Eat Sleep Live Herefordshire

16/08/2025

When you discover that field of summer sunflowers on your Herefordshire travels, and have to stop because it’s the brightest happiest sight that makes you beam.
This crop is along a footpath visible from the B4399 road between Holme Lacy and Rotherwas.

Comment and Tag us into your flowery photos and let us know where you are so we can share this simple joy 😃

15/08/2025

**FOLKLORE FRIDAY**

If you've ever explored the beautiful area around Garway in Herefordshire you may have discovered the wonderfully historic church of St Michaels and its links to the Knights Templar, a Catholic military order founded in 1118. Templar Knights, in their distinctive white mantles with a red cross, were amongst the most skilled fighting units of the Crusades and remained active until 1312. Non-combatant members of the order, who made up as much as 90% of their members, managed a large economic infrastructure throughout Christendom, which could now be considered an early form of banking. There was a threefold division of the ranks of the Templars: the noble knights, the non-noble sergeants, and the chaplains. The Templars did not perform knighting ceremonies, so any knight wishing to become a Knight Templar had to be a knight already. All three classes of brother wore the order's red cross

It is told that the Knights Templar built a church on the Garway site after Henry II granted them 2000 acres of land in what was known as Archenfield in 1187. Being a resourceful kind of group the Templars managed their farming and other interests from this estate and an administrative hub called a Preceptory was created. Their presence however in Herefordshire was not just limited to Garway they held other estates across the county. These were also places that cared for Knights who were ill or injured in battles or the Crusades, acting as a safe place for them to return to and recuperate. At the time of its foundation Garway was the most powerful Templar church in the Welsh Marches.

History records that the churches built by the Templars were always round and fashioned on the Holy Sepulchre Church in Jerusalem, in fact archaeologists found that the site at Garway was indeed linked to the Templars after uncovering the foundations during excavations in the late 1920's. It was concluded that a Templar church had once existed on this site.

As the battle of the Crusades was lost and the purpose of the Knights diminished, the order became a force that were feared by not only the King of France but indeed the Pope himself. For the Knights had become both very rich and powerful during their tenure. So in a bid to discredit and disband them the Templars were accused of despicable crimes against the church, rounded up and arrested by those who they had once fought to protect. The English Grand Master James de Molay was captured and taken to Paris where he endured a terrible fate and a very slow death.

Many of the most powerful Templars were taken to the Tower of London where they were imprisoned for their 'crimes' and tortured mercilessly. Philip de Mewes and William de Pokelington, two of the the Knights located at Garway were arrested, charged with heresy and subsequently tortured. Surprising they publicly confessed, were immediately absolved and re-entered the church.

As you can imagine all of the Templar estates were ransacked and confiscated and eventually handed over to their rivals the Knights Hospitaller by the Pope, which included the Preceptory at Garway.

Following the dissolution of the Knights Templar, the Order of Christ was created in 1319 in Portugal and absorbed many of the Knights Templar into its ranks.

This lovely church is well worth a visit, in particular look out for the exterior walls of the nave and the chancel arch which have some amazing carvings. We do love a bit of Herefordshire History.

There are more great tales and stories over on our dedicated Herefordshire History and Folklore page, why not take a look:

www.eatsleepliveherefordshire.co.uk/information/history-and-folklore



These stories are curated from many sources and retold in our fun ESL style, in the true spirit of Folklore.

13/08/2025

**WEDNESDAY WANDERS**
When 100 Years old is ‘modern’.

Did you know Hereford was one of the first places to have a Mayor and we are still in the most prominent position in line for official Royal events in the whole country? We have had a mayor since 1382, not bad going, though they didn’t change annually in the early years as they do now.

The current Town Hall for Hereford, and home to the City Council and Mayor's office, is only just over 100 years old, though it is Grade II listed. Compared to a lot of other buildings in the city, it is “modern” by some standards.

The land the Town Hall now stands on, in St. Owen Street, was actually gifted to the City Council by the daughters of a former Town Clerk, Richard Johnson. To build this new Town Hall, it was decided to remove a row of residential properties.

This new building even had HRH Princess Beatrice, the fifth daughter of Queen Victoria, lay a foundation stone on the 13th of May 1902. Quite the honour for the time. This new building was designed by Henry Cheers in the Edwardian Baroque style, built with terracotta facings by W. J. Bowers and was completed in 1904.
As it does today, it included a Mayor's Parlour, Council Chambers, as well as a big hall, hence the name Town Hall. These were for regular civil events and official council meetings and events and are still used regularly for both events. Once you enter through the front entrance, the foyer has a magnificent grand staircase leading up to the Hall, Mayor's Parlour, and the Council Chambers. It is a bit of a mix of styles typical of the Edwardians, with some Tudor styles for windows along with Neo-Classical columns, and then you have Jacobean-style ceilings. At the top of the grand staircase is even a domed skylight filled with beautiful stained glass.
Outside, at the very top of the building, you’ll see the City crest beneath the flagpole.

