Brinsop and Wormsley is a civil parish in the county of Herefordshire, England. It includes the largely depopulated village settlements of Brinsop and Wormsley, and is approximately north-west from the city and county town of Hereford. The parish includes the Church of St George and Brinsop Court, both Grade I listed.
History Brinsop, named 'Bruneshopa' in c.1130, and 'Brunhopa' in 1178, means "enclosed valley of a man called brūn or brȳni", being an Old English man's name with the addition of 'hop', probably referring to a 'hop valley', or "a remote enclosed space; a piece of enclosed land in a fen; an enclosure in marsh or moor".Mills, Anthony David (2003); A Dictionary of British Place Names, Oxford University Press, revised edition (2011), p.78, Ekwall, Eilert (1936); The Concise Oxfordshire Dictionary of English Place-names, Oxford University Press, 4th ed. (1960), p.66, Brinsop, Key to English Place-Names, University of Nottingham. Retrieved 1 May 2023 Wormsley, 'Wermeslai' in the Domesday Book, Worvesleg in 1180, Wurmeleys in 1242, and Wrmesl in 1249, indicates the Old English woodland glade a clearing of a man called 'Wyrm', alternatively a 'leah' (clearing) infested with Wyrma's, i.e. snakes, reptiles or dragons.Mills, Anthony David (2003); A Dictionary of British Place Names, Oxford University Press, revised edition (2011), p.510, Ekwall, Eilert (1936); The Concise Oxfordshire Dictionary of English Place-names, Oxford University Press, 4th ed. (1960), p.535, Wormsley, Key to English Place-Names, University of Nottingham. Retrieved 1 May 2023
Both Brinsop and Wormsley are listed in Domesday. Brinsop, in the Hundred of Cutestornes, included seven villagers, fifteen smallholders (middle level of serf owning about of land, below and with less land than a villager), a priest, and a population of five others, within an area (ploughland), defined by 2.5 lord's and 5.5 men's plough teams. In 1066 Earl Harold was the lord of Brinsop, lordship transferred in 1086 to Richard, with Alfred of Marlborough [Alured de Merleberg], as tenant-in-chief to king William I."Brinsop", Open Domesday, Hull University. Retrieved 1 May 2023 Wormsley (Wermeslai) was in the Hundred of Stepleset, and was subject to the lands of three owners. The first, in 1066, was the canons of St Peter's in Hereford, whose Wormsley land included two villagers and one men's plough team. In 1086, lordship had transferred to a 'man-at-arms', but with St Peter's canons remaining as the tenant-in-chief to the king. The second, in 1066, were the lords Alwy and Wulfnoth, with the land in 1086, comprising two smallholders, a priest, and 1.5 lord's and 1.5 men's plough teams, transferred to Leofric, under the tenancy-in-chief of Roger de Lacy. The third owner, of an area of one ploughland, was Hadwy in 1066, by 1086 falling under the lordship and tenancy-in-chief of Roger of Lacy."Wormsley", Open Domesday, Hull University. Retrieved 1 May 2023
19th century During the 19th century, both Brinsop and Wormsley were their own parishes. By the 1850s both parishes, part of the Grimsworth hundred, were in the Weobley Union—poor relief and joint parish workhouse provision set up under the Poor Law Amendment Act 1834—and the Hereford deanery, archdeaconry and diocese. The post town for Brinsop was Hereford, which was the nearest money order office, with letters arriving by foot; that of Wormsley was Weobley, its nearest money order office. Wormsley was west from Moreton-on-Lugg railway station, on the Shrewsbury and Hereford Railway, while the parish was said to "command delightful views of the Malvern and Clee hills". The Hereford to Kington turnpike road ran through both Brinsop and Wormsley. Brinsop population in 1851 was 154 in ; Wormsley, 110 in acres. Brinsop soil was described as "clayey and strong loam", on which were grown wheat, barley, oats, and peas; Wormsley as "clayey and gravel", with turnips, wheat, barley, and oats. One of the two chief landowners at Brinsop was David Ricardo, son to David Ricardo of Gatcombe Park, Gloucestershire; while one of the two at Wormsley was Sir William Rouse-Boughton, Baronet, MP, who was also the lord of the manor. Brinsop Court, a half a mile north from the church, was described as an ancient mansion, that had "evidently been an old monastery, and is surrounded by a deep moat". A tree had been planted by the poet William Wordsworth, who, with Robert Southey, was a frequent visitor. Resident in Brinsop was the parish vicar, at the vicarage, with traders listed including three farmers, one of whom was at Brinscop Court, and a miller at Brinscop Mill. At Wormsley were a stonemason, carpenter, a blacksmith, and three farmers, one of whom was at Wormsley Court.Post Office Directory of Herefordshire, 1856; Brinsop p.13, Wormsley p.103History, Topography & Directory of Herefordshire, 1858; Brinsop pp. 38-39, Wormsley pp. 341-342
St George's church at Brinsop was described as "an ancient structure, the foundation dating from the time of King Stephen", and a small stone building, of a three-bay nave, chancel, north aisle, south porch, and a turret with three bells. On the nave north wall interior were noted "several interesting sculptures", and in the chancel, "two marble monuments" dedicated to members of the Dansey family, who formerly lived at Brinsop Court. In the east window were remnants of "old painted glass". The parish living for the incumbent priest and the curate was a vicarage, with of glebe, an area of land used to support the parish church and priest. A Sunday school was held in the church. The vicarage was described as a "handsome and commodious modern-built mansion, in the Elizabethan style of architecture". Parish charities included those from the parish vicar, and £15 per year from donations of "landed proprietors". St Mary's church at Wormsley was seen as "an unpretending stone building", with a small tower with two hells. The living was a perpetual curracy, worth £75 yearly, with of glebe land, in the gift of Sir William Rouse-Boughton. At Wormsley was founded, by Gilbert Talbot and possibly at the time of King John (1166 – 1216), a priory of Augustine Black canons of the St Victor order, and dedicated to St Leonard de Pyona. Revenues from the priory at the dissolution were valued at £83 10s. 2d. yearly.
