“…There’s so many places you can visit both local & afar, we brought our road bikes & spent three days exploring the countryside…”
Herefordshire offers an array of wonderful things to do. Whether it’s incredible walking on the doorstep or further afield in the Brecon Beacons, Shropshire Hills or Elan Valley (all less than an hour away), wild swimming (we can send you to the best weirs, rivers & reservoirs), Cycling (quiet country roads, rolling hills & endless epic views, we even have a dedicated secure area to store your bikes), antique hunting in Leominster followed by coffee at one of the many independent cafes or a visit to any of the vast number of castles.
Ludlow (12 miles / 21 minutes)…
Ludlow is a thriving medieval market town and an architectural gem with a lively community feel, busy with events and festivals throughout the year. The historic town centre and the 11th century Ludlow Castle are situated on a cliff above the River Teme and are surrounded by the beautiful countryside of south Shropshire and the Welsh Marches. Ludlow is an excellent base for walking and cycling; as well as exploring the rest of Shropshire and the Welsh Marches. Ludlow has a reputation for the quality of its food and drink with many excellent restaurants and cafes.
Stokesay Castle (17 miles / 29 minutes)…
Step into the finest and best-preserved fortified medieval manor house in England. Discover the great hall, unchanged for over 700 years. Spot characters carved in the timbers of the 17th-century gatehouse and climb to the top of a fairy-tale tower for breathtaking views of the Shropshire Hills. Stokesay Castle was constructed at the end of the 13th century by Laurence of Ludlow, who at the time was one of the richest men in England. It remains a treasure bypassed by time, one of the best places to visit in England to experience what medieval life was like.
Elan Valley (41 miles / 64 minutes)…
70 square miles of dams, reservoirs and rugged Welsh landscapes. There’s plenty to see and do in the Elan Valley. By day, explore this special landscape by bike, car or on foot. When the sun sets and the night falls, look up and marvel at the star-studded skies. Come and explore this magical place, nestled in the heart of the Cambrian Mountains of Mid Wales. Each year we welcome around half a million visitors, from the young to the young at heart and very active, to those looking for rest and relaxation. You may only be with us for a couple of hours but you will find plenty to do.
Hereford (16 miles / 29 minutes)…
Hereford sits right at the heart of the county, on a loop of the River Wye. The golden-stone cathedral, with its medieval Mappa Mundi and Chained Library, is a huge draw – but you can also wander among half-timbered houses and stroll along the Wye. Browse independent shops across the city – they’re clustered along quirky Church Street – and explore the Old Market, transformed into an open-air destination for shopping, dining and cinema. For more arty excitement, head to The Courtyard Hereford for theatre, comedy, workshops and more.
The Brecon Beacons (45 miles / 75 minutes)…
The Brecon Beacons are a mountain range in Wales. The range includes South Wales’s highest mountain, Pen y Fan (886 metres (2,907 ft)), its twin summit Corn Du (873 metres (2,864 ft), and Craig Gwaun Taf (826 metres (2,710 ft)), which are the three highest peaks in the range.
We are not Pro-Walkers but we’ve ‘climbed’ Pen y Fan in a day – that’s us in the pics – and it’s absolutely spectacular in every way.
Berrington Hall (6 miles / 16 minutes)…
Berrington Hall is a neoclassical country house, designed by Henry Holland in 1778-81, located about 3 miles (5 km) north of Leominster. During the 20th century it was the seat of the Cawley family. Berrington features Capability Brown’s last landscape design. A notable feature is the ha-ha wall, which was subject to extensive renovation in the late 20th century by local craftsmen & Berrington Pool, a lake and island.
https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/worcestershire-herefordshire/berrington-hall
Shropshire Hills (21 miles / 37 minutes)…
The Shropshire Hills lie south of the county town of Shrewsbury between the Welsh border and Much Wenlock, extending as far south as Ludlow. To the north they are bounded by the Shropshire, Cheshire and Staffordshire Plain, to the east by the Severn Valley and Mid Severn Sandstone Plateau, to the southeast by Knighton and the Teme Valley and to the southwest by the Clun and North West Herefordshire Hills.
Croft Castle and Parkland (6 miles / 12 minutes)…
Croft Castle is now a lavish country mansion but it started life as a Norman stronghold on the border of Wales. It is one of the very best ancient tree properties in Britain, the magnificent 1,000 year old Quarry Oak may be the star attraction and the famous sweet chestnut avenue, which is thought to date from 1580 to 1680, is linked to the Spanish Armada. A wonderful looped walk takes in the Fish Ponds, Croft Woods and Bircher Common.
https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/worcestershire-herefordshire/croft-castle-and-parkland
The Black & White Trail (You can start from our front door, almost)…
The Black and White Village Trail is a 40 mile circular trail set out in a clockwise direction. The trail begins and finishes in Leominster, however you may join at any point. The route is signposted throughout with brown and white tourist signs.
