Woolhope Club Visitors to Cusop, 1899

The Woolhope Club Third Field Meeting (Ladies' Day), Thursday, July 27TH, 1899.

CUSOP CHURCH, CUSOP DINGLE, AND THE BLACK MOUNTAINS.

The pretty dingle of Cusop, near Hay, has been previously visited by the Club. A photograph of one of the four venerable yew trees at the four angles of Cusop churchyard appears before page 145 of the volume of Transactions for 1866 (See picture below). The excavation of the tumuli at Twyn-y-beddau, near the artillery camping ground, at the foot of the Black Mountains, visited on 25th May, 1871, is recorded in the Transactions 1871, concerning which we need only say that a quantity of charcoal, burned bones, a few flint flakes, and a whetstone were the only contents found, and that the late Rev. T. W. Webb, of Hardwick, editor of " Memorials of the Civil War in Herefordshire," was of opinion that the tumuli occupied the site of two separate interments ; also that the last battle fought in this locality was so recent as the time of Edward III.

Another visit to Cusop is recorded in Transactions 1889, page 360.

— To-day, Thursday, 27th July, after an interval of ten years, a ladies day was made the occasion of a revisit. In the earlier part of the day the atmosphere was clear after the rain of the previous day, and the distant hills stood out boldly, but in the afternoon it became somewhat hazy, and the heat of the July sun would have been over- powering had it not been tempered by the breezes upon the elevated ground which had been by that period reached by the pedestrians. The very low summer level of the river Wye, along the course of which the journey sometimes lay, was a subject of general observation. Our City Surveyor informed us that the river had not reached so low a level since the year 1887. We obtained the information from the authorities at Hay that the lowest summer level of the river at Hay was estimated to be 299 feet above Ordnance datum. At Hereford it is computed at 152 feet. This makes a fall of 147 feet in 29 miles, or a little above five feet in one mile.

At Hay Station the party were met by Archdeacon Bevan, honorary member of our Club, and by our members, the Rev. W. E. T. Morgan, and Mr. Charles J. Lilwall. Under the guidance of the latter gentleman the party was conducted to Cusop Church, distance about one mile, over which they were shown by the Rev. G D. Pagden, the rector. Upon the site of the old castle, contiguous to the church, a paper on " Cusop, its Church and Castles," was read by Mr Lilwall This was followed by a paper read by the Rev. J. Barker on " The Wergin stone and Hoar stones." Miss Thomas, of Redwing, Cusop, also gave a few details referring to the death of William Seward, the Martyr, who lies buried in Cusop churchyard.

Descending from the site of Cusop Castle down to the road alongside the Dulas brook, here the boundary between Herefordshire and Breconshire, the ascent was made of the Breconshire declivity to the artillery camping ground, where the business of the Club was transacted. Seven members were elected, and three candidates were proposed and seconded. Luncheon was served in the artillery mess room, where the catering and other general arrangements by Mr. Stokoe, of Hay, received the well-deserved commendation of the large party, who are indebted to Mr. Lilwall not only for his suggestions, but also for the excellent way in which they were carried out. Before two o'clock the party broke up and dispersed in various directions, the most favoured point of attack, perhaps, being the summit of the northern ridge of the Black Mountains, from which advantageous elevation the Rev. W. E. T. Morgan pointed out the geographical outlines of neighbouring counties. Pen-y-beacon, 2,219 feet high, at the north-western angle of the ridge is situated in Breconshire, whilst its north-eastern angle, and the whole of the eastern side of the Black Mountains extending to the water-shed at the summit, for a distance of eight miles to the Hatteral Hills at the southern extremity is in Herefordshire ; the highest point in this county, 2,306 feet, is found about one mile south of Pen-y-beacon. For further observations upon this locality see Transactions 1897, pages 257 to 277.

The distance from Hay Station to the artillery camping ground is a little less than 2 1/2 miles. A bench mark, 845*8 feet is found near the camping ground, whence the ascent to Pen-y-beacon may be considered another 2 miles, and occupies over one hour steady walking. Amongst the remarkable events of the day it must be recorded that one of our members, the Rev. Prebendary Warner, on this his 81st birthday, was one of those who scaled the Black Mountains. The distance is computed altogether as a walk of 10 miles with an ascent from Hay — say 330 feet above sea level to 2,219 feet asl.

