The village of Whitney is surrounded by a rich belt of pasture-land interspersed with clumps of trees, and exceedingly beautiful scenery is to be found upon the river-banks. There is no ancient church, for it was washed away in a flood in the early part of the eighteenth century. The beautiful views seen at Whitney unfold themselves more and more as one reaches Letton, Merbach Hill upon the right, rising high out of the ground like a hog's back, giving a characteristic touch to the scenery. At Letton a particularly beautiful group of black-and-white timbered cottages stand by the side of the road, and remind one that English soil has been reached, and that the never-ending monotony of the Welsh whitewashed cottages has at last been left behind. At Staunton, on the Wye, a little Early English church is perched above the village. On the right there formerly stood a castle, and near it is Moccas Park, the residence of Royalty in Saxon times. The present owners are descended from Richard, the second son of King John. After passing Byford a portion of Offa's Dyke occurs upon the left, crossing over Mansell Hill. Some quaintly-cut yew-trees may be seen near the Kite's Nest Inn, and just before entering Hereford, at White Cross, an interesting cross is noticeable. It was put up in 1347 by Bishop Charlton to commemorate the disappearance of the Black Plague, and was restored by Archdeacon Lord Saye and Sele.
HEREFORD CATHEDRAL FROM THE BANKS OF THE WYE.
It belongs mainly to the Early English period, and is built of a reddish stone.
TOWN PLAN NO. 7—HEREFORD.
HEREFORD
is a pleasantly-situated town, but if it were not for the possession of a cathedral the place would not offer any particular attractions for visitors beyond the charming river scenery common to the Wye Valley.
Hereford became a separate see in 673, and Putta was the first Bishop. The first church was rebuilt in a better fashion when the remains of the murdered Ethelbert were brought to Hereford, but this pre-Norman structure was burnt by the Welsh in 1055. In 1079 Robert of Lorraine, the first Norman Bishop, began the cathedral of which much exists at the present day, using dark red sandstone. The choir up to the clerestory, the arcades of the nave, and the south transept, are Norman work of this early date.