Kington
Kington is a market community, selecting ward and civil parish in Herefordshire, England. According to the Church, 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 various other nearby towns such as Presteigne significance "Priest's Town" and also Knighton being "Knight's Town". Kington is to the west of Offa's Dyke so probably this land was Welsh in the 8th century AD. The land was held by Anglo-Saxons in 1066, but ruined. After the Norman Conquest Kington then passed to the Crown on the failure of Roger de Breteuil, second Earl of Hereford in 1075. Prior To 1121 King Henry I gave Kington to Adam de Port, who established a new Marcher barony in this part of the early Welsh Marches. Kington appears to have been a quiet barony and also was related to the workplace of constable of Hereford. In 1172, Adam de Port, possibly the great-grandson of Henry Port, rebelled and ran away the country. He returned in 1174 with a Scottish army, just to flee from the resulting Battle of Alnwick to the fantastic mirth of the Norman court. With this his barony of Kington was taken by the Crown and also ended up being an appurtenance of the workplace of Sheriff of Hereford, ultimately being granted to William de Braose, 4th Lord of Bramber in 1203 for £100. The castle then saw activity in the Braose Wars versus King John of England and was most likely to have actually been destroyed by imperial forces in August 1216. Within a couple of years a new citadel was commenced as well as the nearby Huntington Castle as well as Kington Castle were deserted. All that stays of Kington Castle today is an excellent outcrop of rock covered by a couple of fragmentary earthworks. The old town gathered around the castle and also Norman church in addition to a protective hillside 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 significance Kings Town or Manor, high up on the hill over the town where St. Mary's Church currently stands. The brand-new Kington, called Kyneton in the Fields, was outlined between 1175 as well as 1230 on land bordering the River Arrow and potentially marked as part of the Saxon open field system. Situated on the direct route the drovers took from Hergest Ridge as well as with eight yearly fairs, Kington expanded in relevance as a market town as well as there is still a flourishing animals market on Thursdays. The community keeps the middle ages 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, slaughtered at the Battle of Banbury 1469, as well as his spouse, Elen Gethin. The ghost of Sir Thomas, and likewise that of the Black Dog of Hergest are said to haunt the area around Hergest Ridge. The Black Dog's sighting reputedly presages death. It is also rumoured to have been the model for The Hound of the Baskervilles as Conan Doyle is known to have remained at close-by Hergest Hall quickly prior to he created the novel.
