 | Situated in the west of England close to the Welsh border, Hereford is a historic city and the county town of Herefordshire. The population of Hereford is around 51,000 and the first record of its city status dates back to 1189 when it was actually part of Wales.
Hereford was founded around 700 AD and was the Saxon capital of West Mercia. However, during the English Civil War of the 17th Century, the city changed hands several times between the Parliamentarians and King Charles' army.
The city is well known as a trading centre and products from here include cider, beer, leather goods, nickel alloys, chemicals and cattle. Hereford is also the home of the British Special Air Service (the SAS), and in January 2005 it was granted Fairtrade City status
Hereford Cathedral, which dates back to 1079, is home to the Mappa Mundi, a 13th Century map of the world that was restored in the late 20th Century. This is one of the city's most popular tourist attractions and is open daily for visitors.
Other visitor attractions in Hereford include Dore Abbey, which was founded as a Cistercian Abbey by Lord Robert D'Ewyas in 1147, Croft Castle, which started out as a Norman stronghold and is now a country mansion, and the famous Hampton Court Estate, which has a resorted castle, and impressive woodland and gardens.
Postcodes for Hereford begin with the letters HR and as well as Hereford itself the HR postcode includes Ross-On-Wye, Leominster, Bromyard, Kington and Ledbury. |
