A GOODLY number of members braved the cold to attend the recent talk, which was given by Rhys Griffith, of the Herefordshire Records Office.

The subject was The Godwins of Lugwardine, a local family at the forefront of designing and producing the beautiful encaustic floor-tiles gracing the floors of cathedrals and stately homes throughout the country.

The first in the line was Henry Godwin, who worked in Ledbury as a brickmaker for Stephen Ballard, the Colwall engineer master-minding the construction of the Hereford to Worcester railway and the Gloucester - Hereford canal. Godwin found that local clays, while suitable for bricks, were also ideal for producing decorative tiles. Moving to Lugwardine, he started his own tile-making business, using clays of different colours to create patterns. This was a delicate process, with each craftsman able to produce only eighteen tiles per day. Inventing new techniques, Godwin vastly improved the output, enlarging the workshops and employing a larger workforce. The remnants of the original workshops may be seen in Lumber Lane in Lugwardine, and the imposing house built by a later member of the family, stands on the main road through the village. Needless to say, it features Godwin tiles on roofs and floors, as does the New Inn, just up the road. As the business grew, the company moved to a new site in Withington, which remained as a tile-works until recently. Among the many important buildings in which these beautiful tiles may be seen are Hereford, Worcester and Salisbury Cathedrals.

Incidentally, the Hereford Record Office has now moved to a purpose-built home on the Rotherwas complex, one better able to do justice to the vast treasury of historical records than its former cramped quarters. There will be an Open Day there this month.

The next talk will feature the history of the Hereford to Gloucester railway, which sadly closed many years ago. I well remember travelling on the last train to run on this picturesque line. The speaker will be Martin Connop-Price, and visitors are welcome to join us on Friday, February 27 at 7.30pm in the Burgage Hall.

MARY WINFIELD