Cathedrals · West Midlands
Hereford Cathedral
Also known as: Eglwys Gadeiriol Henffordd
In or near Hereford.
Home of the Mappa Mundi and the Chained Library — two unique medieval survivals.
Philip Halling — CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons licence
Plan your visit
- Typical visit
- 1 h–2 h
- Best time of year
- Year-round
- Nearest railway station
- Hereford · 1.0 km
- Free entry
- Family-friendly
- Limited wheelchair access
Getting there & planning your visit
Hereford Cathedral is located in Herefordshire, County of, with the postcode HR1 2NH. The nearest railway station is Hereford, which is 1 km away. Entry is free, but wheelchair accessibility is limited.
About
Hereford Cathedral on the River Wye holds two of medieval England's most extraordinary survivals: the Mappa Mundi (the largest medieval map of the world, c.1300, depicting Jerusalem at the centre with England in the bottom-left corner) and the Chained Library — 229 medieval manuscripts and books still chained to the original 17th-century shelves. The cathedral itself is mostly Norman.
Photo gallery
Summary from the official site
Hereford Cathedral is a historic site that has been a center of worship for over 1,300 years. Visitors can explore its architectural beauty and view significant artifacts, including the Mappa Mundi and the Chained Library.
Read more on the official property page.
Protected designations
- Site of Special Scientific Interest: River Lugg SSSI
- Site of Special Scientific Interest: River Wye SSSI
Designations sourced from Natural England open data under OGL v3.
From the Wikipedia article
Hereford Cathedral, formally the Cathedral of Saint Mary the Virgin and Saint Ethelbert the King in Hereford, is a Church of England cathedral in Hereford, England. It is the seat of the bishop of Hereford and the principal church of the diocese of Hereford. The cathedral is a grade I listed building. A place of worship has existed on the site of the present building since the 8th century or earlier. The present building was begun in 1079. Substantial parts of the building date from both the Norman and the Gothic periods. The cathedral has the largest library of chained books in the world, its most famous treasure being the Mappa Mundi, a medieval map of the world created around 1300. The map is listed on the UNESCO Memory of the World Register.
Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.
Background
History
The cathedral is dedicated to two saints, St Mary the Virgin and St Ethelbert the King. The latter was beheaded by Offa, King of Mercia, in the year 794. Offa had consented to give his daughter to Ethelbert in marriage: why he changed his mind and deprived him of his head historians do not know, although tradition is at no loss to supply him with an adequate motive. The execution, or murder, is said to have taken place at Sutton, four miles (6 km) from Hereford, with Ethelbert's body brought to the site of the modern cathedral by "a pious monk". He was buried at the site of the cathedral. At Ethelbert's tomb miracles were said to have occurred, and in the next century (about 830) Milfrid, a…
Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Coordinates
- 52.0531, -2.7150
- District
- Herefordshire, County of
- Parish
- Hereford
- Postcode
- HR1 2NH
- Parliamentary constituency
- Hereford and South Herefordshire
- Nearest railway station
- Hereford — 1 km
- Opening
- Daily 10am–5pm
- Official site
- www.herefordcathedral.org
Sources
- manual: hereford-cathedral (manual)
- wikipedia: Hereford Cathedral (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Other places nearby
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College of Vicars Choral
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Dan the bulldog
Public art & sculpture · 0.1 km
Hereford Cathedral Library
Museums · 0.1 km
Mappa Mundi and Chained Library
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Hereford Cathedral School
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Hereford Labyrinth
Natural landmarks · 0.2 km
Edward Elgar statue
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Three dimensional Hereford map
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Nelson's Column
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Spread Eagle Inn
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Hereford Castle
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Hereford Museum and Art Gallery
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Frequently asked questions
- Where is Hereford Cathedral?
- Hereford Cathedral is in the West Midlands, United Kingdom (postcode HR1 2NH), in the parish of Hereford.
- What is Hereford Cathedral?
- Home of the Mappa Mundi and the Chained Library — two unique medieval survivals.
- How do I get to Hereford Cathedral?
- The nearest railway station is Hereford, about 1.0 km away. Drivers can use postcode HR1 2NH.
- When was Hereford Cathedral built?
- Dates from the medieval period.
- Is Hereford Cathedral a listed building?
- Hereford Cathedral is officially recognised as Grade I listed.
- Is Hereford Cathedral a protected site?
- Yes — Hereford Cathedral is part of the River Lugg SSSI Site of Special Scientific Interest and the River Wye SSSI Site of Special Scientific Interest.
- How do I get to Hereford Cathedral?
- The nearest railway station is Hereford, about 1.0 km away. Drivers can navigate to postcode HR1 2NH.