Avenbury

Avenbury is a civil parish in Herefordshire, England. It is on the A465, just south of Bromyard, and by the River Frome. The population of this parish at the 2011 Census was 225.[1]

St Mary's Church, Avenbury in 2010

History

Avenbury was mentioned on the Domesday Book.[2] The village that was centred on the church of St Mary has now disappeared leaving the parish consisting of a series of farms and hamlets.[3]

In the post-medieval period the village had a barn and several lime kilns as well as houses.[4]

Parish church

The church was founded ca. 840 AD but rebuilt in Norman times; the tower was built in the 13th century.[5] The church was closed in 1931.[6] Many of the Baskerville family are buried in the churchyard. Three of the bells were rehung in St Andrew by the Wardrobe, London, in 1933.[7]

In May 2007 the church, which had been acquired by a pagan[8] and artist named Leszek Skuriat in the 1970s was put up for sale and a trust created to buy it for preservation.[5][9]

In June 2009 St Mary's church was bought by a local archaeologist.[10] In conjunction with English Heritage, restoration work on the church has commenced: St Mary's is a Grade II* listed building, a scheduled monument and is on the Heritage at Risk Register.[11]

References
  1. "Civil Ward population 2011". Retrieved 27 October 2015.
  2. "Bromyard History". Archived from the original on November 26, 2006. Retrieved 2007-12-31.
  3. "Bromyard Historical Society". Retrieved 2007-12-31.
  4. "Historic Herefordshire Online - Archaeological Records". Retrieved 2007-12-31.
  5. "Ledbury Reporter - Lottery Cash to buy Historic Church". 2007-11-02. Retrieved 2007-12-31.
  6. "BBC - Closure Date". Retrieved 2007-12-31.
  7. "Haunted London Richard Jones historic tours". Retrieved 2007-12-31.
  8. "Church's pagan owner warned". Hereford Times. 2007-09-10. Retrieved 2007-12-31.
  9. "Hope for derelict church". Hereford Times. 2007-09-10. Retrieved 2007-12-31.
  10. The Hereford Times; 2009/08/06
  11. "Ruined Church of St Mary, Avenbury - Herefordshire, County of (UA)". Historicengland.org.uk. Retrieved 18 November 2020.
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