View source for Herefordshire

{{short description|County of England}}
{{distinguish|Hertfordshire}}
{{About|the ceremonial county|other uses}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2023}}
{{Use British English|date=May 2013}}
{{infobox English county
| image_main             = {{multiple images
|border=infobox
|perrow=1 2
|total_width=270px
| image1 = Hereford Catherdal on River.jpg
| image2 = Kilpeck, The church of St. Mary and St. David, The magnificent Norman south doorway - geograph.org.uk - 4625889.jpg
| image3 = Herefordshire_Cattle_in_Hartlebury.jpg
                              }}
| image_caption         = The [[River Wye]] at [[Hereford]], with [[Hereford Cathedral]] on the left; the [[Norman architecture|Norman]] south door of [[Church of St Mary and St David, Kilpeck|Kilpeck Church]]; and [[Hereford cattle]] | official_name           = Herefordshire
| other_name              = 
| motto                   = "Pulchra terra Dei donum" <br />("This fair land is the gift of God")
| locator_map             = [[File:Herefordshire UK locator map 2010.svg|200px|Herefordshire within England]] 
| coordinates             = {{Coord|52|05|N|2|45|W|display=title, inline|region:GB_type:adm1st_source:GNS-enwiki}}
| region                  = [[West Midlands (region)|West Midlands]]
| established_date        = 1 April 1998
| established_by          = [[Local Government Commission for England (1992)|Local Government Commission for England]]
| preceded_by             = [[Hereford and Worcester]]
| origin                  = [[Historic counties of England|Ancient]]
| lord_lieutenant_office  = Lord Lieutenant of Herefordshire
| lord_lieutenant_name    = Edward Harley 
| high_sheriff_office     = High Sheriff of Herefordshire
| high_sheriff_name       =  Patricia Thomas<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=62943|page=5161|date=13 March 2020}}</ref> (2020–21)
| area_total_km2          = 2180
| area_total_rank         = 26th
| ethnicity              =
 {{Collapsible list
 | 96.9% [[White people in the United Kingdom|White]]
 | 1.2% [[British Asians|Asian]]
 | 1.1% [[Mixed (United Kingdom ethnicity category)|Mixed]]
 | 0.5% [[Ethnic groups in the United Kingdom|other]]
 | 0.3% [[Black British people|Black]]
 }}
| ethnicity_year         = [[2021 United Kingdom census|2021]]
| ethnicity_footnotes    = <ref name="2021 Nomis">{{NOMIS2021 |id=E06000019 |title=Herefordshire Local Authority |access-date=7 August 2024 }}</ref>
| unitary_council         = [[Herefordshire Council]]
| admin_hq                = [[Hereford]]
| iso_code                = GB-HEF
| ons_code                = 00GA
| gss_code                = E06000019
| nuts_code               = UKG11
| MPs                     = [[List of Parliamentary constituencies in Herefordshire|List of MPs]]
| police                  = [[West Mercia Police]]
| website                 = {{URL|herefordshire.gov.uk}}
}}
'''Herefordshire''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|h|ɛr|ᵻ|f|ər|d|ʃ|ɪər|,_|-|ʃ|ər}} {{respell|HERR|if|ərd|sheer|,_-|shər}})<ref>{{Cite web|title=Herefordshire definition and meaning {{!}} Collins English Dictionary|url=https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/herefordshire|access-date=6 August 2020|website=www.collinsdictionary.com|language=en}}</ref> is a [[Ceremonial counties of England|ceremonial county]] in the [[West Midlands (region)|West Midlands]] of England, 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.

The county is rural, with an area of {{Convert|2180|km2|sqmi}} and an estimated population of {{English cerem counties|POP=Herefordshire}} in {{English cerem counties|TXT=Year}}. Hereford is located near the centre of the county, and other settlements include [[Leominster]] in the north, [[Ledbury]] in the east, and [[Ross-on-Wye]] in the south. For [[Local government in England|local government]] purposes Herefordshire is a [[Unitary authorities of England|unitary authority]] area. 

The centre of Herefordshire is lowland which is crossed by the [[River Wye]] and its tributary, the [[River Lugg|Lugg]]. To the east are the [[Malvern Hills]], a [[National Landscape|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, Wales|Black Mountains]] range; this contains the [[Black Mountain (hill)|Black Mountain]] ({{Lang|cy|Twyn Llech}}), which lies on the Powys border and is the highest point in the county, at {{Convert|703.6|m|ft}}.

The county is 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)|Hereford cattle]] breed.

