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History of Winforton Court

Winforton Court has existed for almost 1000 years, since the time of the Domesday Book - although the present house dates “only” back to around 1500, when it was built to replace a damaged earlier structure.

This Grade 2 Listed building is a fine example of a Herefordshire half-timbered manor house, boasting some impressive rare chevron panels to the front elevation. The wide oak front door with its small wicket door is reputed to have once been the door to Eardisley Castle, of which only a grass mound now remains. Look out for the massive, hand-wrought iron hinges on the main door and the ancient ‘butterfly hinges’ on the smaller wicket door.

The large porch, which is more like that of a church, has an exposed panel of woven infill to reveal how the old wattle and daub panels were constructed. Inside, the house displays plenty of large oak timbers, many of which bear carpenter’s marks, and a number of ceiling beams with well-chamfered edges. In the de Mortimer Suite, many of the wall timbers bear the flame-shaped scorch marks that are characteristic of rush lights being used close to the wall beams. This room also has original chevron panelling to two of its walls.

Another feature of the east wing of the house is some early wall painting. Sadly, only two of these panels now remain as the rest were removed in the 1970s, by some over-zealous -and probably unsupervised - builders! Do please ask if you wish to see these panels, as they are located in the private part of the house.

Research at the Hereford Records Office has revealed that in the 1700s, Winforton Court had an extensive area of land – up to 800 acres -stretching right down to the banks of the River Wye and incorporating two large vineyards. Though the grapes may be long gone, the Vineyards still live on in the name of a new housing development just off nearby Bakers Lane.

The estate, now long since split up, also boasted some very fine half-timbered barns and stables, which have now been converted into contemporary dwellings. The old cider apple orchards have also disappeared, along with the stone cider press, but these remain in the memory of one of our guests, now living in Woburn, who used to live in Yew Tree Cottage just across the road from Winforton Court.

The room that is now used as our guests’ breakfast room was once the courtroom, from whence the infamous Judge Jeffries would regularly dispense justice. The fascinating Court Book can still be viewed in the Hereford Record Office.

Over the centuries, Winforton Court has had many owners - including the notorious Roger de Mortimer, founder of Wigmore Abbey - and in later years it became a Crown property during the reign of Henry VIII. The Vaughan family, who owned historic Hergest Court in nearby Kington, also owned Winforton Court, thus linking it to the legend of ‘Black Vaughan’, the dark creature on whom Conan Doyle is said to have based his famous Hound of the Baskervilles story.

As is the case with most ancient houses, Winforton Court has evolved over the centuries. The main entrance was originally located on the Eastern elevation of the house, where there remains a fine ornate carved lintel. This lintel was copied to form the entrance to the porch and new main entrance, now on the northern elevation.

In the floor of the Long Gallery is a trapdoor that reveals, at a drop of about 3 feet, the original cobbled surface of the ancient entrance courtyard, still with old steps up to what used to be the main entrance and screens passage.

In the rear garden you will find a single standing stone, believed to be the sole survivor of what would have been an avenue of 12 such stones marking out a Ley Line. This would also have been in alignment with the nearby St Michael and All Angels, a delightful village church with half-timbered bell tower.

It is interesting to see how, over the centuries, the course of the River Wye has dramatically changed. Evidence of how close the river once was to Winforton Court can been seen in the garden. These days the Wye is a 15-minute walk away - but still makes for a delightful stroll on a summer evening – or indeed, at any time of year.

The Gardens

There are few pleasures to compare with the simple joy of taking tea in a beautiful garden – and this can often be one of the highlights for guests staying at Winforton Court. Many visitors come across us in the pages of the Alastair Sawday Guide to Special Places to Stay.

The one acre garden has been lovingly developed by the present owners over the past 14 years, turning it from a bare landscaped space into a delightfully informal planted garden featuring deep herbaceous borders bursting with colour. Many guests have been offered cuttings of their favourite plants from the garden – whilst others have brought back cuttings from their own gardens, which now thrive in this corner of Herefordshire.

The undulating rear gardens offer a choice of places to sit and contemplate the view at any time of the day or the year – from the shady summerhouse curtained by the rustling branches of a Willow tree to the sunny pergola or a table cocooned in a circular border of fragrant Lavender. To the west of the house is a walled fruit garden that has been developed as recently as the last three years and includes traditional old varieties of apple with wonderfully evocative names like Cat’s Head and Sheep’s Nose. There is also a Bullace – a type of damson/plum, and several Olive trees, as well as soft fruit bushes.

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Winforton Court, Winforton, Herefordshire HR3 6EA