Parts of the building are now open to the public regularly, thanks to the Library and Tourist Information now residing in the building. They also have a wonderful Heritage Suite filled with the City Silver, and you can also see the City Regalia and Swords.
Enquire in the Tourist Information Office therein about tours.

This story was brought to you by Rebecca Millman of The Ghost Tour of Hereford. Information is curated from many sources where accuracy cannot be guaranteed and retold in our fun ESL style.
You can follow Rebecca’s ghostly tales on her social media:
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12/08/2025

⭐⭐WIN TICKETS + PRIZES FOR MALVERN RHS AUTUMN SHOW⭐⭐
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🌼A Family Ticket (2 Adults and up to 3 Children) for Sunday 28 September 2025
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08/08/2025

Something for the family weekend ....

SUMMER OF FUN: WEEK 4

Get ready to get wild! 🐍🦎🦜

From Sunday 10th to Thursday 14th August, DWAEC will return to Eastnor with their fascinating Animal Encounters. Meet, learn about, and even handle an incredible variety of creatures, from the cute and cuddly to the wonderfully weird!

It’s a hands-on experience the whole family will love, with plenty of opportunities to ask questions and get up close with these amazing animals.

All included in your entrance price alongside 3 play areas, a delightfully tricky maze and acres of beautiful grounds to explore… it’s a day out you won’t forget in a hurry!

Tickets are limited and only available online – find out more and book below:

https://eastnorcastle.com/whats-on/

08/08/2025

**FOLKLORE FRIDAY**

Our story this week is focused a seventh century pagan King who ruled the realm of Mercia. His name was Merewald (also known as Merewalh) and his fierce and brave behaviour had earned him the nickname of 'Lion'.

One evening after a day of ruling his large Kingdom, Merewald feeling exhausted decided to retire to bed and fell into a deep and troubling sleep. Tossing and turning he began to dream deeply, a dream so real that when he awoke his heart was racing with both excitement and uncertainty. But he knew that the dream was significant and was going to change his life forever. In his dream Merewald had received a visit from a Christian missionary who delivered to him a very important message. Unsure of its meaning he went about his business again, pondering the message that had filled his sleeping hours.

Uncannily on the same night in a far off place a holy man named Ealfrid (latterly known as St Edfrith) who was said to originate from Lindisfarne had a vision in which a lion fed from his hand.

Fate was to bring the two men together and when it did they found themselves sharing their dreams. For Merewald the similarities between their dreams were a sign of what his future held and he decided to convert to Christianity. It is told that Merewald established a church and convent on the very spot where the two men had first met. The church was founded in 660AD and a town grew up around it and was called Leominster in honour of the lion King.

If you visit Leominster Priory you'll find a stone carving that tells of the legend of King Merewald. How very interesting!

There are more great tales and stories over on our dedicated Herefordshire History and Folklore page, why not take a look:

www.eatsleepliveherefordshire.co.uk/information/history-and-folklore



These stories are curated from many sources and retold in our fun ESL style, in the true spirit of Folklore.

05/08/2025

SUMMER ESCAPES
These are the most unique outdoor stays around Herefordshire to make your summer a bit different this year.
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Stunning locations, luxuriously appointed, quirky, sustainable and very very special.
👉Share if you’re featured.
Tag us on your adventures in the County.
Discover more on our website 😀

01/08/2025

Something new to do for the family this summer….

01/08/2025

**FOLKLORE FRIDAY**

You may not know but in years past Woolhope was a poor place to live and this is where our story starts. A young boy lived alone with his mother in the village and there came a time when he had to leave and make a life for himself. As he set out on his journey he inadvertently took the wrong path and found himself deep within the woods between Woolhope and Hereford. Night was drawing in and he was a little scared so he decided to stop walking, sit by a tree and wait for the dawn to appear.

He drifted off to sleep and after a little while he woke with a start and was perplexed to find a bear asleep alongside him, his head resting on a bundle of clothes. The boy fearing for his life let out a cry and accidentally nudged the bear with his foot and as he did so the bear awoke, sniffed the air and set off into the dark woods.

Not wanting to be alone in the dark woods, the boy decided to follow the bear and after some while they came upon a little hut, as he drew closer he could see a fairy ring outside the door. Undeterred by the warnings of his mother about such strange things as fairies and ghosts, he decided to knock the door. It had been a long day and he was hungry. The door was opened by a little old lady who smiled and beckoned him in. Inside he spotted another old lady sitting by the fire who welcomed him and invited him to sit down for supper with them.

