| Country: | England |
| Official Name: | Avenbury |
| Static Image: | St Marys Church (Remains of), Avenbury (geograph 2042326).jpg |
| Static Image Caption: | Ruins of St Mary's Church, Avenbury |
| Coordinates: | 52.1755°N -2.4963°W |
| Population: | 225 |
| Population Ref: | (as stated on citypopulation.de) |
| Os Grid Reference: | SO6653 |
| Civil Parish: | Avenbury |
| Shire District: | Herefordshire |
| Shire County: | Herefordshire |
| Region: | West Midlands |
Avenbury is a civil parish in Herefordshire, England. It is on the A465, just south of Bromyard, and by the River Frome. The population of this parish at the 2011 Census was 225.[1]
Avenbury was mentioned on the Domesday Book.[2] The village that was centred on the church of St Mary has now disappeared leaving the parish consisting of a series of farms and hamlets.[3]
In the post-medieval period the village had a barn and several lime kilns as well as houses.[4]
The church was founded ca. 840 AD but rebuilt in Norman times; the tower was built in the 13th century.[5] The church was closed in 1931.[6] Many of the Baskerville family are buried in the churchyard. Three of the bells were rehung in St Andrew by the Wardrobe, London, in 1933.[7]
In May 2007 the church, which had been acquired by a pagan[8] and artist named Leszek Skuriat in the 1970s was put up for sale and a trust created to buy it for preservation.[5] [9] In June 2009 St Mary's church was bought by a local archaeologist.[10] In conjunction with English Heritage, restoration work on the church has commenced: St Mary's is a Grade II* listed building, a scheduled monument and is on the Heritage at Risk Register.[11]