One of England's oldest cathedrals, the original building, which was probably made with oak beams and wattle and daub filling, dates back nine hundred years to 676, to Anglo-Saxon times, when Ethelbert, King of the East Angles, was brutally murdered near Hereford by Offa, King of Mercia, and his body was brought to the cathedral for burial. He was later canonised, and the cathedral which today occupies a picturesque setting on the bank of the River Wye is dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary and to St. Ethelbert. It also contains the shrine of St. Thomas Cantilupe, who was Bishop of Hereford in the late 13th century.
The present building is largely Norman, with a 13th century Lady Chapel and 15th century College of Vicars Choral. As well as the Mappa Mundi and the Chained Library, the cathedral has many other treasures including the Diocesan Treasury, opened in 1980, and housed in the delightful and unusual Early English crypt, dating from 1220. The Treasury contains historic and valuable communion plate from the churches of the diocese, also items of particular interest from the history of the Cathedral.
Thousands of people now visit the cathedral every year. They come partly because the building belongs to the national heritage and yet always (because it is a Christian church) within every visitor there is the hope of finding here something more than the building itself.
Every visitor comes with a sense of awe, wonder, expectation and history.
This blend of emotions can be transformed into one of the deepest longings which haunts the human heart - the longing for God and the magnetic attraction of the holy. Thus almost imperceptibly tourism can turn into pilgrimage.
Hereford is a City of great antiquity and a busy business and market centre lying in the heart of the Wye Valley. Here the past is always present, with modern shopping blending harmoniously with historic buildings. Much of the City Centre is pedestrianised, making shopping relaxing and enjoyable and accessible to the disabled through the shopmobility scheme, a wheelchair loan scheme for people who have difficulties walking around town.
The Old House standing in High Town is the sole survivor of a row of houses known as Butcher's Row. Dating from 1621, it is a very fine example of Jacobean domestic architecture and is furnished in contemporary style. Now a museum, visitors can wander through the rooms on three floors. There is a children's play area as well as dressing up clothes. A virtual tour of the house will be available on a computer screen on the accessible ground floor of the house late in the summer of 2003.
Hereford Museum and Art Gallery features natural history, archaeology, social and local history. There are lots of hands-on exhibits for all ages and a regular programme of events for children. Exhibitions in the Art Gallery change every six weeks and represent a wide variety of media and styles. There are works by Brian Hatton on display in the museum space.
The Age of Steam is represented by The Broomy Hill Engines at the Herefordshire Waterworks Museum, and The Bulmer Railway Centre houses a collection of locomotives and rolling stock. The St. John Medieval Museum at Coningsby tells the story of the pensioners who lived at the Hospital on the site   from the 17th century and  contains a collection of armour and emblazons relating to the Ancient Order of St. John and its wars during the 300 years of the Crusades.
Cider production is a major industry in Hereford and the famous Bulmer's Cider Mill is only a few minutes walk from the City Centre. There are tours for organised parties by appointment and vistors can see cider being made and sample the various Bulmer brands in the vaulted cellar bar. A unique independent Cider Museum tells the fascinating story of traditional cider making through the ages and also houses the King Offa Cider Brandy Distillery where Cider Brandy is being produced again in Britain for the first time for over 250 years.
Hereford Leisure Centre caters for a diversity of indoor and outdoor activities including tennis, volleyball, badminton, squash, table tennis and a fitness unit. There is a good 9-hole golf course, 3 soccer pitches, American Grid Iron and all-weather synthetic floodlit soccer/hockey pitch and athletics track. The recently opened Leisure Pool has beach areas, waves and water fun features with twister slide, sequenced geysers, jets and water cannon.