Geography, transport & economy
Herefordshire is notable for its widespread agricultural land and its largest town, Hereford, the county’s only cathedral city. It has a population of just under 60,000 inhabitants. Being a rural county, there are wide planes of open space and the neighbouring towns can be some distance apart.
Many different types of farming take place throughout the county. Fruit production is one of the main agricultural sources of income for Herefordshire, specifically apples, pears and strawberries. As a result, significant employers in the region include farmers who supply goods to major supermarkets, as well as major cider and perry manufacturers such as H.P. Bulmer, Strongbow and Westons. The county is also the place of origin of the Hereford breed of cattle, meat from which is widely exported throughout the country and also internationally.
One of Britain’s first motorways, the M50, runs through the south of the county and joins the A40 which provides convenient access to Oxfordshire and all the way through to London. The county is well-served by rail, with lines operating through from Wales to Manchester. Hereford is also on the Cotswold Line, which further provides services to Oxford and London and some other routes also connect to Birmingham.
Notable locations & attractions
Being for the most part rural, the county is home to a large number of open spaces and country parks. Nearby across the Welsh border to the south west is the Brecon Beacons National Park.
Scattered across the county are also a number of historic houses and castles which are open to the public, including the ruins of Wigmore Castle, a 11th century building once owned by the First Earl of Hereford. In nearby Leominster, Berrington Hall, a neoclassical manor house designed by Henry Holland which features rolling landscape gardens complete with a private lake and island.
Hay-on-Wye, a small market town on the banks of the River Wye is famous for its Annual Hay Festival of Literature, attracting visitors from all over the world.
The area also boasts an array of leisure activities such as golf and outdoor pursuits. Kington is home to England’s highest golf course at 1,100ft above sea level, but for the less adventurous golfer there are many courses in and around the towns and villages throughout the county. The county also boasts a bridleway network stretching almost 100 miles.