Herefordshire

Herefordshire has been described as a hidden jewel but though hidden it is still accessible.

It can feel secluded and deeply rural, yet you can reach motorways and airports with minimal effort.

You can be in the city of Hereford or one of the market towns but within minutes reach open countryside.

Herefordshire offers people the chance to be both rural and urban.

You can enjoy music, film, theatre, festivals and art. You can pursue your passion for good food in farmers’ markets and specialist shops, as well as eating out or growing your own.

You can also indulge your love of clothes, furniture and antiques one day and be horse-riding, canoeing or walking in the Black Mountains the next.

Landscape, property and character…

Herefordshire divides roughly into east and west; the eastern part being flatter and given over more to fruit and arable farming, and the western part having hills and valleys which devoted more to sheep and cattle farming, though many rural properties across the county have their own share of fruit trees.

The county has several thriving market towns - Bromyard, Leominster, Kington, Ross-on-Wye and Ledbury - and slightly further afield there is easy access to Ludlow, Knighton, Hay-on-Wye, Brecon, Abergavenny, Monmouth and Malvern.

The River Wye and the River Lugg are the principal rivers with many smaller rivers and streams flowing off the hills and through the valleys, all providing opportunities for canoeing, fishing, bathing and picnic-ing.

The houses in Herefordshire come in many guises, from traditional black and white and ancient stone through to Georgian, Victorian and modern twentieth century, with the more recent emergence of architect-designed and ecologically advanced renovations or new-builds.

There are many properties that have been renovated and restored but there are still some ancient and unspoilt houses and cottages, in towns and villages and in more remote areas.

The county is attracting increasing numbers of incomers, both those from the cities wishing to change their way of life and those seeking work from other parts of Europe; it is seeking to increase the numbers of tourists to the region and trying to encourage business investment.

Despite these developments, the whole feel of the county is still that of a deeply rural community, where farming and village life is very important to the people who live here. The city of Hereford and the market towns are striving to become places where people can enjoy more urban pleasures and establish thriving businesses but they are also seeking to remain places where livestock markets and food production remain at the core of the county’s economy.

Leisure

Sport and recreation are a huge part of Herefordshire life: hunting, point-to-point, horse showing and racing, fishing, mountaineering, rugby, gardening, canoeing, shooting, rock-climbing, gardening, antiques, falconry, local history and archeology, wildlife, conservation, golf, cycling, photography, archery, flying or gliding, clay pigeon shooting, cricket, football, bowls, tennis, pottery, textiles, jewellery or sculpture.

Transport connections

Heathrow Airport can be reached in 2 - 3 hours, depending on your location. Birmingham, Bristol and Cardiff airports offer national and international flights. Shobden Airfield in Herefordshire and Staverton Airfield in north Gloucestershire both have private charter facilities.

Fast trains to London and all major cities are available from Malvern, Cheltenham, Gloucester, Newport and Cardiff. Local connecting trains go from Leominster, Hereford and Abergavenny.

Motorway access is excellent with fast roads down to the M4 in south Wales and the M50 from Ross-on-Wye connecting the county to the M5 in the west.