Bacton, Herefordshire

Bacton is a small village in the rural area of south-west Herefordshire, England, 14 miles (23 km) from Hereford.Parish churchThe parish church of St Faith's dates from 13th century and has a relatively long entry in Pevsner's survey of the county's buildings.Inside the church is Blanche Parry's memorial; Parry was Chief Gentlewoman of Queen Elizabeth's most honourable Privy Chamber and Keeper of Her Majesty’s jewels. It is possible that an altar cloth belonging to the parish church was made from a dress once worn by Queen Elizabeth I of England and given to Blanche Parry. The material of the cloth appears to form part of the clothing of the Queen in the early 17th-century "Rainbow Portrait", attributed to Marcus Gheeraerts the Younger.The church is now part of the Ewyas Harold group of parishes. There is a service about once a month. Next to the church there is a village hall.Listed buildingsBacton has a relatively large number of listed buildings. The parish church is listed Grade II* and another 16 buildings, barns and monuments from the 17th to 20th centuries are listed as Grade II.HistoryOne mile to the north are the earthwork remains of a small motte and bailey castle known as Newcourt Tump. The castle seems to have fallen out of use by the 14th century.According to Domesday Book in 1086, Bacton, in the hundred of Stradel, had a mere two households. The Lord of the Manor was Gilbert of Eskecot, whose tenant-in-chief was Roger of Lacy.