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

The Parish

The parish of Ewyas Harold lies in southwestern Herefordshire forming a short stretch of the county's border with neighbouring Monmouthshire. Ewyas Harold is sited roughly 12 miles southwest of the county town of Hereford and sits just over a half miles north of the A465 road which links Hereford with Abergavenny. Ewyas Harold is spread over quite a distance with the side road of the B4347, which runs up the Dore Valley, forming the backbone of the settlement, many properties line that road but the majority gather around the site of Ewyas Harold's 11th century castle and church. The castle is believed to have been first built in 1050 and re-fortified by the conquering Normans as one of their strategic border castles, a role it again played in the early 15th century against Owain Glyndwr. The Dore Valley, also known as the Golden Valley, forms the heart of Ewyas Harold parish granting it rich riverside pastures to complement a smattering of arable fields and managed woodland. Modern developments have come and gone from the parish, a branch railway line following the Dore from the main Hereford to Abergavenny line is closed and largely disappeared. The Dore drains the parish the short distance south to meet the Monnow and the county border, the Monnow heads southeast to join the Wye at Monmouth and the latter reaches the outer Bristol Channel through Chepstow. Ewyas Harold is sited at between 70 and 90 metres above the sea, it rises from the riverside onto Ewyas Harold Common where land rises westwards onto border hills culminating in Mynydd Merddin summiting at 323 metres in strikingly hilly terrain. Ewyas Harold parish covered just under 1,600 acres making it small by border standards yet supported a population of close to 350 parishioners. Domesday Ewyas Harold was held principally by Alfred of Marlborough with 2 others having smaller shares, their combined assets totalled an impressive 18 ploughs, a small meadow and 3 fisheries.

The Church

St Michael's church sits amongst the new development of Priorsfield on the edges of Ewyas Harold Common and just east of thee site of the former castle. The church is basically 13th century in its construction but with much modification during Victorian times. The most intact 13th century piece is its formidable western tower from the middle of the 13th century and containing many typical features of that style including the iconic lancet windows, the tower was once detached and free-standing but was connected with the main body in the 1860s restoration. Lancets can be found in the chancel too as evidence of its 13th century Early English Gothic origins, it is perhaps later than the tower having an early Decorated style window too from the first half of the 14th century. Much else we see today is the product stems from two phases of Victorian restoration, the first of 1868 also rebuilt the nave and added the timber southern porch whilst the second restored the tower. A small parking area sits at the western end of the churchyard in Priorsfield from where there is access to the churchyard which has no significant obstacles for the photographer.