Mystical and Historical Wonders of Herefordshire

Its location in the most western part of England between the urban Midlands, the mouth of the River Severn and the imposing Welsh landscape, makes Herefordshire a corner of the British Isles which is shrouded in mystery and receives little of the national spotlight. However, it is this location that has made it a trove of ancient stories and significant historical crossroads. Its westerly position kept the county out of reach from European invaders landing on the east and south coasts for longer, with the Welsh Marches having been one of the last regions to succumb to both Roman and Saxon conquer. But following the establishment of the Western frontier of what came to be England, Herefordshire was a deeply vulnerable territory to the disgruntled Welsh, bringing upheaval to the region as well as a regressive label that has only been shaken in relatively recent times.

Its relative obscurity has remarkably sparred Herefordshire from the full extent of the modernisation and industrialisation that has swept across the rest of the country, leaving many traces of its history, both of factual and mythical, still there to be explored and absorbed in times long removed from its tumultuous past.

Arthur’s Stone

At the summit of a uneven, secluded track, in the hills overlooking the serene landscape of the Golden Valley lies Arthur’s Stone, an over 5,000 year old burial chamber near the village of Dorstone. Although only its inner-chamber remains, the ancient stone structure is a breath-taking site that holds a tale of the legendary King. The most prominent legend linking it to Arthur tells of his battle with a giant. When King Arthur slew the giant, the beast fell onto the stones and left the marks which can be seen today, a scene which can be vividly imagined as you run your fingers over the contours in the rocks. The other amazing feature of Arthur’s Stone is the incredible view over the rolling fields of the Golden Valley which is relatively unchanged from what those who built the monument and King Arthur would have seen thousands of years ago.

Arthur’s Cave

Arthur’s Stone is not the only landmark with an Arthurian connection. Nestled in the woods of an ancient nature reserve near Symonds Yat in the Southern tip of the county is Arthur’s Cave. The cave’s connection to Arthur is even more unclear than the stone although the most popular theory is that a large skeleton that was discovered in the cave in 1695 is believed to be that of the King. However, it has also been linked to another legendary British King, Vortigern, who is said to have been the leader who either invited the Anglo-Saxons to Britain or fought against them. This mystery simply adds to the allure of the cave which hums with whispers of the past.

What is certain is that it was used by both men and a variety of animals including hyaenas, horses, deer and even rhinoceroses and lions, for refuge with these having been discovered when the cave was excavated in 1871 and dated to the Late Pleistocene, between around 129,000 and c. 11,700 years ago.

Map A Mundy

Another awe invoking piece of history in Herefordshire is the Mappa Mundi, the largest surviving medieval map in the world. Although this is a fascinating accolade, the map’s interest goes beyond its age as its subject matter is more theological and artistic than it is geographical. The scrawls on the calf-skin sheet depict the entire known world with Jesus in Heaven presiding over the earth and Biblical stories such as the Garden of Eden and Noah’s Ark and Greek Myths like the Golden Fleece taking place below. It includes places such as Rome, Paris, Hereford and the centre of the Christian world, Jerusalem and stretches as far as the Nile to the South and the Ganges to the East. Modern scholarship has linked the map with the cult of Thomas de Cantilupe, who was made Bishop of Hereford in 1275 and was known for his intolerance of the Jews, which offers an explanation to some of the map’s images such as the worshipping of a golden calf with demonic horns in the scene of Exodus. This further complicates the contemporary understanding of this fascinating artifact which provides and incredibly unique and interesting insight into the Medieval mind.

The Cathedral itself also boasts an exceedingly interesting story explaining its dedication. Hereford Cathedral is named in honour of St. Ethelbert, the Anglo-Saxon King of East Anglia who was betrothed to marry the daughter of King Offa of Mercia. In 794 he was lured to Herefordshire to visit his future wife but was beheaded by Offa, or possibly his wife, and was buried in the Cathedral, becoming a figure of veneration in the city. This tale adds another dimension to the majesty of the Cathedral which has been a centre piece to the county’s history since its establishment at least sometime in the 7th century.

Shobdon Arches

Not all of Herefordshire’s historical sites are tied to Britonic and Anglo-Saxon myths, in fact there is an abundance of places which have an undisputedly factual history. In the North West of Herefordshire there is the village of Shobdon, which was previously the seat of the titles of Viscount and Baron Bateman who resided at Shobdon Court from 1725 until 1931. The village is famed for its white and blue Gothic style church which was remodelled in the mid-1700s. However, the old church has been far from forgotten as the arches from the original 14th century building were placed at the top of the hill near the church serving an incredible ‘eye catcher’. The walk up to the arches is lined by trees leading up to the summit where the view looks south past the village below across the stunning rural landscape. The worn stone structure still remains to be a fantastic example of Herefordian Romanesque sculpture containing classical images of Christ and angelic figures and well as broader Celtic and Anglo-Saxon imagery.

Snodhill Castle

Snodhill castle near the village of Dorstone is one of the oldest and largest Norman castles in Britain and is currently being restored from the brink of collapse. The castle’s history encapsulates that of the whole county with its position in the Welsh Marches putting it at the centre of centuries of unrest yet the specifics of this are lost to the past and leave the secret of its significance hidden. Snodhill Castle was one of many built shortly following the Norman invasion by the 1st Earl of Hereford, William FitzOsbern who was a relative of William the Conquerer and a veteran of the Battle of Hastings. It was passed on to his knight Hugh l’Asne and then through the possession of some very significant figures starting with the De Chandos family in 1101 for a period of 328 years. After its ownership was passed from Richard Beauchamp, Earl of Warwick, and then briefly the 16th Earl, Richard Neville ‘the Kingmaker’, to the eventual King Richard III, it became a royal castle upon his coronation. During this period, it would have played a part in multiple conflicts including the many royal conquests into Wales and the Owain Glyndwr-led revolts of the early 15th century, which it survived due to fortifications made by John Chandos at the behest of King Henry IV.

In 1563, Robert Dudley the Earl of Leicester was given the castle by Elizabeth I who then sold it to William Vaughn, whose family held the castle for 90 years. It was then bought by William Prosser and stayed with the family right into the 20th century. It is now owned by Snodhill Castle Preservation Trust with the aim of stewarding the castle into the modern world through overseeing its restoration and preservation. Despite its obvious size and significance much of Snodhill Castle’s past remains unknown but is there to be discovered through its maintenance and excavation.