A SERIES of eleven violet plaques have been placed around the city to celebrate Hereford’s contribution to the suffrage movement.

The Violet Plaques Project, organised by Hereford Cathedral and the Eastern Cloisters Project, has seen plaques placed at key locations around the city, including at the Hereford Times office, in recognition of the city’s role in the enfranchisement of women.

The idea for the plaques was born out of the research phase of the Eastern Cloisters Project, a Heritage Lottery Funded project based within the cloisters of Hereford Cathedral.

The project aims to renovate the cloisters and open them up to the public.

The research brought to light stories from the cathedral archives, including the story of the Davises, whose tale inspired the Violet Plaques project.

Sarah Hollingdale, Eastern Cloisters Project activity officer, said: “Reverend George Herbert Davis was an Assistant Vicar Choral at the cathedral prior to the First World War. He travelled the country to speak on women’s suffrage and his wife, Ethel May Davis, was Secretary of the Hereford Branch of the Women’s Social and Political Union (WSPU).

“When we discovered that the Davises were so involved with the suffragette movement, it seemed only right to commemorate it.

“The idea of the Violet Plaque was born and as we researched the suffragette movement in Hereford we uncovered more locations which we felt should be observed.”

Locations include the Hereford Times office, Shire Hall, Hereford Cathedral and Herefordshire Archives and Records Centre.

The project coincides with the upcoming Three Choirs Festival which will see an opening night performance on Saturday, July 28, of Dame Ethel Smyth’s Mass in D.

Dame Smyth was a key member of the suffrage movement in Hereford.

Geraint Bowen, director of music at Hereford Cathedral and artistic director of Three Choirs Festival, said: “I very much look forward to presenting a rare performance of Ethel Smyth’s Mass in D on the opening night of the festival.

“This work has been on my ‘must do at Three Choirs’ list for several years and 2018, commemorating the centenary of the Representation of the People Act, presented a perfect opportunity with Smyth’s links to the suffragette movement”.

Organisers are encouraging people to get and about to see each of the eleven plaques and to share their photos on social media using #violetplaques.

The plaques will be on display until August 6.