1927...in the gift of the Bishop of Hereford. There is a Primitive Methodist Chapel on Welsh Newton Common. Pembridge Castle, built prior to the 13th century, is now a farmhouse. This historic castle was purchased by Dr. Hedley Bartlet (known as Mar Hedley, a Syro-Chaldean bishop), and partially restored in 1914; It was the home for many years of the priest and martyr Father John Kemble (d. 1679), whose tomb pilgrims visit in the village churchyard; his hand is preserved in a shrine at Hereford. The soil is loamy; subsoil, clay and rock. The chief crops are wheat, barley, oats, turnips and fruit. The area is 1,943 acres (7.9 km²)." (1) Cf Wikipedia: Counties (Detached Parts) Act 1844 Folklore In 1913, the historian John Hobson Matthews noted, “The bells of Welsh Newton, Herefordshire, are supposed to say: - "Erfin, cawl erfin" - turnips, turnip broth. This is taken to refer to the bareness of that parish “. Welsh Newton Common The settlement of Welsh Newton Common within the parish is scattered across an area of registered common land with no known owner. The last attempt to establish ownership was made by Rt Hon Viscountess Margaret Eldrudd De L'Isle in 1976, the then owner of the Glanusk Estate. Following a hearing before the Commons Commissioners the application was refused and the common remains unowned. In the absence of an owner, Herefordshire Council manages but does not own the common, nor can it grant rights over it (for example, rights of way) as an owner might. Under section 45 of the Commons Act 2006 the Council has the power to (a)take any steps to protect the land against unlawful interference that could be taken by an owner in possession of the land; and (b)institute proceedings against any person for any offence committed in respect of the land. Notable buildings Pembridge House is an 18th-century listed former Parsonage house situated in a central position within the village. Tremaide Farmhouse and its range of traditional farm buildings overlook the village to the east of the A466. Parkside Farm to the west of the village is a traditional stone farmhouse. References External links Villages in Herefordshire