Wiston Manor & Church

From Francis Green in WWHR

In the year 1900, the writer of this article visited Wiston, and the following information noted at the time may be of interest:-

  Practically nothing is left of the old mansion of the Wogans at Wiston, except a portion of the old offices, which has been incorporated into the modern farm house. On entering the gate from the Clarbeston Road, one observes on the left a high bank of earth, which gives the impression that the land on that side is naturally higher ground. This bank, however, is actually the outer fortification of the old castle of Wiston, which was built, or at all events existed in the time of Wizo, the Fleming, who then owned the place.  A few hundred yards on the south side of the drive, which is now merely an occupation road to the present farm house, is the site of the old mansion house, and also that of the present farm house.

  The tenant, Mrs. Elizabeth Jones, who was possibly some 60 or 70 years of age, said that her family had occupied the place for three generations. Her grandfather Thomas Morris of Dulaston in the parish of Wiston, she said, went three times to renew his lease, and on each occasion, the Wogan who owned the property died before the lease could be prepared.

  The following information was given by Mrs. Jones who remembered the old mansion before it was pulled down:-

  The two sitting rooms and part of the kitchen (on the ground floor) of the present farm house were formerly the laundry of the old mansion, and the walls between the sitting room and the stairs is 2ft 6 in thick [77cm]. In this room is an old cupboard, which belonged to the Wogans, and there is an old escritoire upstairs, which was used by that family. In and adjacent building were two parallel vaulted cellars. One of these is now used as a dairy. The arch of the other cellar had been pulled down and was used as an outhouse.

  To the west of the cellars is an outhouse the floor of which is on about the same level as those of the cellars which are a couple of feet or so below the level of the ground. This outhouse was the butler's pantry, housekeepers room and pantry of the old mansion. The butler's pantry formerly had a window on each side of his room, so as to enable the butler to see arrivals at the front as well as at the back door. The old mansion stood to the west of this building, the front door facing the outer fortification of the old castle. The doors of the rooms of the upper storey of the mansion were painted white with narrow blue lines around the panels. Some of the old tiles from the hall of the mansion are now in the pantry of the farm house.

  Mrs. Jones stated that prior to the demolition of the old mansion, Lord Cawdor had a plan of it drawn. Some years ago the writer applied to Lord Cawdor's agent, who made a search for this plan, but without success.

  East of the old castle are the outbuildings of the farm, and also a fine walled garden, and in the south-east corner of the large field (in front of the present farmhouse), which no doubt formed the demesne grounds of the old mansion, are the fish ponds. 

From the church gate facing the entrance to Wiston farm house is a pretty avenue of trimmed lime trees, making a thickly covered archway over the full length of the pathway to the church door. This pathway was paved with stones set on edge. Along the centre of the paving were two rows of stones laid lengthways along the crown of the pathway, the rest of the paving being laid at right angles to these two rows. The paving in 1900 was sadly in need of resetting being very uneven. The paving extended outside of the church gate to the road, and immediately outside the gate, the paving similarly arranged, branched off, forming another path towards Clarbeston.  The vicar stated that formerly a paved path, branched off at the church gate in the direction of Haverfordwest, but there were no signs of any paving at the time of the writer's visit. 

In the chancel of the church at Wiston is a memorial stone to Eleanor, the eldest daughter of John Wogan of Wiston, and wife of Thomas Roberts, and in connection with this monument, there is a local tradition that some years previously two men obtained access to the church, and erased an inscription which filled a space on the stone between the above mentioned inscription and another to the memory of the children of Thomas and Eleanor Roberts. A careful inspection of the stone showed  clearly that no such erasure had been made, and the tradition must merely be one of those which are frequently told in regard to monuments and parish registers in England and Wales.

Wiston Church c2000

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