Herefordshire Council helps uncover Crafta Webb mystery
Herefordshire Council’s archaeologists are helping to uncover the mystery of the lost Crafta Webb hamlet.
This former settlement on Bredwardine Hill grew rapidly in the early 1800s as a result of the George Jarvis Charity.
Jarvis left £30,000 in his will to help the poor of the three villages of Bredwardine, Staunton on Wye and Letton and this led to the hamlet’s population growing to more than 400 by the mid 19th century.
By the late 20th century, however, there were just 150 residents and today nothing can be seen of this once-thriving village that once had its own grocer, tailor and shoemaker.
Rev Francis Kilvert, the local vicar famous for his accounts of Victorian life, visited Crafta Webb for regular Wednesday evening lectures and mentioned the hamlet in his diary between 1877 and 1879.
No-one knows what happened to the people who once lived at Crafta Webb, how they lived and what it was that eventually made them leave and this is where Herefordshire Council’s archaeology department has been able to help.
Christopher Atkinson, Herefordshire Council community archaeologist, led a working party made up of members of the local community and they spent several days mapping the remaining visible features of Crafta Webb.
These included foundations to a barn complex and some of the stone cottages at the former settlement and the maps drawn up have been used to update the Sites and Monuments Record so they will be available for use by researchers in the future.
Christopher said: “It may be the Crafta Webb community developed around the quarry and, once the mining was exhausted, the workers moved on to new sites. It was interesting to map the remains of the buildings on the site and we have also found items of pottery dating from the time of the Crafta Webb community.”
The Rural Media Company is working on a year-long project with the communities of Bredwardine, Staunton and Letton to uncover the mystery of Crafta Webb.
Residents have formed a steering group to research the history of the hamlet (also known as Crafty Webb, Croftywebb), and they will help devise, write, perform and produce the finished film with the Rural Media Company. It is hoped this film will gets its premiere in June 2007.
The Crafta Webb project has been part financed by the European Union and DEFRA through the Herefordshire Rivers LEADER + Programme.
