattle.[5] The actor John Challis owned the Grange from 1998 until his death in 2021.[6]

The Grange in art

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The architect Edward Blore drew the abbot's lodging in 1850.[7] The amateur artist Louisa Puller painted a similar view in a watercolour of 1941, as part of her work for the Recording Britain project.[8] The artist John Piper painted the lodging in the 1950s.[9]

Architecture and description

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The Grange is an L-shaped building, now of three storeys, although originally of two. The sub-structure is Norman, including the undercroft, but much of the upper part of the building is restoration work of the 16th, 17th and 20th centuries.[1] The inner, and two outer, gatehouses are 14th century, while the range ends in an 18th century summer house.[1] The Grange is a Grade I listed building.[4] The gatehouse,[10] and two outbuildings share this, the highest, listing designation,[11][12] while a barn,[13] gardens walls and a mounting block,[14] and the summerhouse are listed Grade II.[15]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e Brooks & Pevsner 2012, pp. 81–82.
  2. ^ Brown 2002, p. 3.
  3. ^ a b "Adforton". British History Online. Retrieved 24 May 2021.
  4. ^ a b Historic England. "The Grange, Adforton (Grade I) (1082057)". National Heritage List for England.
  5. ^ Greene, Miranda. "Hereford Cattle 1700-1900". Hereford Council. Retrieved 24 May 2021.
  6. ^ "Interview: John Challis talks moving to Shropshire Star ahead of new book, Wigmore Abbey: The Treasure Of Mortimer, release". Shropshire Star. 24 October 2016.
  7. ^ Wright, Colin. "Wigmore Grange". British Library. Retrieved 24 May 2021.
  8. ^ "Grange Farm, The Abbot's House, Wigmore Abbey remains". Victoria and Albert Museum. Retrieved 24 May 2021.
  9. ^ "John Piper: Wigmore Abbey Gateway, Herefordshire". Fifties Art and Design. Retrieved 24 May 2021.
  10. ^ Historic England. "Gatehouse Attached to West End of Wigmore Abbey Grange (Grade I) (1349753)". National Heritage List for England.
  11. ^ Historic England. "Outbuilding About 95 Yards West-North-West of Wigmore Abbey Grange (Grade I) (1082061)". National Heritage List for England.
  12. ^ Historic England. "Storage Building About 100 Yards West-North-West of Wigmore Abbey Grange (Grade I) (1179912)". National Heritage List for England.
  13. ^ Historic England. "Barn About 50 Yards North-West of Wigmore Abbey Grange (Grade II) (1082060)". National Heritage List for England.
  14. ^ Historic England. "Garden Walls and Mounting Block to South of Wigmore Abbey Grange (Grade II) (1082058)". National Heritage List for England.
  15. ^ Historic England. "Summerhouse About 50 Yards South-East of Wigmore Abbey Grange (Grade II) (1082059)". National Heritage List for England.

Sources

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