Hereford City’s
Heritage Suite
Visiting
The Heritage Suite is located on the first floor of Hereford’s historic Town Hall. There is an accessible entrance to the rear of the building and a lift from the ground floor.
Admission: Free of Charge.
Opening Times: Wednesdays, 10.30am to 2.30pm from February to November.
For group bookings – or if you would like to arrange a tour on another day – please ring 01432 260438, or email mayor@herefordcitycouncil.gov.uk to book.
About
The Heritage Suite is home to the City’s past, housing Hereford’s historic silver and ancient charters, as well as many other artifacts, all of which serve as a link to the City’s history. Behind each piece is a story to be told.
The Charters date back to 1189, and were historically used to validate the City’s status, given to the City by the reigning monarch of the time. Each charter comes with an elaborate seal, which usually contains an image. Some of these seals have worn down to barely recognisable shapes, while others have withstood the test of time. Our most recent charter was given to the City in 2000 from Queen Elizabeth II. This, and the other charters, are available for viewing in the museum.
The Heritage Suite opened 10th March 2018 and prior to this, the City’s ancient charters and silver were locked in the vaults beneath the Town Hall. Having now having been moved near to the Mayor’s Parlour and placed within state-of-the-art modern museum units, these relics are open to the public once more.
The Many Shapes & Forms of
The City’s Silver
Some pieces are trophies, others are decorative items, while others even had practical uses. Though they had resided for many year’s in the Town Hall vaults, the silver now gleams proudly like a trove of newly unearthed treasure in our environmentally sealed cabinets, also available for viewing.
The Heritage Suite adjoins the Mayor’s Parlour, the historic office of the Mayor of Hereford. This room also contains an abundance of nostalgia and treasure, such as the City’s swords.
All these relics and more are open to the public, and should you decide to visit the Heritage Suite, one of our experienced and qualified guides will be on hand to tell you even more about the history and significance of the things you’ll see. The Town Hall itself is full of important historic items, so while you’re here it’s well worth a stroll around the building, if not only to appreciate the architecture alone!
