Herefordshire ~ England

Herefordshire is located just south of the West Midlands and is sandwiched between the County of Worcestershire and the border of Wales. The M5, M50 and nearby M4 provide excellent access to the rest of the country and London is only a two-hour drive away and you can be at Birmingham Airport in about an hour and this is the nearest international airport. Hereford the county town is 135 miles from London 138 miles from Manchester and 56 miles from Cardiff. The cathedral in Hereford dates from 1079 and has the largest chained library in the world. Despite the local turbulent history Leominster prospered in the medieval period. The wool trade provided the town's wealth owing to the quality of the wool from the local Ryeland sheep. The fleeces came to be known as 'Lempster Ore'. Droitwich was once a Victorian spa and had a subterranean brine reservoir with very buoyant waters. Hereford is justly proud of two famous people that came from its city who are Sir Edward Elgar, the composer, and John Masefield the poet. Herefordshire offers a wonderful opportunity to enjoy the quiet 'black and white' villages and an architectural trip back in time to the Tudor period, there are castles, historic houses, and ancient churches and a variety of classical gardens.

Along Offa's Dyke Path is the 8th century barrier between the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Mercia and Wales. Follow the Cider Route to nine different mills producing over 60 million gallons of this famous brew per year.

Geography

Herefordshire and Worcestershire, were separate counties until 1974. They were amalgamated to form the county of Hereford and Worcester; in 1998 this county was divided back into Worcestershire and Herefordshire, which regained their pre-1974 boundaries.

The Malvern Hills in Worcestershire and Herefordshire are one of Britain's areas of outstanding natural beauty. The name Malvern comes from the Celtic Moel-bryn, meaning 'bare hill'.

The county rivers are Wye, Frome, Lugg and Terne. Herefordshire is a county of low green hills, orchards and woodlands. The rich soil was formed from old sandstone which produces the fruit of the county and provides pasture for the herds of cattle. To the south are the Gloucestershire Cotswolds; to the north the borderlands of Shropshire.

Symonds Yat is a gorge protected by forested cliffs which provide a safe home for the Peregrine Falcon.

Industry

Hereford is an agricultural centre, with a livestock market noted for its white-faced Hereford cattle. Other sources of employment are brewing, food processing and the manufacture of non-ferrous alloys and components. Apples and pears are the main crops and are used to produce the famous Scrumpy cider. The city has the UK's largest cider industry. The tourism industry is a vital component in Herefordshire's economy and the natural beauty and typical English countryside attracts thousands of visitors every year.

Cities, towns and villages within Herefordshire