Longtown, Herefordshire
Encyclopedia
Longtown is a linear village
and civil parish
in Herefordshire
, England
. The civil parish also includes the village of Clodock
. In the 2001 census the population of the parish was 474.
and fourteen miles south west of Hereford
on the eastern edge of the Black Mountains, Wales
, part of the Brecon Beacons National Park.
motte and bailey castle
, Longtown Castle
, and is so named because the settlement today is strung out along the lowland / winter road connecting Hay-on-Wye
with the Abergavenny to Hereford road.
Before 1536 Longtown was in the marcher lordship
of Ewyas
. Until 1866 it was a chapelry
in the large ancient parish of Clodock (until 1852 in the diocese of St. David's). It then became a separate civil parish.
based in nearby Abergavenny originated from staff of the Longtown Outdoor Centre in 1965 and are still ready to rescue people in difficulties on the upland ridges or lonely valleys of the Black Mountains in all seasons.
Linear village
In geography, a linear village, or linear settlement, is a small to medium-sized settlement that is formed around a transport route, such as a road, river, or canal. Wraysbury, a village in Berkshire, is one of the longest villages in England....
and civil parish
Civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and, where they are found, the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties...
in Herefordshire
Herefordshire
Herefordshire is a historic and ceremonial county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire" NUTS 2 region. It also forms a unitary district known as the...
, 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...
. The civil parish also includes the village of Clodock
Clodock
Clodock is a village in the west of Herefordshire, England. It lies on the River Monnow in the foothills of the Black Mountains, close to the border with Wales. The village is in the civil parish of Longtown....
. In the 2001 census the population of the parish was 474.
Location
Longtown is located ten miles north east of AbergavennyAbergavenny
Abergavenny , meaning Mouth of the River Gavenny, is a market town in Monmouthshire, Wales. It is located 15 miles west of Monmouth on the A40 and A465 roads, 6 miles from the English border. Originally the site of a Roman fort, Gobannium, it became a medieval walled town within the Welsh Marches...
and fourteen miles south west of Hereford
Hereford
Hereford is a cathedral city, civil parish and county town of Herefordshire, England. It lies on the River Wye, approximately east of the border with Wales, southwest of Worcester, and northwest of Gloucester...
on the eastern edge of the Black Mountains, Wales
Black Mountains, Wales
The Black Mountains are a group of hills spread across parts of Powys and Monmouthshire in southeast Wales, and extending across the national border into Herefordshire, England. They are the easternmost of the four ranges of hills that comprise the Brecon Beacons National Park, and are frequently...
, part of the Brecon Beacons National Park.
History
Longtown has an early NormanNorman architecture
About|Romanesque architecture, primarily English|other buildings in Normandy|Architecture of Normandy.File:Durham Cathedral. Nave by James Valentine c.1890.jpg|thumb|200px|The nave of Durham Cathedral demonstrates the characteristic round arched style, though use of shallow pointed arches above the...
motte and bailey castle
Castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble...
, Longtown Castle
Longtown Castle
Longtown Castle is a ruin, originally a Norman Motte and Bailey castle and later stone castle built to provide defence against the Welsh and protect the border of Herefordshire.- Location :It is located in Longtown, Herefordshire....
, and is so named because the settlement today is strung out along the lowland / winter road connecting Hay-on-Wye
Hay-on-Wye
Hay-on-Wye , often described as "the town of books", is a small market town and community in Powys, Wales.-Location:The town lies on the east bank of the River Wye and is within the Brecon Beacons National Park, just north of the Black Mountains...
with the Abergavenny to Hereford road.
Before 1536 Longtown was in the marcher lordship
Welsh Marches
The Welsh Marches is a term which, in modern usage, denotes an imprecisely defined area along and around the border between England and Wales in the United Kingdom. The precise meaning of the term has varied at different periods...
of Ewyas
Ewyas
Ewyas was a possible early Welsh kingdom which may have been formed around the time of the Roman withdrawal from Britain in the 5th century. The name was later used for a much smaller commote or administrative sub-division, which covered the area of the modern Vale of Ewyas and a larger area to...
. Until 1866 it was a chapelry
Chapelry
A chapelry was a subdivision of an ecclesiastical parish in England, and parts of Lowland Scotland up to the mid 19th century. It had a similar status to a township but was so named as it had a chapel which acted as a subsidiary place of worship to the main parish church...
in the large ancient parish of Clodock (until 1852 in the diocese of St. David's). It then became a separate civil parish.
Amenities
Longtown Mountain RescueMountain rescue in England and Wales
Mountain rescue services in England and Wales operate under the umbrella association of the MREW - Mountain Rescue...
based in nearby Abergavenny originated from staff of the Longtown Outdoor Centre in 1965 and are still ready to rescue people in difficulties on the upland ridges or lonely valleys of the Black Mountains in all seasons.