Phelps, David Herefordshire's Military Heritage

Herefordshire has long been a border region and a theatre of conflict. In the Iron Age, the area formed the dividing line between the Silures and Dobunni tribes; numerous remains of earthworks from that era still bear witness to this today. Tensions intensified with the arrival of the Romans: while the Dobunni accepted Roman rule, the Silures waged a successful guerrilla war against the invaders. The influx of the Saxons pushed the population group that would later become known as the Welsh back through the county. Consequently, when the Normans took control, they encountered a defiant land that demanded their full attention and necessitated the construction of border castles by the so-called "Marcher Lords." Throughout the Middle Ages, Herefordshire was a contested territory fought over by Vikings, Normans, and the Welsh; these conflicts ultimately culminated in the rebellion of Owain Glyndwr. Civil wars were also fought amidst Herefordshires green landscapefrom the 12th-century "Anarchy" and the 15th-century Wars of the Roses to the Civil War of the 17th century. In later times, the county provided numerous soldiers for the British armed forcesparticularly for its own regimentsnot least during the World Wars of the 20th century. Furthermore, Herefordshire is home to the Special Air Service, the British Army's most formidable special forces unit. This book is aimed at anyone wishing to learn more about Herefordshire's remarkable military history.