SAINT BRIAVELS is a village and parish, 6 miles west-by-north from Lydney station on the South Wales railway, 8 south-by-east from Monmouth, 8 north from Chepstow, 5 south from Coleford, and gives the name to the hundred in which it is, in the Western division of the county, union and county court district of Chepstow, rural deanery of South Forest, archdeaconry of Gloucester and diocese of Gloucester and Bristol: the parish of St. Briavels is included in the Forest of Dean and bounded on the west by the river Wye, which here divides the county from Monmouthshire.

The church of St. Mary is a stone building, having chancel, choir, transepts, nave, aisles and tower with 8 bells and clock: it was restored in 1861 at an expense of £2,000: the church is highly interesting, the oldest portion dating from William Rufus: the tower, which originally stood at the intersection of nave and transepts, was, in the year 1830, rebuilt over the north porch; the chancel was entirely rebuilt in 1861: there are one or two monuments of great antiquity now lying in the porch. The register dates from the year 1660. The living is a vicarage, yearly nett value £150, with a house, in the gift of the Dean and Chapter of Hereford and held by the Rev. William Taprell Allen, M.A. ofSt. Mary Hall, Oxford. Here is a Congregational chapel. There are charities of £16 yearly value, principally distributed to the poor in money.

There is a reading room and library, founded by and under the direction of C.L. Denton, esq.; also a Farmers’ Club for St. Briavels and Hewelsfield, of which Mr. Denton is honorary secretary.

Here are the ruins of an old castle, built for the purpose of keeping back the incursions of the Welsh: the Keep, which was built in the reign of William II fell, from age, some years ago: the present buildings were erected by Hugh de Bigod, Earl of Hereford, temp. Henry III.: the entrance towers are entire as are the kitchen and stables and the chapel or oratory, which, until recent years, was used as the court in which all matters relating to the Forest were decided.

The Crown is lord of the manor.

The principal landowners are the trustees of the late Dowager Countess of Dunraven, Colonel Rooke, Rev. H.A.Sergison Atwood, M.A. and Thomas James, esq. The soil is light and loamy; subsoil, limestone and sandstone. The chief crops are wheat, barley, oats and beans. The area (including Hudnalls) is 5.104 acres; rateable value, £6,280 ; the population in 1871 was 1,315.

Parish Clerk William Miller

PRIVATE RESIDENTS

Allen Rev. William Taprell, M.A. Vicarage

Atchison D.G. Woodroyd house

Ballard Arthur, The Lodge

Bullock Thomas

Denton Charles Lord

Griffiths John, Lindors

Ironside Mrs. The Common

Jones Miss, The Common

Kynaston John, Humphery’s lodge

Linsell John, Leys hill

McDonald Mrs. The Florence

Moule Co. William, Hampden cottage

Naish Joseph, The Common

Newberry J.V. Bigsweir house

Norris Mrs. The Cherries

Poole Benjamin, Wyeholme

Prosser Mrs. The Orchard

Shrove Lewis, Wood spring

Stafford Rev. C. [Congregational]

Strickland Algernon, Lindors

Toms Thomas, Yew Tree villa

Wilkinson James, Tyersall, Hudnalls

Wilkinson J.W. Vivace

COMMERCIAL

Allen William, farmer, Churchyard farm

Atfield Alfred, shoe maker

Beard Thomas, farmer, Rodmore farm

Brown Wm. master mariner, The Common

Bullock Wm. Thos. Farmer & maltster

Butler Eemma (Miss), baker

Butler John, farmer

Clark John, farmer, Stowe farm

Churchill Wm. Carpenter, The Common

Clements John, farmer, Mork

Cook Edward, farmer, Stowe

Cox James, mason, The Common

Cox John, mason, The Common

Croxton Thomas, farmer, Little Dunkilns

Davies Edmund, boot & shoe maker

Davis Henry, builder

Dixon Thomas, farmer, New House farm

Dixon Thomas, lime burner

Gray Edwin, carpenter

Griffiths John, farmer, Wilsbury

Holford Mary (Mrs.), farmer, Mork farm

Hughes Jas. Farmer, Breams Cross farm

Hughes Jno. Gywn, haulier & shopkeeper

Hughes Mary (Mrs.), shopkeeper

Hulin Colin, lime burner & farmer

Hulin George, mason, The Common

Hulin Henry, carpenter & joiner

Hulin Isaac, stone mason

Hulin Kingsmill, plumber & glazier

Hunt William, farmer

Hunt Timothy, farmer

James Matthew, carpenter, Mork

James William, carpenter & beer retailer

James William, castrator & beer retailer, Lower Mesne

Jones John, farmer, Hoggins

Jones Robert, shoe maker

Kear Joseph, assistant overseer

Kear Joseph, George

Kear Thomas, haulier

Knapp George, farmer, Mork hill

Matthews Martin, farmer, The Knoll

Miles George, farmer

Miles Henry, farmer, Stowe grange

Moore & Rossiter, grocers & linen drapers

Page Chas. Carpenter, Brockweir common

Page William, butcher & farmer

Plummer James, gardener, The Fence

Prince John, farmer, The Common

Scadding Aaron, carpenter, Brockweir

Shipton James, grocer, linen draper & postmaster

Smith John, farmer, Bearse farm

Stevens Alfred, tailor

Taylor John, blacksmith

Taylor Thos. Terrett, saddler & harness ma

Teague George, farmer. Closeturf

Thomas Jhn. Machine owner, Cole harbr

Townsend James, farmer, Mork farm

Tyler John, farmer, Mork

Whittington John, beer retailer, Mork

Williams John, haulier, The Common

Wintle Robert Henry, farmer, Woodlands

Wintour James, farmer, Dunkilns