Peterstow

Peterstow is a village and Civil parish in Herefordshire, England, situated about 2 miles (3 km) west of Ross-on-Wye on the A49.

Peterstow

Yew Tree Inn, Peterstow
Peterstow
Location within Herefordshire
Population444 (2011)[1]
OS grid referenceSO564245
Shire county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townRoss-On-Wye
Postcode districtHR9
Dialling code01989
PoliceWest Mercia
FireHereford and Worcester
AmbulanceWest Midlands
UK Parliament

General description

Among the general features of the village is the Parish Church, begun in the Norman period contained windows from 13th and 14th centuries; and so too the chancel. The door had a scissor braced roof. The tower and spire were 15th c. The pulpit was typically for Herefordshire a jacobean example.

A former Wesleyan Methodist Chapel, and The Common, with a war memorial in the form of a stone cross bearing the village name. There is also a pub, the Yew Tree, and a village stores and Post office. The village school closed in 1969, and is now a private dwelling. The village bakery is a successful business which has a shop in Ross-on-Wye.[2]

In 1874, a Mr. Thomas Blake gave land for the Wesleyan Methodists to build a chapel. In the simpler architectural style typical of the Primitive Methodists, this was used by the Wesleyans for 50 years. The Chapel was bought by the Parish Church in 1924, and used as a church hall until a few years ago.[3] It was sold because it is not possible to install modern facilities including water supply and drainage. It is now in private ownership.[4]

History

The name of the village has changed several times during the past 1,000 years. The first recorded name Llanpetyr (from 1045–1104) is Welsh. The name Petrestowe was found in 1278. Other variants from 1291 to 1724 are Ecclesiade-Petrestowe; Petrustoye; Petrestowe; and Pitstowe.[5]

Possibly the earliest record of habitation in the area relates to iron ore smelting in Roman, and possibly medieval times. Artifacts relating to this are on display in the Heritage Centre at Ross.[6]

In 1100, Henry I set up 3 royal manors in Herefordshire, including the manor of Wilton, which included Peterstow.[7]

St Peter's Church
St Peter's Church, Peterstow, Herefordshire

St Peter's Church is in the Ross and Archenfield Deanery of the Diocese of Hereford.

The earliest known building was Anglo-Saxon, built on the site of an existing burial ground. A reference in the Book of Llandaff says that Herwald, Bishop of Llandaff, consecrated a church at Llanbedr in 1066.[8] A 12th century Norman building replaced this, using some of the enormous foundation stones. This was rebuilt in 1330. A font and bell tower were added in the 15th century, and a panelled pulpit in the 17th.

The present appearance of the building is due to the "great restoration" in the 1860s, under the rector, Dr John Jebb with Sir George Gilbert Scott as architect. The re-opening was on 2 July 1866.[8]

In 2009 the nave was "re-ordered", the pews being removed and a modern wooden floor and chairs being installed.[9] The west end was partitioned off to provide for a kitchen, and a toilet to disabled access standards. Other equipment includes a new amplification system with audio induction loop. The nave is available as a village hall when not required for Church services. The chancel has not been altered during this work (other than redecoration), and preserves the character of a place of Christian worship.

Recreation

The Herefordshire Trail long distance footpath passes through the village.

Items of interest

Until mains water was provided in 1960, the village was supplied by wells and pumps. Of several ram pumps installed around the village, one manufactured by Green and Carter has been restored and is pumping water at the Flann (one of the original farms of Peterstow).[10]

  • One of the windows in St Peter's Church
  • Interior of St Peter's Church after re-ordering of the nave
  • Former Wesleyan Methodist Chapel
  • Village store and Post Office
  • The Common
  • War memorial

References
  1. "Civil Parish population 2011". Retrieved 31 October 2015.
  2. Retrieved 1 October 2012
  3. Millennium Book, p. 22.
  4. Conversation with Church Wardens, June 2009.
  5. The Peterstow Millennium Book, "for the villagers of Peterstow by the villagers", published by the villagers, 2000, page 3. A leatherbound copy is on display in St Peter's Church.
  6. Millennium Book, p.6.
  7. Millennium Book, p.5.
  8. Millennium Book, p. 17.
  9. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 6 March 2012. Retrieved 30 September 2011.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  10. Millennium Book, p. 148.
Source
  • Salter, Mike (1998) [1990]. The Old Parish Churches of Herefordshire. Malvern.
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