10 Best Things to Do in Herefordshire

Forest of Dean is home to many unique and historic attractions as well as opportunities for hitting forest trails and seeing wildlife up close. You could visit places like the 11th-century Goodrich Castle or the Cistercian Tintern Abbey, or you can spend your time hiking or biking in the forest. You’ll find numerous wildlife attractions for the whole family, such as the WWT Slimbridge wetland center and the International Center for Birds of Prey, a facility with a collection of owls, hawks, eagles and other raptors. Another highlight is Clearwell Caves, an iron mining museum with ancient caverns.

The Hampton Court Gardens offer parklands and formal gardens for nature walks, hiking excursions and outdoor fun. You’ll find many impressive collections, including 3 National Plant Collections, a record-breaking grapevine and the Wilderness Garden, which is home to a herd of deer. Another highlight is the world’s oldest puzzle maze, a heritage maze commissioned by William III in 1700. The maze is a popular challenge for visitors, thanks to its twists and dead ends that create obstacles for solving the puzzle.

Hereford Cathedral, a cathedral church of the Diocese of Hereford, houses famous medieval treasures and many unique features, including an 11th-century bishop’s chapel, Norman architectural details and elaborate decorative touches. The most prized possession is Mappa Mundi, a medieval world map that was created in 1300 by Richard of Haldingham. You can also see several monument tombs in the cathedral, including the tombs of Sir Richard Pembridge, Thomas Charlton and Robert of Hereford, as well as tombs of numerous bishops.

Eastnor Castle is an elaborate 19th-century mock castle with stunning staterooms and magnificent grounds that can be seen on tours. Designed as a private residence for Baron Somers II, Eastnor Castle has a lavish interior with medieval armor, tapestries and fine art. You can see all the interior rooms, including the Gothic drawing room, great hall and bedrooms. After touring the castle, you can explore the lush arboretum, which contains a prized cedar collection and exotic trees. There’s also a majestic lake on the property.

Berrington Hall is a stunning neoclassical-style country home that boasts a vast collection of period furniture, costumes and other preserved artifacts. The house is simple, but it contains luxurious touches, such as an Elmar Digby furniture collection and masterpieces of artwork. You could also see a Charles Paget Wade costume collection, the downstairs servants’ quarters, a Georgian dairy and a Victorian laundry. The exterior of Berrington Hall is also exquisite and features an elaborate landscape and a lake with an island.

The Croft Castle and its surrounding parkland make for a fascinating landmark with a country house, park and garden in a peaceful setting. Dating back to the 11th century, the castle has been the home of the Croft family and was restored after damage sustained during the Civil War. You can also visit the manor house and chapel to experience life as it would’ve been for the Croft family. In addition to the structures, the property has a walled garden with an orchard, vineyard and glasshouse, along with an avenue of oak and beech trees. Another highlight on the grounds is the Iron Age hill fort Croft Ambrey.

Malvern Hills offers a diverse landscape for outdoor recreation with mountains, forests and valleys that form a playground for activities like nature walks, mountain biking, horseback riding, orienteering and hiking. Many people like to visit these hills in the Severn Valley for adventurous sports like hang-gliding, paragliding and climbing. You’ll find numerous vista points for spectacular country views, such as North Hill, Herefordshire Beacon and Chase End Hill. Several Bronze Age sites have been discovered in the area, revealing artifacts like flint axes and arrowheads.

Symonds Yat Rock is a famous vista point for seeing the wonders of the River Wye and its surrounding landscape. The area is ideal for outdoor adventurers, thanks to extensive waymarked trails within the forest and near the river that lead to the Symonds Yat Rock viewpoint. Several raptor species use the surrounding forest as a nesting or migratory site, including peregrine falcons, sparrowhawks, ospreys and tawny owls, making it a great place for bird-watching. Another highlight is an Iron Age hill fort at the summit of Symonds Yat Rock. The site not only showcases the defenses of the past, but it also offers a great vista point.

Mappa Mundi is a legendary medieval world map that dates back to 1300 and shows the notion of history and geography in Christian Europe at the time. Held within the Hereford Cathedral, the map measures 1.59 by 1.34 meters and was created from a single sheet of vellum, or calfskin. The map illustrates some important information about the ideas of the time period, such as the mapping of the known world with Jerusalem at the center. East is at the top, which is where the sun rises and where Christians believed they'd find the second coming of Christ. When you visit the cathedral, you can look at the map yourself to see the difference between then and now.

Puzzlewood is a vast, ancient woodland in the Forest of Dean that offers picturesque walking trails that pass ancient trees and hidden caves. The woodland is valued for its archeological significance and artifacts, which include Roman coins and evidence of an iron ore mining site. It also has an enchanting feel, with twisted trees, winding pathways and mysterious stone formations. Visitors are treated to the whimsical experience of following a treasure hunt to identify animals, Roman coins, iron ore crannies and other objects within the woodland.