Golden Valley, Herefordshire

The Golden Valley is the name given to the valley of the River Dore in western Herefordshire, England. The valley is a picturesque area of gently rolling countryside.

The main villages are Dorstone, Peterchurch, Abbey Dore and Ewyas Harold.

Origin of the Name

The name "Golden Valley" probably derives from a confusion of the name of the River Dore with the French "d'or", meaning 'of gold'. The Normans confused the Welsh word "dŵr", meaning 'water' with their own word for gold, d'or.

Historic Attractions

Arthur's Stone, Herefordshire [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/45960] , located just outside the village of Dorstone, is a chamber tomb from the Neolithic Period, and dates from some time between 3700 and 2700 BC. Arthur's Stone is Herefordshire's oldest man-made structure.

The majestic Dore Abbey [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/659541] , a former mediaeval Cistercian monastery, is a 'must' to visit in this area - and during the summer offers a programme of delightful musical concerts. It was built between 1175 and 1220 and restored in the 1630s.

The diaries of Francis Kilvert extol the beauty of the local landscape of English river valleys sheltered by the Black Mountains between Hay on Wye and Hereford and it is Bredwardine where he is buried. Kilvert was Rector at St Andrew's church, Bredwardine until his early death in 1879.

Ewyas Harold Castle is an early Norman motte and bailey castle and St Michael's church, Ewyas Harold contains a 13th-century or 14th-century effigy of a lady holding a heart in the palm of her hand.

The last remaining toll bridge in Herefordshire at Whitney-on-Wye leads to Hay-on-Wye - the world-renowned second-hand book town. This delightful border town has a continental air with tiny streets and 30 bookshops shoulder to shoulder - individual, independent, idiosyncratic - with prices from 50p to £1,000+ for rare editions.

Owain Glyndŵr is said to have spent his final years after his disappearance following the eventual failure of his rebellion against King Henry IV in hiding under an alternative identity with his daughter, Alys Scudamore, previously known as Alys ferch Owain Glyndŵr, and her husband, a Herefordshire Scudamore, namely Sir John Scudamore in the Golden Valley.

Recent Times

The Golden Valley featured in the 1993 film "Shadowlands" in both a painting and as an actual location. C.S. Lewis, the film's protagonist, owned a painting of a valley which to him, as a child, appeared to be heaven.

Pipeline

During the past year the Golden Valley has seen the construction of the National Grid’s 196 km natural gas pipeline from Felindre to Tirley. The construction of the pipeline is now mostly complete, with only small cosmetic jobs still ongoing.

External links

* [http://www.thegoldenvalley.co.uk/others.htm Things to do in the Golden Valley]