This is a small group of locals who have the objective of digitally preserving a record of Bishopswood’s heritage and making it available to the public for research, education, and presentation.
Our Next Talk
Our next important date is the 17th April 2026 when Angela and Graham O’Connell will be giving a talk entitled ‘Beyond the Garden Gate’. This maps the beginnings of the National Garden Scheme and covers the origins of the NHS and District Nursing, as well as local open gardens to visit. It will be a great evening for those interested in history and also the many gardeners amongst us. The doors will be open from 7.15 and the talk will begin at 7.30. We will have free refreshments after the talk and also the chance to look through some really interesting photographs of the Ross on Wye area, including Bishopswood.
These photographs are part of a collection belonging to Mrs Margaret Wilce who bequeathed them to her daughters Sara Ayliffe and Judith Slaterley. Many thanks to them and to Mary Sinclair Powell who is at present looking after the collection. There is a brief history of the collection below. The photographs will be among the first to be included in the Bishopswood History Archive which we are in the process of setting up. It will be a purely digital archive, so that photographs, videos and peoples personal memories will be available to all via the internet.
Can You Help Us?
We particularly need help with two projects: scanning photographs and cataloguing the information about them.
We’re developing the software to make it as easy as possible for this to be done via the internet either in your own home or at meetings at the village hall – inputting will be led by drop down menus so avoiding typing where possible. The more people we have the easier the job will be. The aim of the archive is to stop the loss of information which is in danger of disappearing. If you would like to do something positive to keep this history alive, please get in touch and become part of our team, any time at all that you can give is invaluable to us!
Our contact details are: Bishopswoodhistorygroup@outlook.com
Sandra Board
Then and Now – Can You Identify These Photos?
The clues are there ….. where were these photos taken?
The Margaret Wilce Collection
The late Mrs Margaret Wilce (nee Morgan) was born and bred in Walford, Bishopswood and Howle Hill. Her mother’s immediate relatives were the Symonds and Ayres families. Her photograph collection was taken custody of by her daughters Sara Ayliffe and Judith Slaterley after she died, but did not really know what to do with them, so taking Margaret at her word when she had already told them that if they didn’t know what to do with her collection the best person to ask was her cousin through the Symonds side of the family – Mary Sinclair Powell – who is very well known as knowledgeable in local history. She would be able to look through them, collate them some more and make sure that as many people as possible would actually see them.
Mary took custody of them on behalf of her daughters, and has been showing people in history groups and others who are interested as this was what she had done for many years before she retired – relating tales about local history and showing illustrations such as old photos and postcards. Margaret had also done this many times at local history interest days and it seems fitting for Mary to do the same.
Mary will be eventually working with the daughters about where the collection should end up for wider audiences possibly in the county history archives for all to access, but in the meantime they will be displayed and copied as much as possible for wider awareness within the villages Margaret loved.
Any financial donations received for showing these archives at events are helping the Howle Hill War Memorial Garden Project and the permanent move of the memorial itself to a more suitable place within the garden on Sharman Pitch. Margaret always said that it seemed disrespectful to have the local boys being remembered at a bus stop (it was moved from St John’s Church in a rush when it was sold for development in 2004) – but thanks to some funds being raised from the sales of some of the archive (mainly the large picture and local book collections – with the family consent) she will be helping to make sure the boys’ memories will rest with respect ever more.
If anyone is interested in looking through the archive at a group event, please contact Mary who will be able to bring them along to chat with those interested. Her email is: msprosecottage@outlook.com and she will get back to you as soon as possible.
A Brief History of Bishopswood
Bishopswood lies on the banks of the river Wye about four miles south-east of Ross-on-Wye. It is a very scattered village and the adjacent scenery has romantic beauty and loveliness not surpassed anywhere on the Wye. Part of Bishopswood is in Gloucestershire, the dividing line being a brook which goes underground just above the site of an old mansion, reappearing at the riverside.
The name Bishopswood is derived from it being part of the Bishop of Hereford’s estate in the Ross area, and in 1442 the Bishop promoted one of his valets, Alexander Jordan, to the office of ‘Keeper of the Woods’. The woods were used for hunting and timber felling.
In 1590 iron smelting was started when the Earl of Essex became owner of the land. However, there is evidence of Roman ironworks in the area! Blast furnaces for casting pig iron were erected in the reign of Charles II by the Foleys. After several changes of hands, they were purchased in 1801 by the brothers John and William Partridge who during a long and prosperous career were regarded as two of the most prominent and successful ironmasters of the period in the Forest of Dean and South Wales areas. Imported bar iron was brought up river in barges and re-melted at Bishopswood. Coal was also brought from the Forest of Dean and dispatched down river from Bishopswood wharf, now more usually known as Pebbly Beach.
Further evidence of Roman occupation came in 1895 when on a wooded hill behind the church the largest hoard of Roman coins found in Herefordshire was unearthed by workmen on the estate. An estimated 18,000 coins from the period AD 290-360 were found in two earthenware pots.
The church of All Saints was built in 1841 by John Partridge, the ironmaster. He also provided the furnishings. It was dedicated in 1845 and services are still held there every Sunday (1). Built of local stone, it is situated in the wood and several hairpin bends are negotiated to reach it. The church itself is not very ornate compared with others in the area, but its sheer simplicity gives it its unique beauty and peacefulness.
The school was built next door to the church in 1850, again founded by John Partridge. It is now a private house, appropriately renamed The Old School House.
Kerne Bridge lies on the westerly edge of Bishopswood. The bridge itself was built in 1834 and is without doubt one of the loveliest bridges on the Wye. Stand on the bridge and look westward over the top of Flanesford Priory – you will get a magnificent view of Goodrich Castle nobly outlined against the skyline. The castle, which stands on a promontory overlooking the river, is about half a mile away as the crow flies. Originally a toll bridge until it’s building this little part of Bishopswood was known simply as ‘Kerne’.
The main Ross-Monmouth-Chepstow railway line which opened in August 1873 ran through Kerne Bridge until it closed to passenger service in January 1959. The station flower gardens were lovingly tended by the last stationmaster for many years until its closure and he was repeatedly awarded the trophy for the best kept station. Now it is used as an adventure centre for The National Association of Boys Clubs and has been renovated and extended (2). Some 50 years ago most people were engaged in agricultural work or would have worked on the Bishopswood estate, which was sold off in 1949. Nowadays one source of employment is factories in Ross and the Forest of Dean while quite a lot of people commute further afield.
At present one public houses serves the community. There is an excellent village stores, post office and filling station, The church and a village hall. There is a limited bus service to Ross. Salmon fishing is world renowned on this stretch of the river Wye, but it is all privately owned.
This summary taken from The Herefordshire Village Book, written by members of the Herefordshire Federation of Women’s Institutes and published by Countryside Books. Click on the link Countryside Books to view Countryside’s range of other local titles.
Updates since “The Herefordshire Village Book” was published:
(1) Services at All Saints Church Bishopswood can be viewed on the Wye Reaches Website.
(2) The Station House is now a private residence.