Leintwardine
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  Map sources for Leintwardine at grid reference SO404741
|
Leintwardine is a large village and civil parish in north Herefordshire, England, close to the border with Shropshire.
Roman Leintwardine
A popular misconception is that the Romans of Romans called the village Branogenium. Branogenium in fact refers to a Roman hill fort roughly 1/4 of a Mile South of the village. The Romans did in fact term Leintwardine Bravonium.
The name Bravonium, as it appears in the Antonine Itinerary (Iter XII), is derived from the Celtic word for quern.¹ This suggests that there was either a hill or rock formation here that looked like a quern, or that there were quern quarries nearby.² In the Upper Silurian series, the Leintwardine beds outcrop in the area and these consist of a calcareous sandstone which would have been suitable for making querns of a finer grade than could be obtained from Millstone grit, which was commonly used. Querns of this calcareous sandstone have been found at Viroconium."
It is theorised by Herefordshire Historian Duncan Brown that Leintwardine performed the role of trading post and outpost early in the Roman conquest of Britain. Its commonly accepted that a "Mansio" of Roman Postal service building was constructed in Leintwardine. The archeological excavations of W&CA Griffiths prior to the construction of a modern warehouse in the early 1990s discovered a Roman Bathhouse which further points to Roman Leintwardine being a "travel lodge" of Roman Britain.
The construction of a massive rampart in around 170AD (ranging up to two metres tall) are still visible in places around Leintwardine. The construction is theorised by local historians to be the result of one of two events. The argument currently in retreat is that following a local uprising the Romans evicted all locals and constructed the Pallisade. The preferred line is that the Ramparts were built following widespread local unrest to protect the Mansio and the Baths which serviced Roman cavalry forts to the North, South and North West.
Graves dug in Leintwardines Church St. Mary Magdalene to a depth of 8ft show a clear level of broken pottery and charcoal. This is in line with the historical thought that Roman Leintwardine burnt down much like the Roman towns of Magna (Kenchester) and Ariconium (Weston-under-Penyard).
In later history
Leintwardine is listed in the Domesday Book of 1086 as Lenteurde, and is apparently derived from the Celtic name for the River Teme - formerly known as the Lent which means simply 'torrent, stream' - coupled with the Old English worth 'enclosure', later replaced by worthign 'enclosed settlement.' The modern name therefore, means 'The Enclosed Settlement on the River Lent.'
Modern Leintwardine
Modern Leintwardine has a vibrant community feel so often lost in modern day villages. Its Parish council is active and many interest groups such as the Leintwardine Historical Society exist with active and numerous members. Leintwardine plays home to the MP the Rt Hon Phillip Dunne (Ludlow) and is represented by Rt Hon Paul Wiggin (Leominster).
Business in the village
W&CA GriffithsW&CA Griffiths, historically born and bred within Leintwardine this business provides Leintwardine with a Fuel station, Mini Market, Post Office, Car Repairs, and Paper delivery. Its continued expansion has provided Leintwardine with services usually unseen in the regions many other villages.
A.H. Griffiths A.H. Griffiths the family butchers, originally based within Leintwardine has expanded to the local market town of Ludlow and is particularly famous for its unique sausages and its high quality meat produce. A.H.Griffiths is one of the last remaining abbatoirs left in this country with its own butchers shop out front making it unique.
The Lion Hotel The Lion Hotel is owned by Enterprise Inns and recently began to take on the role as Restaurant.
The Sun Inn The Sun Inn is one of the country's very last remaining Parlour Inns. The traditional mode of recreational drinking in British history.
The Frog The Frog, the nationally renowned restaurant right on the boundaries of Leintwardine is known as a specialised Fish Restaurant. The philiosophy of the Frog is to : "Find the finest seasonal ingredients and local produce to create imaginative and delightful cuisine. Our ingredients are sourced from our diverse shores, including line caught fish from the Cornish coast. We want to share our love of good food!"
Walford is the next parish about 2 km southwest of Leintwardine.
The River Clun joins the River Teme to the southwest of the town.
