History and Heritage
Castle Green is a Scheduled Ancient Monument with a rich and ancient history.
Located on the banks of the River Wye, there appears to have been a monastic community here as early as AD550.
The first town defences were erected around 850 and were then extended in 900 to cover the area of Castle Green, which later became a motte and bailey castle.
Early history
1052: Ralph, Earl of Hereford, credited with building the first version of Hereford Castle.
1055: Castle overrun by Welsh and destroyed. Town and Cathedral burned.
1066: William FitzOsbern, Earl of Hereford, ordered to build castles along the Welsh border. Possible that it was in fact he who built the initial castle at Hereford.
1138: Geoffrey Talbot garrisoned the castle on behalf of Matilda, daughter of Henry I. Stephen de Blois and his men marched on the city and whilst taking the castle "the insurgents set fire to the city and all below the bridge over the Wye was burned down".
1139: Matilda landed in Hereford, routed Stephen's men, seized the City and regained control of the castle.
1154: Matilda's son Henry II granted the motte of Hereford to Roger of Gloucester. However, a rebellion led Henry to take repossession.
1216: King John made Walter de Lacy Sheriff and gave him custody of the castle. King Henry III visited regularly and the royal apartments in the bailey were well kept and improved.
1260's: Hereford Castle became HQ of the Baronial party, led by Simon de Montfort. Prince Edward - captured at the battle of Lewes - was brought to Hereford but escaped while riding for exercise on Widemarsh Common. For the rest of the medieval period the bailey remained an integral part of the royal castle and was built up with service buildings and yards.
Civil War - 1800
1642: In the Civil War Hereford was a Royalist stronghold, though several principal families supported Parliament. The Earl of Stamford’s men took the city by surprise before retreating to Gloucester. The Castle does not appear to have played an independent part during the sieges of the city in the Civil War, it seems rather to have been part of the defensive circuit.
1643: Castle defences required work - water in the ditches was only knee deep.
1645: After the battle of Naseby, Prince Rupert retreated first to Herefordshire and then to South Wales, followed closely by the Scottish army marching under the Earl of Leven. The city was put into a proper state of defence and a garrison installed - 1,000 citizens are said to have taken up arms in a defence that lasted five weeks. King Charles arrived in Hereford in September and the Scots, afraid of a revival of forces, began to disperse. This appears to have been the last action the Castle was to see.
1655: After the Civil War, the Council of state ordered the demolition of Hereford Castle. Stone from the tower was bought by Dean and Chapter to build a new dining hall and vicars choral. The city used some to construct a tolsey (toll booth) at the eastern end of High town. Gravel was used for road building and local people were invited to help themselves to materials. Soon little of the Castle remained, except the gatehouse (Castle Cliffe), which was used as a gaol or Bridewell.
Early 1700's: James Bryges, 1st Duke of Chandos tried to buy the Castle Green to build a private house. Plan blocked by Edward Harley. Land saved to be used as an amenity for the public.
1746: Bishop of Hereford (Grandson to Charles II and Nell Gwynne) funded walkways around the Castle Green.
1752: Magistrates leased the Castle Green to Society of Tempers, whose aim was to "enjoy the pleasures of conviviality and good fellowship" to improve the 'tempers' of members.
1752-1827: Castle Green managed by Society of Tempers. Income to maintain Castle Green came from public subscriptions and sale of cut grass on the green - income dwindled after about 1800 - just when public interest in and use of the Castle Green seems to have been increasing.
1761: First mention of 'an alcove' attached to the southern end of the Bridewell, also known as the Castle Cliffe. Described a pavilion with 3 arches separated by 2 piers with a pediment above.
1775: The Society of Templars replaced the stucco and repaired the cornice of the 'alcove'.
1775-1779: The Bridewell partially collapsed, damaging the 'alcove' which was repaired. The Bridewell gaolers on occasion earned money displaying their prisoners to the public.
1800 - 1900
1807-1830: The Society of Tempers raised a subscription to pay for a greenkeeper for Castle Green. The 'alcove' was demolished and by 1830 a 4-room cottage with a veranda was built to house the new employee.
1809: Nelsons Column erected on Castle Green. The famous Admiral was made a freeman of the city in 1802, and spent a lot of time at Ross-on-Wye. The column was erected in 1809, four years after Nelson's death, but has no statue at the top as there wasn't enough money left to commission one. Instead there's an unprepossessing urn at the top.
1818: Castle Green suffers from vandalism and as a result of the difficulties, the Tempers decide not to renew the lease.
1824: Castle Green looked after by a committee of important citizens. Castle Pool cleaned and soil sold to citizens.
1829-1830: A committee gained permission to build a Reading Room and Baths on a site 'between the greenkeepers cottage and the river'. They raised over £500 for this. County Magistrates leased the Pavilion building to the committee for 99 years at a rent of 6d a year.
They constructed a reading room abutting the greenkeepers cottage with large bay windows overlooking the Wye. Underneath was a bath house for use by the public with water channelled from St Ethelbert’s Well.
This 2 storey building had a veranda similar to that of the 'alcove' with 4 columns under a pediment. The adjoining reading rooms and baths were closest to the river. The building had sash windows and was covered in white stucco.
1858 to 1875: The Hereford Literary and Philosophical Institute was awarded an under-lease of the Reading Room and Baths for 69 years at a rent of 1s per annum. They moved their library and museum from Broad Street and aimed to use these and lectures to promote art and sciences. The venue lacked public support, the baths ceased to operate and the library failed to provide much income. The society could not meet its mortgage payments and the building closed.
1873: Magistrates leased Castle Green to the Town Council for 200 years at a rent of £1 per year on the condition that £20 be spent each year on maintenance and upkeep.
1875: The Council obtained an under-lease of the building and transferred the contents to the new museum and library in Broad Street.
1886: The building was let to the Art School Committee free of charge, except for bills and maintenance costs.
1898: The management of what was by then known as the Hereford School of Sciences and Art was given to the County Council Technical Instruction Committee.
1900 - present day
1908: Bowling green established.
1932: The County Council removed the porch and made a new entrance.
1960's: The portico was under built, the wall and windows brought forward and the columns turned into pilasters. The original elegant building was grossly defaced by these changes.
1969: The Art School moved to new premises in Folly Lane. The old museum building housed the technical college and the former baths below became a canoe centre.
2012: Castle Green Board began to manage the Pavilion.
2018: Asset transfer submitted to Council. City wide consultation.
Lease from Council taken on by Friends of Castle Green (FoCG)
Sept. 2022: £1.56m bid to Stronger Towns Fund approved
December 2022: Planning permission granted
May 2023: Refurbishment building work commenced.
September 2025: Refurbishment work completed.
Other sources of History:
The Castle Green, Hereford by David Whitehead, Logaston Press 2007
The post-Civil War history of Castle Green By John Eisel 2003
