Fownhope

Fownhope is a village and civil parish in Herefordshire, England, an area of outstanding natural beauty on the banks of the River Wye. The population of the village at the 2011 census was 999.

==History== The earliest known reference to the village comes from the Domesday Book in 1086, where it is called simply Hope, from Old English hop (dative hope), "small, enclosed valley". Its name was lengthened to distinguish it from neighbouring Woolhope, which was also called Hope at the time of the Domesday Book. Early spellings of the village's name include Faghehop (1242), Fanne Hope (1243), Fawehope (1269), Fowehope (1275), Fonhope (1278), and Fowenhop (1315). The name is believed to come from late Old English *Faganhop ("Faga's valley"), from a personal name *Faga (genitive *Fagan), from Old English fag, "coloured, variegated", although no such personal name is attested.