RegionUsable guide

Herefordshire

County of England

Photo: Tony Grist, Public domain via Wikimedia Commons

Overview

Herefordshire is a county in the West Midlands region of England, along the border with Wales. Herefordshire is a largely rural county, the most densely wooded in the West Midlands, with but a few small towns. It is part of the Welsh Marches, a region where the border was fluid for hundreds of years. Most interest is focused on Hereford, the cathedral city and county town.

Getting there and around

Getting there

By rail
Hereford's railway station is the county's rail hub.

Read in the guide

Getting around

By bus
Confusingly, Hereford has three bus termini: one (urban routes) is behind the Tesco supermarket in Bewell Street; one on St Peter’s Square (rural routes); and one behind the former Odeon cinema in…
By train
There are direct train links from Hereford to Colwall, Ledbury and Leominster. The local train company is Transport for Wales.

Read in the guide

Airports and nearby hotels

Choose an airport to see hotels, stations, taxi ranks and car rental desks around it.

Bristol Airport

Bristol · International · BRS

Search stays near BRS

Search flights

Read before you go to Herefordshire

Articles and travel topics about Herefordshire and United Kingdom.

Travel tips

UK ETA: Who Needs One, Cost and How to Apply (2026 Guide)

Complete 2026 guide to the UK Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA). Check eligibility, the £20 fee, application steps, and transit rules.

Oct 18, 20267 min read

Travel tips

Tourist Taxes and Access Fees: Venice, Bali, Bhutan, Kyoto (2026)

Complete 2026 guide to global tourist taxes and access fees. Compare entry fees in Venice, Bali, Bhutan, Kyoto, and Edinburgh, and learn how to pay them.

Oct 18, 20268 min read

Travel tips

Cheapest Countries to Fly to from the US and UK (2026)

Find the cheapest countries to fly to from the US and UK in 2026. Compare realistic round-trip flight deals, budget airlines, and prime booking windows.

Oct 18, 20268 min read

Travel tips

London to Paris by Eurostar: Booking and Travel Guide (2026)

A complete guide to taking the Eurostar from London to Paris. Learn about check-in times, border controls, baggage limits, ticket tiers, and booking tips.

Oct 17, 20267 min read

Full travel guide

Every section of the guide. Open one to read it in full.

Cities, towns and villagesIn 2014, these five market towns relinquished their traditional markets, which were devolved to a purpose-built livestock market, to the west of Hereford's centre.

UnderstandThe county is dominated by the course of the River Wye. The Wye was considered one of the best salmon-fishing rivers outside Scotland by fishing enthusiasts.

TalkEveryone you're likely to meet as a tourist will speak English. To an outsider, the Herefordshire accent can sound like a blend between West Country and Welsh.

Get inHerefordshire has no commercial airport, but the county is accessible from Birmingham International, Bristol, Cardiff and London Heathrow.

Get aroundMost visitors to Herefordshire will find it easiest to travel around by car, given the rural nature of the county and the patchy public transport network.

SeeDovecotes — impressive structures built to raise birds for the dining table — are hard to spot as they are often tucked away on private estates (doubtless to deter poachers).

DoFrom flowers and cattle to books and films, Herefordshire’s stand-out annual events include the Borderlines Festival (Britain’s largest non-metropolitan film festival), H-Art supported by more than 400 local artists,…

EatAfter tourism, Herefordshire's economy is centred on agriculture and fruit growing. Gastronomically, Herefordshire is not in the Premier League.

DrinkThe Copper Kettle, British Camp: for a reviving cup of tea after walking on the Malverns; Hereford's Pizza Express was once the city's main Post Office; and The Nest cafeteria at Trumpet specialises in scotch eggs.

SleepThere is a new budget Premier Inn hotel in the centre of Hereford.

Stay safeHerefordshire is a very safe county to visit. The county has very low crime largely due to its rural nature.

ConnectThough traditional Herefordshire farmers still support the 188-year-old Hereford Times weekly newspaper, the county's many isolated communities have come to rely on BBC Radio Hereford & Worcester for news, weather and…

Sources and licences

Guide text adapted from the Wikivoyage article "Herefordshire" by its contributors, available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read on Wikivoyage · Contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0
Summary from the Wikipedia article "Herefordshire", available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Wikipedia
Photo: Tony Grist, Public domain via Wikimedia Commons

Improve this guide on Wikivoyage