Hereford to Fownhope

A place of worship since 696, the cathedral was rebuilt in the early 12th century in the Norman/Romanesque style. By the end of the 12th century it is had become an important national centre of learning. Chaining books was an effective security system and Hereford’s unique 17th-century Chained Library is the largest to survive with all its chains, rods and locks intact. The 8th-century Hereford Gospels is the oldest and most important book to be found in the library.

One of the great treasures of the medieval world, the Hereford Mappa Mundi was created around 1300. More than 500 drawings on vellum detail 420 cities and towns, 15 Biblical events, 33 plants, animals, birds and strange creatures, 32 images of the peoples of the world and 8 pictures from classical mythology. It is a fascinating insight into how scholars interpreted the world spiritually and geographically at the time.

Situated in the heart of Hereford, the Black and White House is a remarkably well preserved Jacobean timber-framed house. Built in 1621 it escaped destruction in the early 1800s when many of the surrounding buildings were torn down. Now a museum furnished in period style, the Black and White House gives an insight into daily life in Jacobean times through its internationally important collection of English oak furniture and rare wall-paintings.