Allensmore
Herefordshire

St Andrews Church, Allensmore, by G B Lewis 1838

Bruce Coplestone-Crow identifies Allensmore as the place named simply More in Domesday. There the bishop had one hide valued at five shillings and the canons of Hereford had four hides. Three clerks had three villagers with four ploughs. The value was fifteen shillings.

The name is derived from Old English mōr - wet, low-lying ground. The affix was probably from Alan fitzMain who held the manor under the bishop in the 12th century.

Archaeological remains within the parish of Allensmore include cropmarks at Moss Green that show a double ditched enclosure cut by a later field boundary. On the south-west side a field boundary respects, and follows the south-west side of the enclosure, possible representing a further bank. The enclosure is undated, but is probably earlier than the medieval period.

Cobhall Court Farm in the 1920s or 30s: photograph by Alfred Watkins courtesy of Hereford Library

Cobhall is a small hamlet with a farm dating to the late 15^th or early 16^th century, with 17^th century extensions. There is a 17^th century brick barn with a timber frame to the south-east. There is a possible motte to the south of Cobhall, where a large circular feature has been disturbed by ploughing.

In Domesday Cobhall was held by Roger de Lacy. Alfward had held it in 1066. There was 1 hide which paid tax. Gerard held from Roger and  had 2 ploughs in lordship. There were 4 bordars with 1 hide; 9 slaves, male and female. Value before 1066 was 50 shillings - now as much.

Allensmore is a medieval settlement that has shrunk. Settlement earthworks to the south-east of the church consist of banks and ditches, and the remains of medieval farming techniques (ridge and furrow) in fields to the south. Further earthworks to the west of Woodstreet Farm are possibly house platforms and a hollow-way of a shrunken medieval village.

 H B Lewis 1837