Herefordshire

Herefordshire, covering an area of 842 square miles nestles between the Welsh Black Mountains to the west and the Malvern Hills to the east. Bordering Shropshire to the north and Gloucestershire to the south east Herefordshire has a population of around 180,000 making it one of England’s most sparsely populated counties. The land use is predominantly agricultural, the county being well known for its fruit, cider, Hereford cattle, and more recently potato production for crisp manufacturers.

Hereford Cathedral  houses the largest chained library in the world with 1444 books, some dating back 1000 years, all chained and locked in their bookcases.  It also contains the Mappa Mundi, the medieval map of the world drawn up in 1289 at a time when the world was thought to be flat.

Education

Herefordshire state schools are generally very good. There are some excellent village schools where the total pupil population for the entire school is under 20! The most well known Herefordshire independent school is Hereford Cathedral School which dates back to 676AD. It is recognised as one of the 250 leading independent schools in the UK.

Transport

The south of the county is well served by the M50 from Ross-on-Wye, connecting to the M5 to travel north to the midlands and south via Bristol. A network of ‘A’ roads radiate from Hereford to the surrounding towns and villages. There is only one bridge over the River Wye in Hereford itself and traffic queues can occur, particularly at peak times travelling in to Hereford from the south.

Interesting Herefordshire facts

    • Herefordshire is home to the largest cider factory in the world. The Bulmers’  vat has a capacity of 1.63 million gallons and at 65 ft high and 75 ft in diameter is the world’s largest vat.
    • Herefordshire is known as the ‘University of The Great Outdoors’ due to its geographical location and the variety of outdoor pursuits on offer, from kayaking to climbing and mountain boarding to cycling.
    • Nell Gwynne, theatrical icon and mistress to Charles II, was born in Hereford. A plaque on the wall of the Bishop’s Garden on Gwynne Street marks the place where she was born. She had a grandson by Charles II who became Bishop of Hereford. The King loved Nell to the end and his last words were “do not let poor Nellie starve”.