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(This article is about Hereford in England. There are also Hereford, Pennsylvania, Hereford, Texas, and Hereford (cattle).)
Hereford (Welsh: Henffordd) is an historic city in the west of England, close to the border with Wales and on the River Wye it is the county town of Herefordshire. In 2001, Hereford had a population of 50,154.
Hereford has a cathedral which dates from 1079 which contains the Mappa Mundi, a medieval map of the world dating from the 13th century and restored in the late 20th. An early town charter from 1189 describes it as 'Hereford in Wales'. [1] (http://www.herefordcitycouncil.gov.uk/dev/html/charters.htm)
It is known chiefly as a trading centre for a wider agricultural and rural area. Products from Hereford include: (Bulmer's) cider, beer, leather goods, cattle, metal goods and chemicals.
Hereford is the home of the Special Air Service or SAS.
On April 1, 1998, Hereford lost its district status with the creation of the new unitary Herefordshire. Charter Trustees were appointed to preserve mayoral traditions until a civil parish council could be set up in 2000.
Hereford is also home of Hereford United Football Club, who had a long spell in the Football League and currently ply their trade in the Nationwide Conference.
The Spectre's Voyage
There is a part of the river Wye, between the city of Hereford and the town of Ross, which was distinguished and well known for upwards of two centuries, by the appellation of the Spectre's Voyage; across which, so long as it retained that name, neither entreaty nor remuneration could induce any boatman to convey passengers after a certain hour of the night. The superstitious ideas current amongst the lower orders of people were, that on every evening about the hour of eight, a beautiful female figure was seen in a small vessel, sailing from Hereford to North Brigg, (a small village about three miles distant,) with the utmost rapidity, against wind and tide, or even in a dead calm—landed at the little village, returned, and vanished, when arrived at a certain part of the river, where the current is remarkably strong, about half a mile from the city of Hereford.
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