Hereford Cathedral

Posted on December 10, 2020

by Cool Places Britain

The first Hereford Cathedral was a stone building from the 7th century.

After about 200 years it was altered, but then in 1056 it unfortunately was burnt down by Welsh and Irish soldiers.

After the Norman Conquest of 1066, the cathedral was rebuilt in Norman or Romanesque style.

Thankfully much of the earlier Saxon structures remained, including sections of the crypt, chapel, nave, and south transept.

There are three main reasons for visiting this beautiful cathedral.

#1 Mappa Mundi

Hereford Cathedral is home to the Hereford Mappa Mundi, one of the world’s unique medieval treasures.

Measuring 1.59 x 1.34 metres (5’2” by 4’4”), the map is constructed on a single sheet of vellum (calf skin).

Scholars believe it was made around the year 1300 and shows the history, geography and destiny of humanity as it was understood in Christian Europe in the late 13th century.

#2 The Chained Library

The cathedral also houses the Chained Library, the largest surviving chained library in the world.

In the early 17th century, chained libraries could be found in universities and cathedrals. This is one of the few libraries still to be chained.

It contains about 1,500 books, dating from around 800AD to the early nineteenth century. It includes 227 medieval manuscript books.

#3 Magna Charta

Last but not least.

The cathedral is fortunate to possess one of only four 1217 Magna Carta to survive, which in turn is one of the finest of the eight oldest that survive.

It is sometimes put on display alongside the Hereford Mappa Mundi in the cathedral’s Chained Library.

Walking

Hereford is a great city to explore on foot because there are over twenty miles of dedicated traffic-free paths.

If you only have an hour to spend, then go for a short Riverside Walk along the River Wye while taking in the hustle and bustle of the medieval city centre.

We enjoyed a 7,5-mile walk, starting from the cathedral and heading along the banks of the Wye to Breinton Springs.

This lovely circular walk can be accessed from Breinton Springs itself, or from Hereford Cathedral.

Long-distance paths

You could also join the Wye Valley Walk in Hereford.

The Wye Valley Walk runs for 136 miles from the slopes of Plynlimon in mid Wales to Chepstow in Monmouthshire.

The walk enters Herefordshire at Hay-on-Wye and leaves the county after 57 miles, just north of Monmouth.

It’s clearly waymarked as it follows the route of the river, giving excellent views of the Wye valley from the surrounding hills.

If you are up for a challenge, then take on the Herefordshire Trail.

The Herefordshire Trail is a 154-mile circular trail.

It links the five market towns of Ledbury, Ross-on-Wye, Kington, Leominster and Bromyard, along with some of the picturesque villages and hamlets for which Herefordshire is renowned.