Herefordshire
Herefordshire (/ˈhɛrɪfərdʃɪər, -ʃər/ HERR-if-ərd-sheer, -shər) is a ceremonial county in the West Midlands region of England. It is bordered by Shropshire to the north, Worcestershire to the east, Gloucestershire to the south-east, and the Welsh counties of Monmouthshire and Powys to the west. The city of Hereford is the largest settlement and the county town.
Herefordshire | |
|---|---|
The River Wye at Hereford, with Hereford Cathedral on the left; the Norman south door of Kilpeck Church; and Hereford cattle | |
| Motto(s): "Pulchra terra Dei donum" ("This fair land is the gift of God") | |
| Coordinates: 52°05′N 2°45′W | |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Constituent country | England |
| Region | West Midlands |
| Established | 1 April 1998 |
| Established by | Local Government Commission for England |
| Preceded by | Hereford and Worcester |
| Origin | Ancient |
| Time zone | UTC±00:00 (Greenwich Mean Time) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+01:00 (British Summer Time) |
| Members of Parliament | List of MPs |
| Police | West Mercia Police |
| Ceremonial county | |
| Lord Lieutenant | Edward Harley |
| High Sheriff | Patricia Thomas (2020–21) |
| Area | 2,180 km2 (840 sq mi) |
| • Ranked | 26th of 48 |
| Population (2021) | 192,107 |
| • Ranked | 45th of 48 |
| Density | 88/km2 (230/sq mi) |
| Unitary authority | |
| Council | Herefordshire Council |
| Executive | Conservative |
| Admin HQ | Hereford |
| Area | 2,180 km2 (840 sq mi) |
| • Ranked | 12th of 296 |
| Population | 187,557 |
| • Ranked | 105th of 296 |
| Density | 86/km2 (220/sq mi) |
| ISO 3166-2 | GB-HEF |
| ONS code | 00GA |
| GSS code | E06000019 |
| ITL | UKG11 |
| Website | herefordshire |
The county is one of the most rural in England, with an area of 2,180 square kilometres (840 sq mi) and a population of 187,034, giving a density of 88/km2 (228/sq mi). After Hereford (53,112) the largest settlements are Leominster (10,938), Ross-on-Wye (10,582), and Ledbury (8,862). For local government purposes Herefordshire is a unitary authority area.
The centre of Herefordshire is lowland which is crossed by the River Wye and its tributary, the Lugg. To the east are the Malvern Hills, a national landscape, which straddle the boundary with Worcestershire. The south of the county contains the northern part of the Wye Valley, also a national landscape, which stretches into Wales. In the west, the ground rises to the Black Mountains range; this contains the Black Mountain (Twyn Llech), which lies on the Powys border and is the highest point in the county, at 703.6 metres (2,308 ft).
The county is situated in the historic Welsh Marches. The land use is mostly agricultural, and the county is known for its fruit and cider production, and for the Hereford cattle breed.