In the footsteps of King Harold
Hereford
Herefordshire
Located 133 miles north-west of London and 51 miles south-west of Birmingham, Hereford is situated on the Wye river, near the border with Wales. Map reference: SO 5139.
Ewyas Harold is in the beautiful Golden Valley, at the junction of the rivers Dore and Monnow. It is off the A465, on the B4347, about 11 miles from Hereford. Map reference of the castle: SO 3850 2870.
Hereford Cathedral
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The remains (the mound) of Harold's motte-and-bailey castle at Ewyas Harold
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The existence of the present Hereford cathedral (begun by the Norman bishop Robert Losinga in 1079) is the responsibility of the Welsh who, in 1055, destroyed the stone Saxon one, built in 1030. They also razed the castle built by Ralph the Timid, nephew of Edward the Confessor. He was the first earl of Hereford and earned his nickname after his defeat at the hands of Prince Gruffydd ap Llywelyn.
In 1058, Harold became earl of Hereford. He was more successful than Ralph in defending the city from the Welsh, winning a significant campaign against them in 1063. By the time he became king, he had made substantial improvements to Hereford's defensive walls and ditches. The restored walls surrounding Tesco in Bewell Street mark the course of Harold's defences, and the layout of the old city is also part of his legacy.
Some 11 miles from Hereford is the village of Ewyas Harold. 'Ewyas' is Welsh for 'sheep area'; the 'Harold' comes from, not the future king of England, but Harold de Ewyas, the son of Ralph the Timid. However, it was here that the future Harold II built a motte-and-bailey castle in the mid-1050s. Made of wood, virtually all the buildings had disappeared by 1645, and today there is nothing left but a circular mound. Not much is known about this castle in Harold's time except that there was a chapel dedicated to St Nicholas. After the Conquest, William gave the castle and its lands to Alfred of Marlborough.
Hereford Web Pages
www.herefordwebpages.co.uk
Comprehensive coverage of the city, including a good history.
Hereford Cathedral
www.herefordcathedral.org
Information about the Norman cathedral.
Historic Herefordshire On Line
www.smr.herefordshire.gov.uk/hsmr/db.php?smr_no=1499
The full account of the castle at Ewyas Harold from the county's Sites
& Monuments Record.
