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Welshwood Farm, Brilley

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as;
Walelege

In the civil parish of Brilley.
In the historic county of Herefordshire.
Modern Authority of Herefordshire.
1974 county of Hereford and Worcester.
Medieval County of Herefordshire.

OS Map Grid Reference: SO27724912
Latitude 52.13573° Longitude -3.05744°

Welshwood Farm, Brilley has been described as a Timber Castle although is doubtful that it was such.

There are no visible remains.

Description

Shoesmith in the 1996 edition of Castles and Moated Sites of Herefordshire writes the 'domus defensabilis' mentioned in 'Domesday Book' may have been sited here and adds Walelege means 'wood of Welshmen'. In the revised edition this specific identification is not made but he does state 'once thought to be at Ailey in Kinnersley parish, but now believed to be in Brilley parish.'
Comments

Quite what form a 'domus defensabilis' might take and what, if any, archaeological remains it would leave are an open question. Village nucleation in Herefordshire was not complete and there do seems to have been a number of relatively isolated farmsteads held by thegnal and knightly service so this location is not improbably but that could also said of many other such farms. A possibility may be Brilley Green (SO273488 - SMR no 33824).
See record for Walelege for historic bibliography.
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This record last updated 26/07/2017 09:21:52

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