From Viking jewellery and Victorian postboxes to canals, coracles and medieval manuscripts, Hereford’s third annual History Day proved a big draw this May (May 16 2026).
It was the first formal engagements for city mayor Councillor Cat Hornsey who, accompanied by her civic retinue, opened our event at St Peter’s Church and the City Library.
The Mayor was greeted by pair of Wye coracles and their paddlers at the church door and, inside, a genuine 125cc BSA Bantam postman’s motorbike and Victorian postbox brought along by the Mayne family. Later the mayor visited all twenty history and heritage stalls, ranging from Herefordshire Museum’s Viking hoard and Bartonsham History exhibit on lost city churches, to researcher Mary Fennah’s display on the county’s Women’s Land Army workers.
The City Guides ran tours of Hereford, the Town Hall Heritage Suite was open for the Day, and capacity audiences filled the Library’s Oak Room for talks on hiring fairs, Hereford’s Secret Army, and notable Herefordshire Women.
IOA editor Marsha O’Mahony explained that Hereford History Day was organised with financial backing from Hereford City Council, Watkins and Thomas Estate Agents, Bill Jackson Estate Agents, Chris at C M Coatings Rotherwas, Herefordshire Libraries, and Wye Valley Brewery: We’re really proud of being able to offer the event free and open to all,” she said.
“As well as attracting several hundred local people, the Day brought in visitors from as far afield as Leicester and Manchester – there was even a group of Leominster fruit pickers from Tajikistan who came to admire the coracles and stayed for coffee.”
History Day marked the mid point of the fortnight-long Herefordshire Histories Festival which, according to the Festival’s David Hitchiner, was going from strength to strength: “This year has seen more than 80 organisations taking part and History Day was just one of almost 200 events. History Day and the county-wide Festival are being embraced by Herefordians working together to celebrate our rich and unique history.”