With the opportunity to visit villages, pubs, cafes and points of interest along the way, the route will provide an enjoyable day’s excursion at any time of the year.
Goodrich Castle (33 miles / 60 minutes)…
Goodrich is the perfect medieval castle. Set in beautiful countryside, it guarded a strategic crossing of the river Wye from its foundation in the late 11th century. If you’re feeling adventurous, descend into the pitch-dark dungeon or climb the steep stairway to the top of the keep for breathtaking views over the castle and its surroundings. Before returning for a break in the tearoom, take a walk around the castle’s dry moat. It’s a great place to picnic, and the frowning walls above you are a reminder of how strong Goodrich once was.
https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/goodrich-castle
Antiques Hunting in Leominster (4 miles / a few minutes)…
For centuries, highly prized wool from local Ryeland sheep brought wealth to Leominster, but today this atmospheric little Saxon town is one of Britain’s brightest beacons of antique and vintage shopping temptation. TV shows like Antiques Road and Bargain Hunt regularly follow the path once beaten by medieval and Tudor merchants, unearthing storied covetables amid a beguiling melange of narrow lanes and Tudor houses mingled with gracious Georgian terraces.
https://www.visitherefordshire.co.uk/inspiration/antiques-hunting-leominster
Powis Castle and Garden (45 miles / 80 minutes)…
Most of the great Welsh castles were allowed to decay when the medieval wars ended, but Powis survives as a captivating example of a military stronghold which was preserved and renewed by continual occupation. Its fabric contains architecture of many different periods, beginning with a medieval square keep and stone hall. The most fleeting glimpse of Powis’ mellow red gritstone walls tells us that this stately country house is a place rich in history. The castle has a Grade I listed garden including 17th century Italianate terraces with gigantic clipped yews, and an Edwardian Formal Garden.
https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/wales/powis-castle-and-garden
Hay-on-Wye (23 miles / 34 minutes)…
One of the gems along the River Wye, Hay-on-Wye is the small town famous the world over for books. With the river flowing gracefully along its north western edge Hay, as locals refer to it, abuts the England Wales border. Its reputation as a town packed with bookshops and as the venue for the annual Festival of Literature are only two of its many facets. Y Gelli Gandryll (the shattered grove) as it is known in Welsh, is the ideal base for exploring the northern Black Mountains.
Brockhampton (18 miles / 32 minutes)…
Brockhampton is a special place with a rather olde-world feel about it. Little has changed here over the centuries, you could call it a hidden gem, nestled deep into the Herefordshire countryside. In the eighteenth century, the manor house was abandoned by the family, in favour of a new-build red brick mansion on the estate. Lower Brockhampton Manor was tenanted out to farmworkers which meant little was changed or altered, leaving us with a rare survival of a medieval house.
https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/worcestershire-herefordshire/brockhampton
Symonds Yat (33 miles / 60 minutes)…
Symonds Yat is a village in the Wye Valley in the English counties of Herefordshire and Gloucestershire. It straddles the River Wye, and is within a few miles of Monmouthshire and the Welsh border. The two settlements either side of the river, known as Symonds Yat West and Symonds Yat East, are linked by a footbridge and passenger ferries. Nearby is Symonds Yat Rock, a scenic hilltop viewpoint. The Seven Sisters Rocks are an outcrop of rocks forming cliffs above the Wye at Symonds Yat. (And it’s where Sex Education was filmed.)
Wigmore Castle (6 miles / 12 minutes)…
Once the stronghold of the turbulent Mortimer family, Wigmore Castle was later dismantled to prevent its use during the Civil War. Now it is among the most remarkable ruins in England, largely buried up to first floor level by earth and fallen masonry. Yet many of its fortifications survive to full height, including parts of the keep on its towering mound.
https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/wigmore-castle
Iron Bridge (38 miles / 65 minutes)…
Iron Bridge is gorgeous and picturesque, almost the Disney ideal of an English village. The world’s first iron bridge was erected over the River Severn here in Shropshire in 1779. This pioneering structure marked a turning point in English design and engineering; after it was built, cast iron came to be widely used in the construction of bridges, aqueducts and buildings.
https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/iron-bridge