Kington
Kington is a market town, electoral ward and also civil parish 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-heap, being Anglo-Saxon for "King's Town", similar to other nearby communities such as Presteigne meaning "Priest's Town" and 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 devastated. After the Norman Conquest Kington then 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, who started a new Marcher barony in this part of the early Welsh Marches. Kington appears to have actually been a silent barony and also was related to the office of constable of Hereford. In 1172, Adam de Port, probably the great-grandson of Henry Port, rebelled and left the nation. He returned in 1174 with a Scottish military, just 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 office of Sheriff of Hereford, finally being provided to William de Braose, 4th Lord of Bramber in 1203 for £100. The castle then saw action in the Braose Wars versus King John of England and also was likely to have been ruined by royal forces in August 1216. Within a few years a new fortress was commenced and also the neighboring Huntington Castle as well as Kington Castle were abandoned. All that remains of Kington Castle today is a fantastic outcrop of rock covered by a few fragmentary earthworks. The old town gathered around the castle and also Norman church on top of a protective hill over the River Arrow. St Mary's church, positioned on greater ground over the community centre. 'Chingtune' was recorded in the Domesday Book in 1086, the name meaning Kings Town or Manor, high up on capital above the community where St. Mary's Church now stands. The brand-new Kington, called Kyneton in the Fields, was set out between 1175 as well as 1230 on land bordering the River Arrow and also perhaps designated as part of the Saxon open area system. Situated on the direct route the drovers extracted from Hergest Ridge and with eight annual fairs, Kington expanded in significance as a market town as well as there is still a flourishing livestock market on Thursdays. The town maintains the middle ages grid pattern of streets and also 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 wife, Elen Gethin. The ghost of Sir Thomas, and likewise that of the Black Dog of Hergest are stated to haunt the area around Hergest Ridge. The Black Dog's discovery reputedly presages death. It is also rumoured to have been the prototype for The Hound of the Baskervilles as Conan Doyle is understood to have actually stayed at nearby Hergest Hall quickly prior to he created the story.