Scheduled Monuments›England›Shobdon Arches

Shobdon Arches

England

List entry 1005365

Nation

England

The designation

Reference

List entry 1005365

Authority

Historic England (NHLE)

Status

Scheduled Monument

Scheduled area

0.03 hectares

Grid reference

SO 40070 63251

Boundary

Scheduled area

Overview

History & significance

Shobdon Arches is a folly comprising three Norman arches relocated from the original twelfth-century church of Shobdon in Herefordshire. The arches, which date from around 1120–1140, are distinguished by their fine Romanesque decoration featuring zigzag moulding and other carved enrichments characteristic of the period. They were moved to their present location in the grounds of Shobdon Court during the eighteenth century as part of an estate landscaping scheme, where they remain as a picturesque ruin within the designed landscape. The structure represents both the architectural quality of the original Norman church and a significant example of eighteenth-century antiquarian collecting and the fashion for romantic garden follies.

Shobdon Arches is a scheduled monument protected by Historic England under reference 1005365. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Shobdon Arches?

Shobdon Arches is a folly comprising three Norman arches relocated from the original twelfth-century church of Shobdon in Herefordshire. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic England (NHLE) under reference 1005365.

Who is responsible for protecting Shobdon Arches?

Shobdon Arches is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by Historic England (NHLE) — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in England. The official designation reference is 1005365.

What other scheduled monuments are near Shobdon Arches?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Bowl barrow 550m south east of Milton Cross (3.3 km), Bowl barrow 490m south east of Milton Cross (3.4 km), Bowl barrow 460m south of Milton Cross (3.6 km).

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Shobdon Arches

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 15 strands of Shobdon Arches's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:

Overview

An interactive map of the location with every monument and battle plotted, and a plain-language history built only from what the record holds.

Monuments

The legally protected scheduled monuments around the location, each with its period, type and significance.

Battlefields

The battles and sieges fought on this ground, mapped and set on a timeline of the wider conflict.

Roman Britain

The Roman roads, forts and towns near here, and the Iron Age people who held the land before Rome arrived.

Domesday

The settlement's entry in the 1086 Domesday Book: who held it, what it was worth, and the people who worked the land.

Civil War

The Civil War fighting, garrisons and recorded militaria in this area, woven into the arc of 1642 to 1651.

Geology

The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back hundreds of millions of years.

LiDAR

Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks hidden under fields and woodland, with likely features flagged.

Local Names

What the street and field names around here actually mean, and the history buried inside them.

Historical Maps

Ordnance Survey maps from the 1800s, layered over the location as it stands today.

Literature

The books, county histories, charters and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.

Legal

The protected sites nearby and the metal-detecting, access and treasure laws that apply to this ground.

Spotlight

A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.

Target Zones

For detectorists: the most promising ground to search nearby, ranked by confidence, with what to expect.

Timeline

The whole story of the location told era by era, from prehistory to the present day.

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Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

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Nearby

Other scheduled monuments within 10 km

Bowl barrow 550m south east of Milton Cross

3.3 km

Bowl barrow 490m south east of Milton Cross

3.4 km

Bowl barrow 460m south of Milton Cross

3.6 km

Motte SW of the church

Mound N of the church

5.1 km

North Herefordshire Rowe Ditch

5.2 km

The ground beneath

The bedrock under Shobdon Arches

Shobdon Arches stands on Ludlow Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Ludlow. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone and sandstone.

The wider landscape

Around Shobdon Arches

KenchesterRoman town · ~13 miles Offa's DykeArchaeological site · ~17.8 miles

Domesday entry for Shobdon, Herefordshire →

All Scheduled Monuments