56 



devotion the building of a noble church of stone at Hereford." This, without 

 doubt, was the foundation of our present cathedral, and it lias continued a 

 "noble church of stone" ever since, with numberless additions and improve- 

 ments. 



The stress laid upon the word " stone" in Blount's MBS. arose from the 

 fact that all ordinary churches in those days were erected with timber ; and 

 at this time there is a very interestiug specimen of this form of architecture to 

 be seen in the detached belfry of Pernbridge church. It is well worthy of 

 inspection from the peculiar construction of its interior timber work. 



In proof of the very small population of what we now call the county of 

 Hereford in Saxon times, and how much rather it was a wooded and a hunting 

 district, it is stated as late even as the Doomsday Survey, that Hereford-burg 

 contained only 70 inhabitants, Clifford-burg 16 inhabitants, another only 9 ; and 

 that the whole county of Hereford had but 37 chief proprietors : (Sharon Turner, 

 vol. 3 — 250). It is not likely, therefore, that Hereford should then have been 

 the See of a Bishop. 



The original capital of the extensive kingdom of Mercia was Coventry, and 

 Offa, of whose energetic rule we have many proofs, founded, for the better 

 government of the southern portion of his dominions, a second capital, or 

 fortified palace where he held his courts, &c, at Sutton, or Southtown, which 

 he so named in contradistinction to his northern capital at Coventry. And as 

 kings in those days half supported their retainers by the larger descriptions of 

 game, Deer, Boars, &c, so it is not unlikely that Offa may have been 

 influenced in his choice of Sutton from its vicinity to the noted Forest of Hay- 

 wood. Well then, with regard to Offa, and bis rule at Sutton, Mr. Turner 

 (History of Anglo Saxons) informs us that the king's three principal manors 

 around Sutton, and which he claimed as his own especial demesnes, were — 

 Maiden, or Marden, Wormelow, and the Forest of Haer or Haywood. 



Maiden manor, which then as now contained much fertile pasture land, 

 is stated to have supplied the king's horses with grass, several families on the 

 manor having held their right of citizenship in Sutton on condition of their 

 cutting a sufficiency of grass daily for the wants of the king's horse3. 



Wormelow-manor, having been a corn-growing district, the same as it still 

 is, seems to have supplied Offa and his retainers with that necessary commodity. 

 The present Tump inn at Wormelow continued to be a Hundred House until the 

 last century. 



Haywood then, as now, was pre-eminently de-Foresta — a wild district 

 abounding with game — Deer, Wolves, Bears, Foxes — not to mention Eagles, 

 Falcons, Kites, &c. , which last I remember myself as not uncommon in the district, 

 and Bees. Thus Haywood was a noted locality at a time when Hereford was 

 little more than an encamped station to guard the H<m or Hare-fford or w T ay 

 leading to it. 



According to Warrington (History of Wales) the first bridge at Hereford 

 was erected at, or about the same time as the building of the " noble church of 



