Hereford

Hereford
City and civil parish
Clockwise from the top: Hereford City Centre, St Peter's Church, River Wye Bridge & the Cathedral
Coat of arms of the City Council
Hereford is located in Herefordshire
Hereford
Hereford
Location within Herefordshire
Population53,112 (2021 Census)[1]
OS grid referenceSO515405
• London135.7 miles (218.4 km) ESE
Civil parish
  • Hereford
Unitary authority
Ceremonial county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Areas of the city
Post townHereford
Postcode districtHR1, HR2, HR4
Dialling code01432
PoliceWest Mercia
FireHereford and Worcester
AmbulanceWest Midlands
UK Parliament
List of places
UK
England
Herefordshire
52°03′22″N 2°42′58″W / 52.056°N 2.716°W / 52.056; -2.716

Hereford (/ˈhɛrɪfərd/ HERR-if-ərd) is a cathedral city and the county town of the ceremonial county of Herefordshire, England. It is situated on the banks of the River Wye and lies 16 miles (26 km) east of the border with Wales, 23 miles (37 km) north-west of Gloucester and 24 miles (39 km) south-west of Worcester. With a population of 53,112 in 2021, it is the largest settlement in Herefordshire.

An early town charter from 1189, granted by Richard I of England, describes it as "Hereford in Wales".[2] Hereford has been recognised as a city since time immemorial, with the status being reconfirmed in October 2000.[3][4] Hereford has been a civil parish since 2000.[5]

It is known for being a trading centre for a wider agricultural and rural area. Products from Hereford include cider, beer, leather goods, nickel alloys, poultry, chemicals and sausage rolls, as well as the famous Hereford breed of cattle.

  1. ^ "Hereford". City population. Retrieved 25 October 2022.
  2. ^ "The Royal Charters of the City of Hereford". Hereford Web Pages. Archived from the original on 15 January 2012. Retrieved 7 September 2011.
  3. ^ Beckett, J. V. (2005). City status in the British Isles, 1830–2002, Historical urban studies. Aldershot: Ashgate.
  4. ^ "Hereford City Council Charter". Herefordcitycouncil.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 12 February 2012. Retrieved 28 January 2012.
  5. ^ "Council history". Hereford City Council. Retrieved 23 August 2023.