Elizabeth Jane Woodhouse Lewis (1813–1874) was born in Ludlow and spent much of her life at Yatton Court, Aymestrey. She seems to have been a remarkably independent spirit, who defied her father by marrying geologist and antiquarian, Revd Thomas Taylor Lewis. She was fascinated by history and architecture throughout her life and an avid ‘church crawler’ from her early 20s. Exquisitely rendered images of Romanesque sculpture, ancient churches, ruined castles, country houses and vernacular buildings nestling amongst wooded slopes leap from the pages of her albums. Many of these works now serve as invaluable records of structures that have since been altered or lost. Her work reflects the intellectual curiosity of the Victorian period, the often-overlooked contribution of women and a strong concern for conservation — interests that later influenced the restoration of Aymestrey Church.
Nicola Kearton, ‘Elizabeth Jane Woodhouse Lewis: Love & Art in Siluria’ was recently published in Transactions of the Woolhope Naturalists’ Field Club, 2024.
