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Churches, by two sisters : such traditions are incentives to the discovery of their 
real history. ‘‘ Sister” Churches are not uncommon; at Willingales in Essex 
there are a pair in the same churchyard. 
At Abbey Dore the Rev. Alfred Phillipps received the party. He had 
caused some search to be made for the remains of the destroyed building before 
the arrival of the visitors. Mr. Blashill described the Abbey, (dedicated to the 
Virgin Mary, and built in the reign of King Stephen by Robert, Earl of Ferrars, 
and Lord of Ewias) pointing out how the Cistercian or White Monks, arose in 
Burgundy in 1098, and were introduced into this country in 1128, this Abbey 
having been founded soon afterwards. It seems certain that their first Church, 
if not their whole establishment, was afterwards rebuilt, the present fabric 
dating from late in the reign of Henry II., as the pointed arches and extremely 
interesting transitional carving indicate. A very remarkable letter from the 
young Prince Arthur, elder brother of Henry VIII., shows that great abuses had 
arisen in the Abbey, and asks help for the new Abbot, who desired to effect 
reform. But soon followed the dissolution and ruin of the building, with its 
subsequent restoration by Lord Scudamore, a sketch of whose life and good deeds 
is recorded with so much interest in the second part of The Herefordshire Pomona. 
The tomb of Serjeant Hoskyns, another worthy, was inspected, and some one 
referred to his having amused King James I, by a morris dance of ten persons, 
whose united ages averaged 1000 years. The man or woman, who will believe 
that, will no doubt believe anything. They will believe the inscription on the 
tombstone of a former inhabitant of this parish, which gives the age as 141, the 
true age being doubtless 4. Mr. Blashill, in conclusion, ventured the heretical 
opinion that the tower, which the histories say was built by Scudamore, was 
really built in the fifteenth century by the monks of Dore. A marble slab on the 
wall is placed to the memory of Duncumb, the historian of Herefordshire. In 
the aisle, at the back of the altar, are recumbent figures of two Knights, arrayed 
in armour, supposed to represent Robert de Ewias, the founder of the Abbey, 
and Sir Roger Clifford, (the younger) who were both buried here. The altar is 
formed of a stone slab, fourteen feet long, which had been removed, after the 
dissolution of the monastery, and for many years had been used at a farm-house 
as a salting stone. Before leaving the Abbey some very handsome Communion 
plate was shown, the gift of Lord Viscount Scudamore after he became possessed of 
the Abbey Dore estate. 
Mr. Phillipps very hospitably entertained the visitors to afternoon tea before 
they started for the beautiful walk over Ewyas Harold Common to Pontrilas. As 
the hill was topped, the slanting rays of the evening sun lit up such a glory of 
bright furze as will not soon be forgotten. Had we been a party of pleasure, 
how we should have reyvelled in it, and in the lovely scenery that encircles the 
spot ! The Golden Valley and Vale of Dulas, with Ewyas Harold nestling in the 
wooded bottom, beyond Rowlston, the striking outline of the Skyrrid or Holy 
Mountain, and nearer, the hills of Garway, the Saddle Bow and Aconbury, with 
many lesser points of interest, all combined to justify the praises that have been 
given to this scene. Diligent search was made on the slopes of the hill for the 
