In 1887, John Bartholomew's Gazetteer of the British Isles described Hereford like this:
Hereford, parl. and mun. bor., city, and co. town of Herefordshire, on N. bank of river Wye, 144 miles NW. of London by rail, 4969 ac., pop. 19,821; 4 Banks, 4 newspapers. Market-days, Wednesday and Saturday. During the Heptarchy Hereford was the capital of Mercia. Much of its early history is connected with its position as a border garrison town, which was frequently subjected to the attacks of the ancient and turbulent inhabitants of Wales. ...
The see of Hereford was erected in the 7th century, and in 1189 the town received its first charter from Richard I. Hereford Cathedral, a very beautiful building, with a tower 160 ft. high, was built about 1115, on the site of an older edifice; it was restored from designs by Sir Gilbert Scott in 1863. The city was about the last place that surrendered to the Parliamentarians. It was the birthplace of David Garrick (1716-1769) and of Nell Gwynne. The mfrs, are gloves, leather, nails, hats, &c. Important cattle and cheese fairs are held. The bor. returns 1 member to Parliament (2 members until 1885).
Hereford through time
Hereford is now part of Herefordshire district. Click here for graphs and data of how Herefordshire has changed over two centuries. For statistics about Hereford itself, go to Units and Statistics.
GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth, History of Hereford in Herefordshire | Map and description, A Vision of Britain through Time.
URL: https://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/place/240
Date accessed: 21st March 2025
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