Ilkeston Cam On Tour - Hereford
w/e 27 July 2003
It must be 30 years or more since we were last in Hereford and
that was not the happiest of occasions as we had made the trip
to visit some relatives who had been seriously injured in a motor
car accident. So I thought it was time to lay the ghost and planned
our return route from our holiday in Wales to pass through the
city. In doing so we crossed over this 15th century six-arched
stone bridge on the River Wye.
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The city is steeped in history and the road from the Wye Bridge
leads, quite naturally into Bridge Street, where timbered buildings
provide even more evidence of its longevity.
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As we approached the Cathedral, a right turn into King Street
revealed more timbered frontages sandwiched between buildings
of a more recent construction.
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And at the end of King Street, a glance down Broad Street shows
that Hereford is also a city of today with expanses of glass,
brick and concrete.
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But from here too, the central tower of the Cathedral dominates
all the surrounding architecture. The tower itself is of the
14th century but the Cathedral dates from the 12th although it
has been much altered in later years.
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The Mappa Mundi, a map of the world drawn circa 1300, lies within
the Cathedral as does a chained library containing nearly 1500
books. Each book is attached by a chain to rods on 17th century
oak bookcases. Unfortunately the entrance porch was as close
as I got, as parking restrictions and a need to continue our
journey home prevented any further exploration of Hereford. Hopefully
it won't be another 30 years before a return visit.
There is obviously much more to Hereford than I have been able
to cover here but if you would like to know more about the Cathedral,
the Mappa Mundi or the history of the city, there is an excellent
web site at
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