Dymock
Encyclopedia
Dymock is a small village in the Forest of Dean district
of Gloucestershire
, England
about four miles south of Ledbury
, with a population of approx. 300 people.
It was the eponym
ous home of the Dymock poets
from the period 1911-1914. The homes of Robert Frost
and Wilfrid Wilson Gibson
can still be seen there. Dymock is renowned for its wild daffodils in the spring, and these were probably the inspiration for the line "Two roads diverged in a yellow wood" in Frost's poem The Road Not Taken, which was a gentle satire on his great friend, and fellow Dymock Poet, Edward Thomas
.
Dymock is the origin of the Dymock Red, a cider apple
, and Stinking Bishop cheese
.
In the village of Dymock there are several interesting buildings which include cruck
beam cottages; "The White House", which was the birthplace of John Kyrle
- the "Man of Ross" in 1637, Ann Cam School of 1825 and St Mary's Church, a patchwork history in brick and stone with Anglo-Norman origins. Nearby stands the only remaining village pub, which was purchased by Parish Council to help preserve a thriving village. The pub is rented and run by a landlord and supported by a local fundraising and social committee "Friends of the Beauchamp Arms"(FOBA).
Dymock was served by the Hereford & Gloucester Canal, opened in 1845; this closed in 1881 and the section between Ledbury
and Gloucester
converted into a railway line
, a branch line of the Great Western Railway
, though a stretch between Dymock and Newent
was by-passed as it was decided not to take the line through the 2,192 yard Oxenhall Tunnel. Dymock had a station
on this line. The line closed in 1959, but the canal (including the tunnel), is now being restored.
Dymock gave its name to a school of Romanesque sculpture first described in the book The Dymock School of Sculpture by Eric Gethin Jones (1979). The school is noted for its use of stepped volute capitals and its stylised "tree of life" motif on tympana.
Dymock is the ancestral home of the Dymoke
family who are the Royal Champions
of England. It is thought that the Dymokes first lived at Knight's Green, an area just outside of the village of Dymock.
Dymock is also the birthplace of Frederick Turville on the 16th of June 1991.
In 2011 the village of Dymock featured on Countryfile, where the Dymock poets were looked into in more detail.
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Forest of Dean (district)
Forest of Dean is a local government district in Gloucestershire, England, named after the Forest of Dean. Its council is based in Coleford. Other towns in the district include Cinderford, Newent and Tidenham....
of Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn, and the entire Forest of Dean....
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
about four miles south of Ledbury
Ledbury
Ledbury is a town in Herefordshire, England, lying east of Hereford, and south of the Malvern Hills.Today, Ledbury is a thriving market town in rural England. The town has a large number of timber framed buildings, in particular along Church Lane and High Street. One of Ledbury's most outstanding...
, with a population of approx. 300 people.
It was the eponym
Eponym
An eponym is the name of a person or thing, whether real or fictitious, after which a particular place, tribe, era, discovery, or other item is named or thought to be named...
ous home of the Dymock poets
Dymock poets
The Dymock poets were a literary group of the early 20th century who made their home near the village of Dymock in Gloucestershire, England, near to the border with Herefordshire. They were Robert Frost, Lascelles Abercrombie, Rupert Brooke, Edward Thomas, Wilfrid Wilson Gibson, and John...
from the period 1911-1914. The homes of Robert Frost
Robert Frost
Robert Lee Frost was an American poet. He is highly regarded for his realistic depictions of rural life and his command of American colloquial speech. His work frequently employed settings from rural life in New England in the early twentieth century, using them to examine complex social and...
and Wilfrid Wilson Gibson
Wilfrid Wilson Gibson
Wilfrid Wilson Gibson was a British Georgian poet, associated with World War I but also the author of much later work.-Early work:...
can still be seen there. Dymock is renowned for its wild daffodils in the spring, and these were probably the inspiration for the line "Two roads diverged in a yellow wood" in Frost's poem The Road Not Taken, which was a gentle satire on his great friend, and fellow Dymock Poet, Edward Thomas
Edward Thomas (poet)
Philip Edward Thomas was an Anglo-Welsh writer of prose and poetry. He is commonly considered a war poet, although few of his poems deal directly with his war experiences. Already an accomplished writer, Thomas turned to poetry only in 1914...
.
