A cathedral holding a medieval map of the world, cider orchards all around and the River Wye running through: Hereford is a gentle, rural city.
Hereford is one of the most rural cities in England, surrounded by rolling farmland, orchards and hills close to the Welsh border. It has been a cathedral city for more than thirteen hundred years, and it is a market town at heart, famous for its cattle and its cider.
The city is peaceful and friendly, with a beautiful cathedral holding some of the greatest treasures of medieval England. The countryside around it, from the Wye Valley to the Black and White Villages, is among the loveliest in the country. This guide covers six things to see and do.
1. Hereford Cathedral and the Mappa Mundi
Hereford Cathedral has stood on the banks of the River Wye for more than nine hundred years, although there has been a church here for longer. It is a fine building, with Norman arches and a tall central tower. But it is best known for the extraordinary treasures it holds.
The Mappa Mundi is the largest medieval map of the world still in existence. It was drawn on a single sheet of calfskin around 1300. It shows the world as medieval people understood it, with Jerusalem at the centre and places, animals and legends drawn in detail.
The map is full of wonderful details, from Noah’s Ark to strange creatures in faraway lands. Looking at it closely is like looking into the minds of people seven hundred years ago. An exhibition explains what it shows.
The cathedral also holds the largest surviving chained library in the world, where precious books are still chained to the shelves to stop them being taken. It also has one of the few surviving copies of the 1217 Magna Carta. There is a charge to see the Mappa Mundi and the library, and the cathedral itself is free to enter.
2. Cider country
Herefordshire is famous for its cider and perry, a drink made from pears. The county is covered in orchards, and cider has been made here for centuries. In spring the orchards are covered in blossom.
Bulmers, one of the biggest cider makers in the world, was founded in Hereford in 1887. Today, many smaller producers make traditional ciders across the county. Some make their cider using methods that have hardly changed in hundreds of years.
The Herefordshire Cider Route is a trail of cider makers across the county, many of which welcome visitors for tastings and tours. Westons Cider Mill, at Much Marcle, is one of the best known, with tours, a shop and a restaurant. Many farms sell cider and perry direct from the farm gate.
Cider festivals are held through the year. Tasting cider is a great way to discover the county, but if you are visiting several producers, a driver saves anyone having to stay sober to drive. A driver by the hour makes it easy to plan a relaxed day of tastings.
3. The River Wye
The River Wye flows through the centre of Hereford, and it is one of the most beautiful rivers in Britain. The Old Wye Bridge, built in the fifteenth century, crosses it in the city centre. The riverside paths are lovely for walks.
Castle Green, on the site of the old castle, and Bishop’s Meadow, across the river, are green spaces beside the water. They are popular for picnics, games and walks. The river is especially lovely on a summer evening.
Downstream from Hereford, the Wye Valley is a protected landscape of wooded gorges, meadows and pretty towns. Ross-on-Wye and Symonds Yat are popular places for canoeing, with gentle stretches of river. You can hire canoes and kayaks and paddle down the river for a day.
The Wye Valley Walk follows the river from its source in the Welsh mountains to the sea at Chepstow. Short sections make lovely day walks. The river is rich in wildlife, including otters and kingfishers.
4. Hay-on-Wye
Hay-on-Wye, about forty minutes west of Hereford on the Welsh border, is known as the town of books. It has around twenty bookshops, selling new, secondhand and antiquarian books on every subject. Book lovers can spend days browsing.
Every year in late May and early June, Hay hosts the Hay Festival, one of the most famous literary festivals in the world. Writers, politicians and thinkers come from around the world to give talks. It draws huge crowds.
The town itself is pretty, with narrow streets, a ruined castle and independent shops and cafés. The Black Mountains rise behind it, with wonderful walks and views. The River Wye runs alongside.
During the festival, accommodation and parking are hard to find, and a car booked ahead is the easiest way to get there and back. Outside festival time, Hay is a peaceful and lovely day out.
5. The Black and White Villages
The Black and White Villages Trail is a circular route of about forty miles through some of the prettiest villages in Herefordshire. The villages are known for their black and white timber framed houses, many of them hundreds of years old. It is one of the most charming drives in England.
Among the highlights are Weobley, with its broad main street of timber framed buildings, Pembridge, with its medieval market hall, and Eardisland, with a river running through the village. Each village has its own character. Many have old pubs and tea rooms.
The trail can be driven, cycled or walked in sections. Signposts mark the route. Guidebooks explain the history of the villages and their buildings.
The villages are spread out and public transport is limited, so a car is the best way to explore. A driver by the hour lets you enjoy the views and stop wherever you like. It makes a lovely day out from Hereford.
6. Kilpeck and the Old House
Kilpeck Church, about eight miles south west of Hereford, is one of the most remarkable small churches in England. It was built in the twelfth century and is covered in extraordinary Romanesque carvings. Dragons, animals, faces and strange figures decorate the doorway and the walls.
The carvings have survived in wonderful condition for almost nine hundred years. They are among the finest of their age in Britain. The church is usually open and free to visit.
Back in Hereford, the Old House is a black and white timber framed house built in 1621, standing in the middle of the market square known as High Town. It is now a museum, furnished as it would have been in the seventeenth century. Entry is free.
High Town also has a statue of a Hereford bull, a reminder of the famous breed of cattle that came from the county and is now found all over the world. The city centre has a mix of shops and a market. The Courtyard is the city’s arts centre and theatre.
Getting there and getting around
Hereford station has direct trains to Birmingham, Cardiff, Manchester and Worcester, and some direct trains to London Paddington. The station is a short walk from the city centre.
Birmingham, Cardiff and Bristol airports are each around an hour and a quarter to an hour and a half away by road. The A49 runs north to south through the city. A car booked ahead is the easiest way to travel between Hereford and the airports, and to explore the Wye Valley, the villages and the cider farms.
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