Hidden Gems in Hereford

My printer died - so I needed to get a new one. I had some vague idea of looking for a printer that used the same sort of ink cartridges as the old one, so I needed to go to a place with a wide choice. This meant a long walk out of the centre of Hereford to Curry's - which is at one of those out of town developments that was designed for cars rather than pedestrians.
On the way down Widemarsh Street, though, I stopped at the ruined abbey to take a few photos.



This was the home of the Black Friars, or Dominicans (the ones who started the Inquisition against the Cathars, under St Dominic, who also invented the rosary which is still used as an aid to prayer today).
Right next door to the abbey was the priory of the Knights of St John, or Hospitallers. The museum was open, so I went in and had a look around. After seeing the museum at Clerkenwell in London, I thought I really ought to make the effort to see the local Hospitaller museum!
it was fascinating. The chapel (which was originally bigger) is still in use. Up above was the infirmary, with an open balcony arrangement so the sick men upstairs could hear the services. After Henry VIII dissolved all the monasteries in England, the buildings were unused until a chap called Coningsby came along and founded a hospital there. This was not really a hospital as we know it - more like sheltered accommodation for twelve old men, who wore a uniform including a red coat. Nell Gwyn knew the Coningsby Hospital when she lived in Hereford, and it is said that she persuaded Charles II to found the Chelsea Hospital - and the Chelsea pensioners still wear a red coat. In the chapel there was a coat of arms carved on the wall, with three cute bunnies on it - this was the Coningsby coat of arms, punning on the old word for rabbit, which was "coney".
The museum is well worth a visit, and the curator was very helpful and friendly.



I did get a printer - and of course it had completely different cartridges to the old printer, but at least it works!