By the 1880s the parishes of Brinsop and Wormsley were part of the Northern division of Herefordshire, the Weobley petty sessional division, and the Hereford county court district. Brinsop was approximately north from the railway station at Credenhill, and Wormsley north-east from that at Moorhampton, both stations on the Hereford, Hay and Brecon Railway, later the Midland Railway. The railway line passed through the south of Brinsop parish. The Weobley and Hereford turnpike road still ran though both parishes. Brinsop parish area was now , on which was grown wheat, barley, oats, peas, some hops, on a soil now said to be clayey with strong loam, over a subsoil of clay, gravel and limestone. Wormsley soil, still of 1,233 acres, was then said to be clayey with gravel, over a clay subsoil, growing crops of turnips, wheat, barley and oats, with the parish saying to command "delightful views of the Malvern and Cleo Hills and May Hill". Brinsop population in 1881 was 160; Wormsley, 78. Letters for both parishes were still arriving by foot from Herford, which was Brinsop's closest money order and telegraph office, whereas those for Wormsley, the closest was at Weobley. At Brinsop was now a National School (mixed), with residence for the school mistress, for 40 children, which had an average attendance of 27. Children of Wormsley attended school at Mansell Lacy. Brinsop Court, the former seat of the Dansey family, was now listed as a farmhouse, surrounded by a deep moat, while adjoining it was recorded a "remarkably fine hall", and in the grounds "a beautiful cedar, planted by the poet Wordsworth, who was a frequent visitor at the Court". Lord of the manor at Brinsop was Henry George Ricardo JP of Gatcombe Park, Minchinhampton, Gloucestershire, and of Wormsley, Andrew Rouse-Boughton-Knight DL, JP, of Downton Hall, Ludlow. Major landowners at Wormsley were the rector of Stanford on Soar who lived at Foxley, Hereford, and Major Daniel Peploe Peploe DL, JP, of Garnstone Castle, Weobley. A Weobley to Hereford carrier—transporter of trade goods, with sometimes people, between different settlements—passed though the parishes on Wednesday and Saturday. Listed at Brinsop were four farmer, one also a hop grower, a miller, and the parish sexton, while at Wormsley was a farmer who was alsoa hop grower, a cowkeeper, and a farm bailiff at Wormsly Court.Kelly's Directory of Herefordshire, 1885. Brinsop pp. 1125, 1126, Wormsley p. 1248
In the 1880s Brinsop ecclesiastical parish was in the rural deanery of Weston, Wormsley, that of Weobley, and in both the archdeaconry and diocese of Hereford. Brinsop church of St George is described as of Early English style. The nave north wall sculptures, the west wall marble monuments to members of the Dansey family, formerly of Brinsop Court, remains of old stained glass, are again mentioned. There was "other stained modern windows", one to William Wordsworth. The church was completely restored in 1866-67 from plans by William Cheiake (William Chick), of Hereford. The parish register dates to 1691. Glebe land had increased to , with the living now in the gift of the Bishop of Hereford. The vicarage is described as a modern house in Elizabethan style. Wormsley church of St Mary had been restored. Communion plate in 1885 included a pewter flagon, dated 1716, while the parish register dated to 1749. A churchyard is a monument, with a Latin inscription, was to two sisters, Ursula and Barbara Knight, (1775-7). The living, previously a perpetual curacy, was now a vicarage, in the gift of Andrew Rouse-Boughton-Knight, the vicar, who resided at Kersoe, Worcestershire, also being the vicar of Mansell Lacy, while the curate in charge resided at Mansell-Lacy.