During supper the boy regaled them with his stories about how he was going to make his fortune in Hereford and they spoke about their other sister who was currently out on her travels, all in all the evening seemed to go well. Filled with food and feeling weary, he accepted the women's offer of a bed for the night. After a few hours he was awoken from a deep sleep by the sounds of the women leaping out of the bed. Pretending to be asleep he watched them put on their white caps which hung on their bed posts, mutter the words 'Here's off' and 'Here's after' and suddenly they disappeared.

Fascinated as to where they may have gone, he spotted another cap on the bed post and decided to put it on and recanted the same phrases as the women had before him. Within what seemed like seconds he had been transported outside of the hut next to the fairy ring and there in front of him were the two women. We're off to the Mayor's House one said and with a "Here's after" they were both gone. The boy as before decided to follow and with a "Here's after" too he found himself in the mayor's kitchen. Before him he saw the old women helping themselves to the mayor's food, so he did likewise and before long they all made their way to the cellar.

Drinking the mayor's finest wines took their toll on him and before long the young boy started to feel tired and fell asleep. When he awoke he found himself alone in the mayor's cellar and could hear the household above waking up. In a panic he looked for the white cap so that he could transport himself back to the hut but it was nowhere to be seen.

Within minutes a servant found him in the cellar and the young boy was hauled before the mayor by two burly henchmen. A disgruntled mayor asked the boy where he had come from and after ascertaining it was Woolhope the mayor said, "then it's true what they say, beggars at Weston and thieves at Woolhope". Within minutes the young boy found himself locked up in the gaol next to Castle Green wondering what his fate might be when he came up before the magistrate.

The next day there was quite a gathering for his hearing, he was found guilty and the crowd jeered him with rude comments while throwing old vegetables at him. As he made his way to the scaffold in High Town and just before the noose was put around his neck, he spotted a familiar figure pushing through the crowd. The little old lady was wearing a white cap and carrying another in her hand. She approached the hangman and asked if her boy could be hanged in his old cap, the hangman seeing no harm allowed her to put the cap on the young boy's head. She then muttered the familiar words "Here's off" and the boy followed as before with the words "Here's after" and in a flash they were both gone.

Back at the fairy hut deep in the woods the old women admonished him for taking their possessions and told him never to steal from fairies again. He was fed and sent on his way with a flea in his ear. Given that the women had made free with the mayor's possessions the night before the young boy smiled about their double standards but felt that he had learned a lesson for life. Onward he went to make his fortune in Hereford.

There are more great tales and stories over on our dedicated Herefordshire History and Folklore page, why not take a look:

www.eatsleepliveherefordshire.co.uk/information/history-and-folklore



These stories are curated from many sources and retold in our fun ESL style, in the true spirit of Folklore.

30/07/2025

**WEDNESDAY WANDERS**
CANNON BALLS & CITY WALLS
While originally a natural trading point at the river crossing between England and Wales (Here-Ford) Hereford was believed to have been built with defense in mind. For example, the name Hereford is also thought to translate to ‘Army River Crossing’. Perhaps the Roman Army; it could have been connecting the settlements of Ariconium (modern day Weston-under-Penyard and Bromsash) and Magnus (today’s Kentchurch and Credenhill). Part of a paved road was even found near the Cathedral, further supporting this.
The Anglo-Saxon city included parts of West/East Street, nearby Victoria Street, along the back of The Cathedral and down towards the river, later growing East to include parts of Castle Green. This was given a major expansion by the Normans, which generally follows the present-day ring road and would have ended near Castle Green.
There were multiple gates in and out of the city, in total 6; Wye Gate (the old bridge), Bysters Gate, St Owens Gate, Friars Gate, Widemarsh Gate and Eign Gate, all carefully positioned around the city walls. What a sight to behold, should they have survived.
Thankfully we do have some sections of medieval city wall remaining, mostly along Victoria Street and then around Bath Street. There is even a bastion; a smaller tower for guards to watch out over the city and beyond. A cannon ball had been left inside this section of the wall but is now in the care of Hereford Museum.
There were some settlements outside the city such as the Greyfriars and Blackfriars, but the vast majority lived inside the walls of the city, within what was considered safety.
These ancient walls even held up against 12 weeks of siege during the civil war. However, with ‘progress’ it was decided to remove parts of the walls and gates to allow the city to expand.

Brought to you by Rebecca Millman of Ghost Tour of Hereford, curated from many sources where accuracy cannot be guaranteed and retold in our fun ESL style.