Dymock is the origin of the Dymock Red, a cider apple
Cider apple
Cider apples are a group of apple cultivars grown for their use in cider production. In the UK the Long Ashton Research Station categorised Cider apples in 1903 into four main types according to the nature of their flavour components. For Cider production it is important that the fruit contains...
, and Stinking Bishop cheese
Stinking Bishop cheese
Stinking Bishop is a soft washed-rind cheese produced since 1972 by Charles Martell and Son at Laurel Farm, Dymock, Gloucestershire in the South West of England. It is made from the milk of Gloucester cattle, which in 1972 consisted of only 68 Gloucester breed heifers...
.
In the village of Dymock there are several interesting buildings which include cruck
Cruck
A cruck or crook frame is a curved timber, one of a pair, which supports the roof of a building, used particularly in England. This type of timber framing consists of long, generally bent, timber beams that lean inwards and form the ridge of the roof. These posts are then generally secured by a...
beam cottages; "The White House", which was the birthplace of John Kyrle
John Kyrle
John Kyrle , known as "the Man of Ross", was an English philanthropist, born in the parish of Dymock, Gloucestershire but best remembered for his time in Ross-on-Wye in Herefordshire.- Education & Legal Background :...
- the "Man of Ross" in 1637, Ann Cam School of 1825 and St Mary's Church, a patchwork history in brick and stone with Anglo-Norman origins. Nearby stands the only remaining village pub, which was purchased by Parish Council to help preserve a thriving village. The pub is rented and run by a landlord and supported by a local fundraising and social committee "Friends of the Beauchamp Arms"(FOBA).
Dymock was served by the Hereford & Gloucester Canal, opened in 1845; this closed in 1881 and the section between Ledbury
Ledbury
Ledbury is a town in Herefordshire, England, lying east of Hereford, and south of the Malvern Hills.Today, Ledbury is a thriving market town in rural England. The town has a large number of timber framed buildings, in particular along Church Lane and High Street. One of Ledbury's most outstanding...
and Gloucester
Gloucester
Gloucester is a city, district and county town of Gloucestershire in the South West region of England. Gloucester lies close to the Welsh border, and on the River Severn, approximately north-east of Bristol, and south-southwest of Birmingham....
converted into a railway line
Ledbury and Gloucester Railway
The Ledbury and Gloucester Railway , was a railway line in Herefordshire and Gloucestershire, England, running between Ledbury and Gloucester. It opened in 1885 and closed in 1964.-History:...
, a branch line of the Great Western Railway
Great Western Railway
The Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...
, though a stretch between Dymock and Newent
Newent
Newent is a small market town about 8 miles north west of Gloucester City, on the northern edge of the Forest of Dean, and lying within the Forest of Dean Local Authority District. Its population at the 2001 census was 5,073...
was by-passed as it was decided not to take the line through the 2,192 yard Oxenhall Tunnel. Dymock had a station
Dymock railway station
Dymock railway station was a stop on the former Ledbury and Gloucester Railway. It opened in 1885 and served the village of Dymock It was closed for passengers in 1959 but remained open for freight traffic until 1964 when the line was closed....
on this line. The line closed in 1959, but the canal (including the tunnel), is now being restored.
Dymock gave its name to a school of Romanesque sculpture first described in the book The Dymock School of Sculpture by Eric Gethin Jones (1979). The school is noted for its use of stepped volute capitals and its stylised "tree of life" motif on tympana.
Dymock is the ancestral home of the Dymoke
Dymoke
Dymoke is the name of an English family holding the office of king's champion. The functions of the champion were to ride into Westminster Hall at the coronation banquet, and challenge all comers to impugn the King's title . The earliest record of the ceremony at the coronation of an English king...
family who are the Royal Champions
Queen's Champion
The feudal holder of the Manor of Scrivelsby since 1066 has held that manor from the Crown by grand serjeanty of being The Honourable The King's/Queen's Champion. Such person is also Standard Bearer of England.- Origins :...
of England. It is thought that the Dymokes first lived at Knight's Green, an area just outside of the village of Dymock.
Dymock is also the birthplace of Frederick Turville on the 16th of June 1991.
In 2011 the village of Dymock featured on Countryfile, where the Dymock poets were looked into in more detail.
External links
- Dymock Community Web Site
- Dymock Family Web Site (England, U.S.A., and Canada. With extensive information on the Royal Champions
- Photos of Dymock and surrounding area on geograph.org.uk
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