England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Dulas St Michael

The Parish

The parish of Dulas lies in southwestern Herefordshire not too far from its border with neighbouring Monmouthshire. Dulas is located roughly 13 miles southwest of the county town of Hereford and sits tucked away in a side valley about 2 miles west of the B4347 road which all of the way to Herefordshire's Golden Valley from Monmouth. Dulas is a tiny place, indeed, no defined village merely a handful of farms & cottages with the church & Dulas Court, nowadays a care home says Pevsner, as its main focus. The area around is rather hilly and underlain with poor soils such that pastoral farming was the only practicable husbandry available. Dulas is drained by its small brook, Dulas Brook, southeastwards, it meets the River Dore and almost immediately the Monnow, at its northernmost point, continuing southeastwards through Monmouth the Monnow merges with the Wye before reaching the outer Bristol Channel through Chepstow.Dulas is sited at around 90 metres above the sea in its valley setting, hills range all around topping 323 metres to the southwest on Mynydd Merddin. Herefordshire is a county with many tiny parishes and Dulas was one of these, at 797 acres it was only able to support a population of barely 50 parishioners. Dulas is not mentioned in Domesday Book.

The Church

St Michael's church has been deconsecrated and in 2020 was offered for sale as a private house so continued access must be considered vulnerable. Whilst Dulas had a medieval church this was in a poor state and today's church was built on its new site to replace it in 1866. The only ancient feature of this church is the bell which dates from the 13th century. The new church is, therefore, not the venue for these marriages. The simple design of nave & chancel is augmented to the north with a porch and vestry, the whole being constructed from a coarse sandstone rubble with Bath-stone ashlar dressings. The lane which passes the church carries little traffic so parking outside the churchyard is of little concern. The site is isolated and surrounded with pastures and sits within stone walling, a noble set of evergreens marks the entrance but once through those there are no obstacles fore the photographer other than the continued access rights.