Kington
Kington is a market town, electoral ward and also 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 derived from King's-heap, being Anglo-Saxon for "King's Town", similar to other close-by towns such as Presteigne definition "Priest's Town" as well as Knighton being "Knight's Town". Kington is to the west of Offa's Dyke so presumably this land was Welsh in the 8th century AD. The land was held by Anglo-Saxons in 1066, however devastated. After the Norman Conquest Kington then passed to the Crown on the failure of Roger de Breteuil, 2nd Earl of Hereford in 1075. Before 1121 King Henry I gave Kington to Adam de Port, that founded a new Marcher barony in this part of the very early Welsh Marches. Kington seems to have been a peaceful barony as well as was associated with the office of constable of Hereford. In 1172, Adam de Port, most likely the great-grandson of Henry Port, rebelled and also got away the country. He returned in 1174 with a Scottish military, just to flee 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 after that saw activity in the Braose Wars against King John of England and was likely to have been damaged by imperial forces in August 1216. Within a few years a new fortress was started as well as the nearby Huntington Castle and Kington Castle were abandoned. All that stays of Kington Castle today is a great outcrop of rock topped by a few fragmentary earthworks. The old town gathered around the castle as well as Norman church in addition to a defensive hill above the River Arrow. St Mary's church, located on greater ground over the town centre. 'Chingtune' was recorded in the Domesday Publication 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 and also 1230 ashore bordering the River Arrow and also potentially marked as part of the Saxon open area system. Positioned on the direct route the drovers took from Hergest Ridge as well as with eight yearly fairs, Kington grew in relevance as a market town and there is still a thriving livestock market on Thursdays. The community maintains the medieval grid pattern of streets and also back lanes. In the chapel of St. Mary's Church, there is the alabaster burial place of Sir Thomas Vaughan of nearby Hergest Court, slain at the Battle of Banbury 1469, and also his better half, Elen Gethin. The ghost of Sir Thomas, and also that of the Black Dog of Hergest are said to haunt the location around Hergest Ridge. The Black Dog's sighting reputedly presages fatality. It is additionally rumoured to have been the prototype for The Hound of the Baskervilles as Conan Doyle is known to have actually remained at close-by Hergest Hall shortly prior to he composed the book.
