Hereford is the only city and is the county town of Herefordshire. The name is possibly derived from a saxon word here meaning an army or formation of soldiers while the ford is a place to cross the river. Being part of England that has been in the forefront of the Anglo Saxon / Celtic hustory, the original welsh name is Caerffawydd and their own version of Hereford is Henffordd.
Situated on the River Wye, the skyline is dominated by the impressive cathedral. This building dates from 1079 and also houses 3 important items of historical interest.
The Mappa Mundi is a medieval map (not intended as a geographical map in the modern way) of the world dating from the 13th century that was originally made in Lincolnshire.
The Cathedral also has a renowned Chained library ( where the books were chained to the bookcase a practice adopted during the middle ages which proves how valuable they were ) There is also a copy of the Magna Carta the document signed by the King limiting his rights as an absolute monarch. The Magna Carta is accepted as the foundation of the beginnings of civil rights and there were a few revisions for the various kings of this period. This particular one dates from 1217 and was signed by Henry III.
Herefordshire is famous for its cider and to reflect that, Hereford has a well known Cider Museum.
Hereford has an impressive Medieval bridge date There was a castle in the city that was used by King Henry IV as a base during his campaign against the Owain Glyndwr rebellion. The castle fell into use after the civil war and was demolished.
Hereford is also known as the birthplace of Nell Gwynne the mistress of King Charles and the renowned actor David Garrick (1717-1779). The famous SAS regiment was also based in Hereford until the late 1990s
