Herefordshire is a county in the West Midlands region of England, located along the border with Wales.

Explore the castles. Herefordshire was, until the late Middle Ages, a battle ground between the Welsh and the English. There are over 130 castles listed in the county.

Cities, towns and villages

Map of Herefordshire

Cities

• 1 Hereford – cathedral city and county town. Take the opportunity to see the Mappi Mundi.

Towns

• 2 Bromyard
• 3 Kington
• 4 Leominster
• 5 Ledbury – market town
• 6 Ross-on-Wye

Villages

• 7 Kilpeck – has a church with carvings and gargoyles that are considered quite a spectacle.

Other destinations

• 1 Eastnor Castle near Ledbury – which is a mock Tudor castle but with lovely grounds, deer park and plenty to see amongst the lovely Malvern Hills.

Understand

Herefordshire is a largely rural county with but a few small towns. Most interest is focused on the cathedral city and county town Hereford.

Talk

To an outsider, the Herefordshire accent can sound like a blend between West Country and Welsh. There are plenty of villages in the west of the county with Welsh names, and there may be some native speakers left in more remote areas near the border, but the chances of you meeting them are minimal. By contrast, it's not uncommon to hear Welsh spoken among shoppers on the streets of Hereford, as this is the nearest large city (relatively speaking!) for many people living in Mid Wales.

Go next

Herefordshire borders the counties of Shropshire to the north, Worcestershire in the east, Gloucestershire to the south east, Monmouthshire in the south west and Powys in the west.