The History of the Ale House
The Church Ale House is a curiosity, an intriguing corner of our English heritage; cause for us to stop and look back through the centuries for a past in which a community shared.
Built in the 1530s, this type of building may have been quite common in churchyards but it is now one of very few in Herefordshire.
Like many old buildings, it has had a mixed history, but its original use was for "Church Ales", fund raising activities rather like village fetes, held several times a year. It seems that a fair amount of merriment and carousing took place, both at these events and also on Sundays. In 1600, Jervis Markham mentions the Colwall Ale House in his poem, "New Metamorphosis", which is now housed in the British Museum. He writes
“About mid-service, they goe in a rowe, after Priest, into the Church-ale-house to carouse."
The building was a large open hall in three bays, the roof was thatched and the floor was probably earth. Church Ales were suppressed in the 17th century and in 1614 the building formed part of the Poor's Land charity, inhabited by paupers. At about this time, a timber frame, one and a half storey cottage was built on to the north end (now the kitchen and WCs) with an alternative entrance. The main hall had a huge fireplace and a bake oven and at the north end, outside the cottage, a wash house and closet were built and probably used by all the families who dwelt here.
300 years later
For three hundred years, the Church Ale House was inhabited by families, the main building until the 1920s, the cottage until 1934. However, it was condemned in 1934 as “unfit for habitation” and by the 1980s it was in a sorry state.
The Rector in the 1930s restored the building for parish purposes, replacing the thatched roof with tiles, removing the upper floor and replacing the windows.
The metal casements you can see now used glass from neighbouring Park Farm (an old Bishop's Palace) and some 16th century glass found in an old garden frame.
The 1980s
Over the years, the whole building became used, more and more, for storing junk and machinery for churchyard maintenance. The 1980s brought renewed interest in the dilapidated building, and the possibility of making proper use of it for the parish was raised by the Rector, Carl Attwood.
An inspection by the Royal Commission on Historical Monuments led to a grant from English Heritage towards renovation and repair. Work began in March 1989 with the central fireplace being removed and the stones used to rebuild the stone plinth.
Extensive repair to the timber frame and the infilling of the panels with wattle and daub of sand, lime and cow-dung(!) took place.
A new floor was laid, using some of the original tiles, new pillars and braces inserted and the old cottage changed into the kitchen and cloakrooms. The work was completed by local craftsmen in November 1989.
Today
Since its refurbishment Colwall Ale House has been in constant use by the church, the local community and those hiring it privately. Now an established local private hire venue, you too can hold your special event in the Ale House and enjoy the historic charms and atmosphere of this beautiful building for your next event or celebration.