Herefordshire Postcodes — England (ENG)

Herefordshire

Located in the heart of Herefordshire, a historic county in west-central England on the Wye, is the city of Hereford.

After the West Saxons crossed the Severn River in the early 7th century, they established a settlement in the area now known as Hereford. This area was near the Welsh March, a politically unstable stretch of territory surrounding Wales to the east in medieval times. The town was a royal demesne in 1086, but it was also subject to a number of religious taxes (tributes) (feudal holding). The province mint was located there, and in 1215-16, the city was granted a monopoly over the local merchants by establishing a guild of its own. By the sixteenth century, the once-thriving wool trade had fallen on hard times. Although the castle had some early significance, Hereford lost its military prominence with the English conquest and occupation of Wales in the 13th century. It did not regain its status as a major military stronghold until the English Civil Wars in the mid-17th century.

From Norman through Perpendicular, every architectural style is represented at the Cathedral Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. Aethelberht. In 676, the bishopric was separated from that of Lichfield, and Putta became its first bishop. A superior church was rebuilt (1012-52) when the remains of a killed English leader, Aethelberht, were brought to the site, but it was destroyed by rebel Welsh. Construction on the current structure began in 1079 and was finally finished in 1148. When the western tower gave way in 1786, the west facade and the first bay of the nave also fell. It was not until 1904-08 that the west façade was finally restored. The cathedral's principal characteristics are its Decorated style central tower (165 feet/50 meters) and its sumptuous Perpendicular style north porch. There's a famous organ, a huge locked library with of books printed before the printing press, and some interesting artifacts as well.

The bishop's palace, which is located on the castle green, was originally a Norman hall and was designed in the same Perpendicular style as the nearby College of the Vicars Choral. Only one of the castle's six gates and some remnants of the original walls have remained to the present day. Both the Early English and Decorated styles may be seen in All Saints Church, which also features a chained library. This museum is located in the Old Guild House, which dates back to 1621. There has been a school on this site since 1384 when the Cathedral Grammar School opened, and since 1710 when the Blue Coat School did.

Hereford's economy is largely agricultural, revolving around the selling of Hereford cattle and the production of cider, jam, fruit preserves, and beer. Furniture, glass, leather, nickel alloys, and bricks are only some of the manufactured goods.

History

Herefordshire is an old English county, one of the original 39. Back in 1889, the Herefordshire County Council was established.

The administrative county of Hereford, which had been established in 1889, and the county of Worcestershire, which was located to the south, were united in 1974 to form Hereford and Worcester. Within this, the districts of South Herefordshire, Hereford, and a portion of Malvern Hills and Leominster made up the local governments that served Herefordshire. However, the county was disbanded in 1998, and Herefordshire and Worcestershire were restored as separate administrative divisions.

Today's unitary district and ceremonial county are largely based on the original county's boundaries.

Geography

River Wye, which flows through Powys before entering the county, is the fifth-longest in the United Kingdom at 135 miles (217 km). Before making its way back to Wales, the Wye flows through Hereford and Ross-on-Wye. The town of Leominster can be found on the Lugg, a stream that flows into the Wye.

The county is home to two National Scenic Areas. The Malvern Hills are in the east of the county, on the boundary with Worcestershire, while the Wye Valley can be found in the river's valleys to the south of Hereford.