ABINGHALL or ABENHALL, is a parish, on the road from Newnham to Mitcheldean, two-and-a-half miles south-west from Longhope station on the Hereford, Ross and Gloucester section of the Great Western railway and five north-west from Newnham, in the Forest of Dean division of the county, St. Briavels hundred, union of Westbury-on-Severn, Newnham county court district and petty sessional division, rural deanery of South Forest, archdeaconry of Gloucester and diocese of Bristol. The church of St. Michael and All Angels is an ancient building of stone in the Early English and Decorated styles, consisting of chancel, nave of two bays, south aisle, south porch and a tower at the west end of the south aisle containing 3 bells; the octagonal font was given by the miners' guild in 1450: in the chancel is a brass with four effigies to Richard Pyrke, of Mitcheldean, ob. 1609. Joan (Ayleway), his wife, and two children: there are several stained windows, including one added to the memory of the late Herbert Fitzherbert Jones, surgeon, of Mitcheldean: in 1874 the roof was opened so as to disclose the timber framing and a gallery removed, at a cost of £400, and in 1879 the church was entirely restored and reseated, at the sole cost of the Rev. S. J. Johnson M. A. rector 1879/81: an organ chamber was added in 1883, at a cost of £200: there are sittings for 120 persons. In 1912 the chuhrchyard was extended by the addition of land presented by the late Miss Barton. The register dates from the year 1596. The living is a rectory, net yearly value £330, with residence, in the gift of the Lord Chancellor, and held since 1919 by the Rev. Finlay Monds Finlay Green B. D. of Trinity College, Dublin. The old school is now used as a parish room. The hard red stone found here is used for building and monumental purposes. The Wilderness is now used as an Isolation Hospital. The land is chiefly held by freeholders. The soil is sandy; subsoil, red sandstone. The chief crops are oats, wheat, barley and roots. The area is 763 acres; rateable value, £1,543; the population in 1921 was 189 in the civil and 614 in the ecclesiastical parish. A detached part of the parish being transferred to East Dean by Local Govenment Board Order 14.762. March 25, 1885.By an Order in Council gazetted May 24, 1912, Shapridge and parts of Edgehills and Plump Hill were transferred from Holy Trinity, East Dean, to Abenhall for ecclesiastical purposes.
Letters received through Gloucester, via Mitcheldean which is the nearest post, money order & telegraph office is at Mitcheldean, about one mile distant.
PRIVATE RESIDENTS
EDWARDS Mrs. Fernyfield
GREEN Rev. Finlay Monds Finlay, B. D. (rector), The Rectory
LeFROY Miss Bessie M., J. P.
LeFROY Mrs., Abenhall Lodge
TEAGUE Miss, Abenhall house
COMMERCIAL
BISHOP Thomas. R., Lamb P.H.
HART Frederick, farmer, Shapridge
HOBBS Wm. Jn., garage, T. N. Drybrook 17
MASON Fredk. C., farmer, Church farm
RYDER Jn., farmer, Gunn's mills