ABSTRACT
Hereford was one of six English sees that retained their former ancient locations after the Conquest,1 a shared continuity that provided a strong sense of historical identity even before the medieval cathedral was commenced by Bishop Reinhelm (1107-15),2 named in its obit book as fundator ecclesie.3 Reinhelm’s church was erected on a site just to the north of the old Anglo-Saxon minster,4 which, in a much repaired but still dilapidated state, appears to have remained in use up until his episcopate. The new foundation replaced the remains of the ‘famous minster’ (þæt mære mynster) built by Bishop Æthelstan (1012/13 x 1016-10 February 1056) probably between 1020 and 1040.5 This had been largely, if not wholly, destroyed by fire during the Welsh depredations of 24 or 25 october 1055 led by the renegade Earl Ælfgar with the willing help of Gruffudd ap Llywelyn.6 The following year the
1 The other five were London, Winchester, Worcester, Rochester, and (from 1050) Exeter (Barlow, The English Church, 1066-1154 (1979), 29-53).
