subject: The Interesting City Of Hereford - Herefordshire [print this page] 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.
There are a number of products that are produced in and around the city, including cider and beer as well as certain leather products. Perhaps the most famous of Hereford's products is the Hereford cattle breed. This species of cattle is known and appreciated around the world and most especially in the American southwest, where it has been a staple of most herds for well over 150 years. The city can be proud of its contributions, in other words.
Historically, it is believed that Hereford was founded sometime around the year 700 as the capital of the Saxon kingdom of West Murcia. Hereford Cathedral itself is thought to date from the 12th century. At one point, the city was the site of a castle (Hereford Castle) that rivalled that of the world-famous Windsor Castle, home to the present monarch, Queen Elizabeth II.
Over the course of the civil war that raged in England in the 17th century, Hereford was occupied on several occasions by both opposing forces. The English monarch at the time, King Charles, was deeply appreciative of the support the city gave to his forces and decorated the city's coat of arms with a number of important symbols. One in particular is found on only one other city's coat of arms, that of London's itself.
Hereford resides within the ceremonial county of Herefordshire, which has a current population of around 180,000 people. The county is located in the West Midlands region of England and it is largely rural in nature and lightly populated, overall. It is famous not only for its cattle but for many other agricultural products.
