History and Folklore
A plethora of stories and folklore, traditions, celebrations, beliefs and tales passed down over time by families and communities.
From the sinister Black Vaughan whose story inspired Sir Arthur Conan Doyle to write The Hound of the Baskervilles, to the Mermaid of Marden, the Dragon of Mordiford and the Kings and Queens of Mercia whose experiences of faeries changed their lives forever. We capture the lives of Kings, saints and the historic people who made a lasting impression on our wonderful county for you to enjoy and share.
At Eat Sleep Live Herefordshire, we really enjoy researching and finding these wonderful tales and hope you will enjoy them too.
We currently run a ‘Folklore Friday’ feature on our Facebook page each week and this section will be updated regularly too, so do keep coming back.
Inspired by Kathleen Lawrence-Smith, David Phelps, Rupert Matthews, David J.Vaughan, Mary Hopkins, Roy Palmer, Robin Haig and Ella Mary Leather.
Christmas traditions of Herefordshire
We often wonder where some of our customs and traditions originate from. Some fade away over the centuries but others […]
Courting Rituals in Herefordshire
We’re all used to the concept of online dating but in bygone times in Herefordshire finding a husband was a […]
The Colonel’s Revenge
It comes as no surprise that many of Herefordshire’s castles came under attack during the Civil War. In particular the […]
The Devil in Dorstone
With Halloween fast approaching we thought we would bring you a little bit of ‘spooky’ folklore this week. Many folk […]
Haunted Herefordshire
You won’t be surprised to know that beautiful historic places rich in history like Herefordshire are rife with hauntings. In […]
The Kidnapped Heiress
This week’s story takes us to Clifford in the north of Herefordshire. There we find political intrigue, blaggards and a […]
A Sister’s War Time Present
Everyone has a favourite bun, whether it’s covered in gooey toffee, smothered in chocolate or iced to an inch of […]
Weonard’s Secret Treasure
Our tale this week comes from the village of St Weonards which lies within the area known to the Saxons […]
Laying Spirits to Rest
You may be surprised to hear that exorcisms or ‘ghost laying’ were once very common in Herefordshire. Ghosts could cause […]
Market Trader Misadventure
During medieval times making a living as a trader was very difficult, in most cases they found themselves living hand […]
The Tale of Tom Reece
Herefordshire has many tales of strange sightings and occurrences, many have been attributed to troubled souls of those that have […]
Cider Tales
Herefordshire cider is well known and loved around the world and its easy to see why, but did you know […]
Booming Bulmers
This week we tell the tale of two brothers who left a legacy that not only put Herefordshire on the […]
A Cobbler’s Fright
As we said before the Devil quite likes visiting Herefordshire and appearing just when you least expect it. You really […]
Devilish Tales from Longtown
here are many a tale or two about the devil’s visits to our county. It seems the good folk of […]
King of the Cats
It’s true that we are a nation of animal lovers. Some people prefer dogs, a usually predictable companion, others love […]
The Man & the Hatchett
Our story this week is all about a kindly widow who created something rather special for the poor despite the […]
Fairy Tales of Wigmore
Our tale this week takes us near to Wigmore where a young woman called Mary Powell lived. Mary just loved […]
Cheating the Devil of Kentchurch
As you know we love researching our folklore tales but what we have noticed is that one name keeps popping […]
The Hand of Friendship
There were times when travelling the country lanes in Herefordshire were quite dangerous particularly at night. Whether on horseback or […]
The Baker’s Daughter
As we all know it costs nothing to be kind or nice to a stranger who perhaps isn’t doing so […]
The Wandering Minstrel
It’s well known in the realms of folklore that not everything is what it may seem to be. Spectres, ghosts, […]
Token of Love
Everyone loves a happy ending, a story where true love prevails against all the odds. It warms our hearts, brings […]
The Cursed Doll
This week we venture into the world of Herefordshire curses and superstitions, many of which were attributed to people who […]
Riding the Stang
Did you know that in the days before radio, television and video games, country folk had to make their own […]
A Fright in the Churchyard
The world can be a funny old place and there are times when we’re all fed up with our lot […]
The Great Escape
This week’s tale takes us to a time of turmoil, civil unrest, power struggles and treachery. Where promises and trust […]
The Changeling
Our tale this week comes from Kington. It sounds fantastical, unreal and impossible. But what if it was true? Women […]
The Devil visits Grosmont
There are so many stories and tales about the Devil’s visits to Herefordshire and Wales that we thought we would […]
The Magical Bells of Kinsham
There are many tales and strange occurrences involving churches in Herefordshire folklore. Our story this week takes us to the […]
The Ghost of Lady Bluefoot
There are many tales of hauntings in Herefordshire, some are rather sinister and others said to highlight a wrong doing […]
Heartbreak at the Garrick Theatre
Our story today takes us back to the First World War, to a time of uncertainty where a tragedy befell […]
Tragedy at Alton Court
Our tale this week takes us down to the south of the county near to Ross-on-Wye. To Alton Court a […]
The Tale of King Dribbler
In the early days of Christianity after the Romans had left England, the country was in the hands of warlords. […]
The Story of Wild Edric
Out to the very north of Herefordshire, to the east of Leintwardine there lies a small village called Burrington. It […]
St Katherine’s Vision
There are many tales of pious people who have made their mark on Herefordshire, many of those have been Kings, […]
Callous Crimes at The Callow Inn
Have you ever been driving along a stretch of road at night just as it’s going dark and think that […]
The Friar of Tillington
Every part of the UK has tales of ghostly clergy and Herefordshire is no exception. We seem to have more […]
The Wrath of the Fairy Master
Centuries ago and not far from where Hereford Castle stood on the banks of the River Wye, the city’s washer […]
The Lost Road of Dorstone
In the heart of Herefordshire, where the hills gently cradle the village of Dorstone, whispers abound about an enigmatic and […]
The Walking Dog of Kington
Once upon a time in the quaint town of Kington, nestled in the heart of Herefordshire, there lived a four-legged […]
The Hairy Hands of Dartmoor
As this is our last Folklore Friday for this year we thought we would bring you the tale of the […]
Christmas Creatures
As we near Christmas we thought we would bring you some of the world’s strangest creatures that are remembered at […]
The Enchanted Chamber Pot
This week’s tale is all about enchantment and a character that seems to pop up in many a Herefordshire folklore […]
The Abergavenny Massacre
Sometimes we hear a tale that is so incredible it makes your hair stand on end. This week our story […]
The Duel at Edwyn Ralph
Love can be a very funny thing. Long lasting, hard fought for or fleetingly brief, but desired by many. Our […]
The History of St Ethelberts Well
This week we head way back in time, as far back as the year of our Lord 794. Our story […]
Hereford Cathedral Spur Money
This week we head way back in time, as far back as the year of our Lord 794. Our story […]
Tales of Penyard Castle
Our tale this week takes us to the south of beautiful Herefordshire near to Weston Under Penyard to a place […]
Tragedy at Aylton Court
If you’ve ever been out to the east of Herefordshire you may have come across the lovely village of Aylton. […]