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Hereford
Herefordshire has always been a border county. Even before the Norman conquest it was defended by strong castles against raiders coming down from the Black Mountains to the west of the county. After the conquest William devised a simple plan to make sure that the process of acquiring more land should continue. He gave his closest followers permission to hold, for themselves, any land they conquered in the west. Naturally enough, in order to hold on to what they had won for themselves, the new landowners, under constant threat of attack, built more and more castles. This has made Herefordshire a highly important county for the study of medieval castles. On the crags of Symonds Yat stands the remains of one of them, Goodrich Castle, which eventually fell to the troops of Oliver Cromwell during the Civil War. In order to storm the castle they employed a huge mortar nicknamed 'Roaring Meg', and this piece of artillery may be seen today among the relies on Castle Green in Hereford. Fortunately, Symonds Yat is now a scene of peaceful tranquility and is noted for providing one of the most beautiful views of the River Wye as it meanders through the lush countryside far below.
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There are many other Saxon, and particularly Norman, remains to be seen. King Harold was, in fact, the Earl of Hereford from 1057 until he died at the Battle of Hastings, and the city was once the Saxon capital of West Mercia. A great deal of Norman work may be seen in the cathedral although a considerable part of the building has been added since. Hereford would have retained even more of its early history had it not been for a decision to effect a programme of modernization, commencing with the destruction of the city walls, in the latter part of the eighteenth century. It seems that planners and developers, intent on destroying the old and beautiful, are no new phenomenon! In spite of this, the city is still steeped in history from the Bronze Age onward and there are many fascinating things to see. Of particular note is the magnificent chained library containing about 1500 captive books; a relic of the days when printed books were so precious, and liable to be stolen, that they were secured to their shelves by strong chains!
Hereford is a county that seems to have been spared many of the trials of modern progress and it remains peaceful and rural. It rivals Kent in its fruit production and it still accounts for over half the apples used in the country for cider making. The white faced breed of Hereford cattle is too well known to require mention and has been used all over the world to improve other breeds.
The lovely market town of Ledbury, in its beautiful pastoral setting, was the birthplace of the late John Masefield, Poet Laureate from 1930 until his death in 1967. He always said that he drew deeply, in his works, on the profound influence that his home county had on him throughout his life. Looking across its lovely pastures, or travelling along its country roads, it is not difficult to understand why.
Hereford Hotels
The Three Counties Hotel - Belmont Road, Hereford, Herefordshire HR2 7BP
Pilgrim Hotel - Ross Road, Much Birch , Hereford HR2 8HJ
Pengethley Manor Hotel - Pengethley Park, Ross-on-Wye , Ross-on-Wye HR9 6LL
Leylandii House - Church Road, Clehonger , Hereford HR2 9SE
The Chase Classic Hotel - Gloucester Road , Ross on Wye HR9 5LH
Bridge House Hotel - wilton , Ross-on-Wye HR9 6AA
Wilton Court Hotel - Wilton Lane Ross on Wye , Ross on Wye HR9 6AQ
The Kings Head Hotel - 8, High Street , Ross on Wye HR9 5HL
Royal Hotel - Palace Pound , Ross-on-Wye(Hereford) HR9 5HZ
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