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Weston-under-Penyard
lies south-west of the Roman
settlement of Ariconium.
Ariconium is identified from
the Antonine Itinerary: 'Caerleon
to Reading. Via Usk 11
miles to Monmouth - 11 to Ariconium
- 15 to Gloucester' (Taylor,
1998).
Weston-under-Penyard,
Westune in Domesday,
derives its name from being
the western settlement - the
west tun - in the old
land parcel containing Ariconium
(Coplestone-Crow, 1989).
The eastern tun in the
parcel is Aston Ingham,
which was Estune in Domesday
and takes its Ingham suffix
from the family which owned
the manor in the 13th
century (ibid.).
The Penyard element is Welsh
- high hill (ibid.).
At Domesday Weston
was held by Durand of Pītres,
constable of Gloucester Castle
and Sheriff of Gloucestershire
(Thorn and Thorn, 1983).
Gunnar had held it in
King Edward’s time.
Of Durand’s eight manors
in Herefordshire, all three
in Bronshash Hundred had been
held by Gunnar, the others being
Pontshill and Coldborough.
Westune
had two hides which paid tax,
and two borderii had 1 plough,
although three more were possible.
Its value, in 1066 and in 1086
was 4 shillings.
The Parish Church
of Weston-under-Penyard, St
Lawrence, is a structure of
sandstone rubble with ashlar
dressing with a nave and a north
aisle dating from the late 12th
century (RCHM, 1932).
Weston was legally in the Forest
of Dean for most of this period,
although temporarily ‘de-forested’
in the legal sense in 1298
(Hart, 1966, p29). |
