Kington
Kington is a market community, selecting ward and civil church in Herefordshire, England. According to the Parish, the ward had a population of 3,240 while the 2011 census had a population of 2,626. The name 'Kington' is originated from King's-bunch, being Anglo-Saxon for "King's Town", similar to other nearby communities such as Presteigne meaning "Priest's Town" as well as Knighton being "Knight's Town". Kington is to the west of Offa's Dyke so most likely this land was Welsh in the 8th century AD. The land was held by Anglo-Saxons in 1066, but ravaged. After the Norman Conquest Kington after that passed to the Crown on the failure of Roger de Breteuil, second Earl of Hereford in 1075. Before 1121 King Henry I provided Kington to Adam de Port, that established a brand-new Marcher barony in this part of the very early Welsh Marches. Kington seems to have been a silent barony and was related to the workplace of constable of Hereford. In 1172, Adam de Port, possibly the great-grandson of Henry Port, rebelled and also got away the country. He returned in 1174 with a Scottish military, only to get away from the resulting Battle of Alnwick to the great mirth of the Norman court. With this his barony of Kington was taken by the Crown as well as ended up being an appurtenance of the workplace of Sheriff of Hereford, lastly being provided to William de Braose, 4th Lord of Bramber in 1203 for £100. The castle then saw action in the Braose Wars against King John of England and also was likely to have been ruined by royal forces in August 1216. Within a couple of years a brand-new fortress was begun and the nearby Huntington Castle and also Kington Castle were deserted. All that stays of Kington Castle today is a wonderful outcrop of rock covered by a few fragmentary earthworks. The old town clustered around the castle and also Norman church in addition to a defensive hill over the River Arrow. St Mary's church, located on higher ground above the town centre. 'Chingtune' was recorded in the Domesday Book in 1086, the name definition Kings Town or Manor, high on the hill over the town where St. Mary's Church currently stands. The new Kington, called Kyneton in the Fields, was set out between 1175 as well as 1230 on land bordering the River Arrow and perhaps assigned as part of the Saxon open field system. Located on the direct route the drovers extracted from Hergest Ridge and also with 8 yearly fairs, Kington grew in relevance as a market town as well as there is still a prospering livestock market on Thursdays. The town retains the medieval grid pattern of roads and back lanes. In the chapel of St. Mary's Church, there is the alabaster tomb of Sir Thomas Vaughan of neighboring Hergest Court, killed at the Battle of Banbury 1469, and his partner, Elen Gethin. The ghost of Sir Thomas, and also that of the Black Dog of Hergest are said to haunt the area around Hergest Ridge. The Black Dog's discovery reputedly presages fatality. It is likewise rumoured to have actually been the model for The Hound of the Baskervilles as Conan Doyle is understood to have actually stayed at neighboring Hergest Hall soon prior to he composed the novel.