WALFORD is an extensive parish and pleasant village, situated near the river Wye, on the Ross and Forest of Dean road, and on the Ross and Monmouth railway, the Kerne Bridge station on that line being in this parish. The adjacent scenery has romantic beauty and loveliness not surpassed by any on the Wye. The village is distant 3 miles S.S.W. of Ross, 7½ N.E. of Monmouth, 6 W.N.W. of Mitcheldean, and 17 S.S.E. of Hereford; is in Greytree hundred, Ross union, county court district, polling district, and petty sessional division. The population in 1861 was 1,204; in 1871, 1,303; inhabited houses, 286; families or separate occupiers, 299; area of parish, 4,241 acres; annual rateable value, £7,458. Captain Kingsmill Manley Power, of Hill court, is lord of the manor. The principal landowners are Captain K.M. Power, John Stratford Collins, Esq., Thomas Chivers, Esq., N. Harvey, Esq., and the Rev. T. Syer. The soil is clayey, sandy, and loamy; subsoil, clay, rock, and red brick earth; chief produce, wheat, barley, roots, &c. Walford is in the diocese and archdeaconry of Hereford and rural deanery of Ross; living, a vicarage; gross value, £242, with residence, and a grant of £41 and about 17 acres of glebe from the Ecclesiastical Commissioners; patron, the Lord Bishop of Worcester; vicar, Rev. Arthur Stonhouse, B.A., of Wadham College, Oxford, who was instituted in 1842.

The church of St. Leonard is an ancient stone edifice in the Anglo-Norman style of architecture, with square tower containing two bells. The loss of the spire, which was destroyed by lightning in the beginning of this century, greatly detracts from the completeness of the church. The interior consists of nave, chancel, north aisle, north chapel, and north and south porches. The opening of the chancel arch is elegant, and the arch itself is supported by two piers of Early English design. The nave is separated from the aisle by five piers in the Transition Norman style, with capitals and bases they support Pointed arches. In 1865, the lath and plaster was removed from a part of the roof of the nave, thus displaying the old timber-work, which is perfectly sound. There are several handsome monumental tablets. The parish registers date back more than 200 years. The burial-ground is entered through a lych-gate. A beautiful little building, licensed by the Lord Bishop as a chapel of ease to the parish church, has been erected on Howle hill, in this parish, at the sole cost of Miss Philips, of Hazlehurst. It consists of nave, chancel, sacristy, and south porch, and accommodation is provided for 130 worshippers, including choir stalls in the chancel; the seats, with the exception of these stalls, being unappropriated. The building is in the Early English style, erected from the designs of Messrs. Haddon Brothers, architects, of Hereford and Malvern, the total outlay being about £1,300. It was opened in July 1875, and is served by the vicar and his curate.

The site was presented by a gentleman resident in the parish, who has presented a stained glass window for the east end of the chancel. The charities belonging to the parish amount to about £7 10s. yearly. There is an excellent school building, erected in 1873 at a cost of over £900, defrayed by private subscriptions, an old endowment, and a government grant. Messrs. Haddon were the architects, and Messrs. Pearson, of Ross, the builders. There are chapels for the Baptists, the Wesleyans, and the Brethren. Coughton is a hamlet distant about 2 miles S. of Ross. Bishopswood is a separate ecclesiastical district formed in 1845 out of portions of the parishes of Walford (Herefordshire) and Ruardean (Gloucestershire). It is delightfully situated on the river Wye, and is distinguished for great natural beauty, being surrounded by woodland, hills, and rocks. The population in 1871 was 446; inhabited houses, 97; area of ecclesiastical district, 1,400 acres. The greater part of the land has been recently purchased by Thomas Chivers, Esq. The church, dedicated to All Saints, was erected in 1841, and consecrated in 1845. It was built and endowed by John Partridge, Esq. (the late owner of the Bishopswood estate), and is a stone building with nave, porch, organ, small belfry, and one bell. The living is a vicarage; value, £80, with residence and 7 acres of glebe; patron, Thomas Chivers, Esq.; vicar, Rev. O.J. Ellis, M.A., of Trinity College, Dublin, who was instituted in 1872.

The school in this parish was erected (and since enlarged) by the late patron, John Partridge, Esq. It is under a certificated master and has an average attendance of about 50 children. Bishopswood House is the property of Thomas Chivers, Esq. This beautiful mansion was partially destroyed by fire a few years ago, but is now in process of restoration. Immediately above the mansion is a keeper's tower, in the Gothic style, which forms a handsome feature in the pleasure grounds, and commands many extensive views, taking in Garway hill, above the Mynde and Kentchurch parks, also the Craig, the Gadder bill, the Skirryd, the Blorenge, the Sugar Loaf, and the Black mountains; and to the extreme north, the Clee hills, in Shropshire. From the upper Summer-house, about one mile and a half from Bishopswood house, is obtained a prospect, varied and magnificent, extending over May hill, the Malvern hills, and the obelisk, in Eastnor park. Hill Court, the seat of Kingsmill Manley Power, Esq., J.P., D.L., is a spacious brick mansion, erected in the year 1700. Wythall is the property of John Stratford Collins, Esq., B.A., J.P., D.L. Walford House is the residence of William Allaway, Esq. The Old Hill is in the occupation of Captain Martin Budd Lewin. The Wyelands is the residence of William Partridge, Esq., B.A., J.P., D.L.