Kington is a market community, electoral ward as well as civil church in Herefordshire, England. According to the Church, the ward had a population of 3,240 while the 2011 census had a population of 2,626. The name 'Kington' is stemmed from King's-heap, being Anglo-Saxon for "King's Community", similar to other close-by towns such as Presteigne definition "Priest's Town" as well as Knighton being "Knight's Town". Kington is to the west of Offa's Dyke so probably this land was Welsh in the 8th century AD. The land was held by Anglo-Saxons in 1066, but ruined. After the Norman Conquest Kington after that passed to the Crown on the failure of Roger de Breteuil, second Earl of Hereford in 1075. Prior To 1121 King Henry I provided Kington to Adam de Port, who founded a brand-new Marcher barony in this part of the early Welsh Marches. Kington appears to have actually been a quiet barony and also was related to the office of sheriff of Hereford. In 1172, Adam de Port, most likely the great-grandson of Henry Port, rebelled and also got away the nation. He returned in 1174 with a Scottish army, only to leave from the resulting Battle of Alnwick to the wonderful mirth of the Norman court. With this his barony of Kington was taken by the Crown and also became an appurtenance of the office of Sheriff of Hereford, lastly being granted to William de Braose, 4th Lord of Bramber in 1203 for £100. The castle after that saw activity in the Braose Wars versus King John of England and was likely to have been destroyed by royal forces in August 1216. Within a few years a brand-new fortress was started as well as the close-by Huntington Castle and also Kington Castle were abandoned. All that continues to be of Kington Castle today is a fantastic outcrop of rock topped by a couple of fragmentary earthworks. The old town gathered around the castle and Norman church in addition to a defensive hill over the River Arrow. St Mary's church, located on greater ground over the town centre. 'Chingtune' was recorded in the Domesday Book in 1086, the name significance Kings Town or Manor, high up on the hill over the town where St. Mary's Church now stands. The new Kington, called Kyneton in the Fields, was set out between 1175 as well as 1230 on land surrounding the River Arrow and also perhaps designated as part of the Saxon open field system. Located on the direct route the drovers drew from Hergest Ridge as well as with eight annual fairs, Kington grew in value as a market town as well as there is still a prospering livestock market on Thursdays. The town preserves the medieval grid pattern of roads and also back lanes. In the chapel of St. Mary's Church, there is the alabaster tomb of Sir Thomas Vaughan of neighboring Hergest Court, slain at the Battle of Banbury 1469, and his better half, Elen Gethin. The ghost of Sir Thomas, as well as additionally that of the Black Dog of Hergest are stated to haunt the location around Hergest Ridge. The Black Dog's discovery reputedly presages death. It is also rumoured to have actually been the model for The Hound of the Baskervilles as Conan Doyle is understood to have actually stayed at neighboring Hergest Hall shortly prior to he composed the novel.