The Tudor building boom

The Tudor period brought about many changes in the architecture of Herefordshire. There were several reasons for these changes, but foremost among them were the emergence of a new class of wealthy merchants and the Tudor religious reforms.

During the Middle Ages some Herefordshire towns, such as Ross-on-Wye, Bromyard and Ledbury, had been under the control of the church. During the 16th century this situation changed. The Tudors had not only dissolved the monasteries and chantries, but also seriously curtailed the manorial rights of bishops, including those of the bishop of Hereford. Small groups of wealthy families bought up much of the newly available church land at very good prices. This included woodland and a large amount of timber came onto the market, which also aided the building boom. These families now built impressive houses and started to assert civic control over many of the activities in these market towns.

The local oligarchy in Ledbury, for example, consisted mainly of three families; the Skyppes of Upper Hall (HER entry number 15269), the Eltons of Lower Hall (HER entry number 19900) and the Skynners. The New House in Ledbury (HER entry number 3779), one of the most impressive black and white houses in the county, was built by Edward Skynner about 1595. According to Joe Hillaby, the New House was the most important domestic building in Ledbury and clearly symbolised the new order.

Many of the beautiful buildings we see today originated in the Tudor period. Herefordshire boasts a variety of building styles and techniques, but most remarkable are the half-timbered houses, both domestic and civic. In many cases the builders and designers are long forgotten. One exception is John Abel, builder of several market halls in the county, including Ledbury Market House and Leominster Market House (now known as Grange Court).

John Abel's epitaph is a testimony to a life spent building:

" this craggy stone a covering is for an

Architector's bed;

That lofty buildings raised high, yet

Now lyes low his head;

His line and rule, so death concludes,

Are locked up in store;

Build they who list,

Or they who wist,

For he can build no more.

His house of clay could hold no longer,

May Heaven's joy frame him a

Stronger."

(From the tomb of John Abel, "the King's Carpenter", who died in 1674 and is buried at Sarnesfield.)

[Original author: Toria Forsyth-Moser, 2003]