The Historic City Of Hereford – Herefordshire
The city of Hereford – Herefordshire, England is what is known as a cathedral city and is also the county town of the county of Herefordshire, meaning it is an important municipality. It has a current population of around 51,000 people and is the largest settlement in the entire county. It sits attractively along the Wye River and is only about 16 miles east of the border with Wales.
It is believed that the name of the city comes from the Anglo-Saxon words “here, ” which means and army or group of soldiers, and “ford, ” which is a spot in a river that can be crossed. The implicit suggestion is that the city is where an army or body of armed men crossed over the Wye River. The city is home to Hereford Cathedral, which can be dated back to the year 1079 and also holds a 13th century map of the known world.
By 1189, Hereford had attracted the attention of King Richard I, who granted the town a charter, though it’s been recognized as a city since before much of the history of England was first recorded. Nowadays, it’s a recognized hub for agricultural activities in the region and the county. Additionally — up until the end of the 1990s — Hereford was the home of the Special Air Service (SAS) of the British Army.
Other products of note to come from the city include cider and beer along with leather products, nickel alloy products, certain chemicals and the famous Hereford breed of cattle, which is one of the most popular breeds of beef cattle among ranchers in the southwest of the United States. Truly, the city can be justifiably proud of its contributions to the worldwide cattle and beef industry.
The city itself is believed to have been founded at some point in the year 700, as the capital of the kingdom of West Murcia, a realm of the Saxons. The cathedral itself was built in the 12th century. Additionally, a local castle which had once stood in the city was thought to have been the rival — in size — of the present monarch’s (Queen Elizabeth I) home castle, Windsor.
During the English Civil War of the mid-1600’s, Hereford saw quite a bit of action, having fallen into the hands of the two opposing forces on a number of occasions. King Charles, the monarch at the time, was so appreciative of the support Hereford gave to his cause that he added several symbols of note to the town’s coat of arms, including one that only one other city in the United Kingdom is entitled to sport; London.
The ceremonial county in which Hereford resides is Herefordshire, a governing area of about 180,000 residents. The county lies in the West Midlands region of the country and is also among the most sparsely populated in all of England. Its rural character has helped it to develop not only the Hereford breed of cattle but also a lively trade in cider and beer as well as several other high-quality agricultural products.
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