No rare birds were seen, the wheatear making itself most prominent. The reports of the botanical finds have not yet been received. Dr. Wood, of Tarrington, recently found Gymnadenia albida orchid in Cusop Dingle, also a specimen of a prettily coloured Gymnadenia, which looks like a hybrid between Galbida and conopsea. Rev A. Ley reports the find.

On their descent from the Black Mountains the mountaineers took tea at the artillery mess room, and were not prepared for the grateful hospitality provided by Mrs. Robert Griffiths at her charming residence in Cusop Dingle. Those who had not essayed the mountain heights were kindly entertained by Mrs and Miss Bevan al fresco on the lawn of Hay Castle, where Archdeacon Bevan pointed out the alterations and improvements made since the Club last visited the Castle in 1897.

The whole party became re-united at Hay Station, and after an enjoyable day reached Hereford before eight o'clock.

The Ordnance Maps for this district, on the scale of one inch to one mile, are Sheets 197 and 214. On the scale of six inches to one mile: for Hay, No. 30 N. E. and 30 S.E.; for Cusop Hill and Artillery Camp, No. 31 S. W.; for Cefn Hill, Craswall Abbey and Peny-beacon, No. 37 N. W.

The following is a list of members and visitors:— -The President Mr. H. C. Beddoe ; Rev. Joseph Barker, Mr. A. E. Boycott, Lieut - Colonel J. E. R. Campbell, Mr. J. Carless, Mr. R. Clarke, Mr Gilbert Davies, Mr. Luther Davis, Rev. P. H. Fernandez, Mr. G. H. Hadfield, Rev. R. Harington, Mr. W. M. Haywood, Rev. A. W. Horton, Mr. F. R. Kempson, Rev. Preb. W. H Lambert, Mr. Charles J. Lilwall, Rev. Canon R. J. Livingstone, Mr. J. W. Lloyd, Rev. H. B. D. Marshall, Rev. C. L. Money-Kyrle, Mr. Charles E. Moody, Rev. W. E. T. Morgan, Mr. G H. Phillott, Rev. Andrew Pope, Dr. Scudamore Powell, Mr. J. Probert, Mr. C. Rootes, Mr. W. H. Steward, Mr. J. P. Sugden, Rev. Preb. C. Warner, Rev. R. Hyett arner, Mr. A. Watkins, Rev. H T. WUhamson, Mr. Ernest T. Woodward, Mr. T. Hutchinson, Hon. Sec., Mr. James B. Pilley, Assistant Secretary.

Visitors— Ladies: Misses Barker (2), Miss Britten, Mrs. Campbell, Misses Carless (2), Miss Davis (Malvern), Miss Diamond, Mrs. Grier, Miss Grier, Mrs. Haywood, Mrs. E. J. Holloway, Misses Holloway (3), Mrs. T. Hutchinson, Miss Frederica Jones, Miss Edith Jones, Miss Kempson, Miss Livingstone, Miss Lloyd (Kington), Misses Derham Marshall (2), Mrs. Moody, Mrs Phillott (Cheltenham), Mrs. Prideaux, Miss Pope, Misses Riley (3), Miss Rumsey, Miss St. George Thomas, Misses Thomas (3), Mrs. Cecil Treheame, Mrs. Alfred Watkins, Miss Weymss, Mrs Yorke (London), and Mrs. Pagden.

Gentlemen : Rev. John Barker, Rev. W. G. Boyd (London). Masters Campbell (2), Rev. J. Davies (Hay). Mr. Diamond, Mr. W. Froude, Rev. J. L. Ceroid, Mr. Horton, Mr. R. Irwin, Mr Derham Marshall, Capt. L Morgan (Hay), Rev. G. D. Pagden, Capt. Barton Phillipson, Rev. Canon Prideaux, Mr. H. A. Prothero (Cheltenham), Mr. Riley, junior.