Wigmore Abbey Grange

Wigmore Abbey Grange is a complex of former monastic buildings just north of the village of Adforton, Herefordshire, England.

History

Wigmore Abbey was founded by Hugh de Mortimer and was first established at Shobdon in 1135, moving to Wigmore in 1160 and finally to Adforton in 1172. Much of the abbey was destroyed in a Welsh uprising in 1221, but was rebuilt by Edmund Mortimer in the 1370s. Very little of the rebuilt abbey now remains, beyond some stretches of wall. In the Middle Ages the abbey developed into the largest in Herefordshire and built a farm, called a monastic grange, to supply provisions.
The Grange at Wigmore comprises a complex of structures dating from the 12th and the 14th centuries. The main building, The Grange, was developed from the abbot's lodgings and subsequently became the grange farmhouse.
In the mid-18th century, a family called Galliers were resident at the Grange and established a notable herd of Hereford cattle. The actor John Challis owned the Grange from 1998 until his death in 2021.

The Grange in art

The architect Edward Blore drew the abbot's lodging in 1850. The amateur artist Louisa Puller painted a similar view in a watercolour of 1941, as part of her work for the Recording Britain project. The artist John Piper painted the lodging in the 1950s.

Architecture and description

The Grange is an L-shaped building, now of three storeys, although originally of two. The sub-structure is Norman, including the undercroft, but much of the upper part of the building is restoration work of the 16th, 17th and 20th centuries. The inner, and two outer, gatehouses are 14th century, while the range ends in an 18th century summer house. The Grange is a Grade I listed building. The gatehouse, and two outbuildings share this, the highest, listing designation, while a barn, gardens walls and a mounting block, and the summerhouse are listed Grade II.