The United Kingdom is full of surprises. Hereford is one of its cities that sits on river Wye. It is near the border of Wales. The city has a High Town which is the heart of the city. The streets are car-free providing serenity.
The economy of Herefordshire depends on rural industries that find their market in the city. For instance, the cattle market of Hereford has now been moved to a location in the countryside. Earlier, the market was situated at High Town.
Factories for making apple ciders for known brands such as Bulmers were established here. The monuments on the place are a sight to behold.
Hereford Cathedral
The first church was made in the 7th century which was renovated in the 1079 and 12th centuries. The building is a good example of Norman architecture. The choir stalls have been standing since the 14th century and carved with mythological figures depicting scary creatures, bizarre accounts and everyday life.
Mappa Mundi
In 1996, the southeast corner of the Cathedral close saw a new establishment as The New Library Building. It was built to safeguard the knowledge and Chained Library. It houses the oldest world map, Mappa Mundi.
Mappa Mundi depicts how the world map was drawn in the 14th century. It is bedecked with illustrations. It is drawn on a sheet of Vellum or calfskin. The centre of the map is marked as Jerusalem and there is a place marked as Garden of Eden as well.
The map has over 500 drawings reflecting cities, towns, different demographics, and images from mythologies.
Library of chains
A similar library was featured in the Citadel of the Game of Thrones. The appearance of this library was inspired by the Library of Chains. It was one of the oldest security systems in the world. The library has been well preserved by the cathedral and its one of its kind library existing and functioning well till now.
The original building was built around the 17th century. The New Library Building boasts of having 229 medieval books and is arranged as they were in 1611. The provenance of books is far older. The oldest and most valuable book housed here is the Hereford Gospels of the 8th century.
Black and White Museum
The Black and White Museum is also famous as the old house. The house is itself is a marvel of modern architecture with beautiful carvings on the doors and bay windows. It was used as a butcher house. Later, it was refurbished and used by Lloyds Bank and converted to a museum. The interior features rare oakwood furniture old frescoes and information panes on Jacobeans.
Cider museum
The Cider Museum tells the story of Bulmers. The first factory of the Bulmers was set up by Henry Percival Bulmer in 1887. The building was converted into a museum when the company moved its production to another location in the 1980s. the visitors are shown an exhibit to walk them through the process of making apple cider.