==Physical geography==
[[File:River Wye at Symonds Yat (9755).jpg|left|thumb|The [[River Wye]] at [[Symonds Yat]]]]
The [[River Wye]], which at {{convert|135|mi|km}} is the fourth-longest in the United Kingdom,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.top-ten-10.com/science/geography/rivers-uk.htm |title=Top Ten Longest Rivers in the United Kingdom |publisher=Top-ten-10.com |access-date=15 June 2013 |archive-date=28 December 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121228001830/http://www.top-ten-10.com/science/geography/rivers-uk.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref> enters the county after briefly being its border with [[Powys]]. It flows through both [[Hereford]] and [[Ross-on-Wye]] before returning to Wales. [[Leominster]] is on the [[River Lugg]], a tributary of the Wye.

There are two [[Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty]] in the county. The [[Wye Valley]] is in the river's valleys south of Hereford, while the [[Malvern Hills]] are in the east of the county, along its border with [[Worcestershire]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.aonb.org.uk/wba/naaonb/naaonbpreview.nsf/Web%20Default%20Frameset?OpenFrameSet&Frame=Main&Src=%2Fwba%2Fnaaonb%2Fnaaonbpreview.nsf%2F%24LU.WebHomePage%2F%24first!OpenDocument%26AutoFramed |title=NAAONB Website |publisher=Aonb.org.uk |access-date=15 June 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130624084952/http://www.aonb.org.uk/wba/naaonb/naaonbpreview.nsf/Web%20Default%20Frameset?OpenFrameSet&Frame=Main&Src=%2Fwba%2Fnaaonb%2Fnaaonbpreview.nsf%2F%24LU.WebHomePage%2F%24first!OpenDocument%26AutoFramed |archive-date=24 June 2013 |url-status=dead  }}</ref>

{{clear left}}
== History ==
{{Main|History of Herefordshire}}

[[File:Herefordia Atlas.jpg|thumb|Hand-drawn map of Herefordshire by Christopher Saxton in 1576|left]]

Herefordshire is one of the 39 [[historic counties of England]]. Herefordshire County Council was created in 1889.<ref name="Jubilee">{{cite book |title=The Jubilee of County Councils Herefordshire |date=1939 |publisher=The County Councils Association |pages=66 }}</ref>

In 1974, the administrative county formed in 1889 was merged with that of neighbouring [[Worcestershire]] to form Hereford and Worcester. Within this, Herefordshire was covered by the [[Non-metropolitan district|local government districts]] of [[South Herefordshire]], [[Hereford]], and part of [[Malvern Hills (district)|Malvern Hills]] and [[Leominster (district)|Leominster]] districts. However, the county was dissolved in 1998, resulting in the return of Herefordshire and Worcestershire as counties.<ref>{{UK SI   | year = 1996   | number = 1867   | section =    | url = http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1996/1867/contents/made   | title = The Hereford and Worcester (Structural, Boundary and Electoral Changes) Order 1996   | isbn =    | made = 18 July 1996 | laid =   | force = 1 April 1998 }}</ref>

The county and [[Unitary authorities in England|unitary authority]] created in 1998 has almost identical borders to the pre-1974 county; a small area at Park Wood had been transferred from [[Mathon, Herefordshire|Mathon]] to [[West Malvern]] in 1986 and so went to Worcestershire rather than Herefordshire in 1998, but otherwise the re-established border between the two counties was identical to the pre-1974 boundary.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Malvern Hills (Parishes) Order 1986 |url=https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ukgwa/20221202003319mp_/https://s3-eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/lgbce/__data/assets/pdf_file/0015/12354/malvern-hills-parishes-order-1986.pdf |website=Local Government Boundary Commission for England |publisher=The National Archives |access-date=18 November 2023}}</ref>

==Constitution==
From 1974 to 1998, Herefordshire was part of the former [[non-metropolitan county]] of [[Hereford and Worcester]].

Herefordshire was reconstituted both as a new [[non-metropolitan district|district]] as "'''County of Herefordshire'''"<ref>{{cite web|url=http://data.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/doc/7000000000038904|title=County of Herefordshire|publisher=[[Ordnance Survey]]|accessdate=21 August 2021}}</ref> and as a new [[non-metropolitan county|county]] (coextensive with the area of the aforementioned district) (effective 1 April 1998) by [[Statutory Instrument]] as defined in ''The Hereford and Worcester (Structural, Boundary and Electoral Changes) Order 1996''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si1996/Uksi_19961867_en_2.htm |title=''The Hereford and Worcester (Structural, Boundary and Electoral Changes) Order 1996'' |publisher=Opsi.gov.uk |date=16 July 2010 |access-date=25 September 2010}}</ref> This Order established Herefordshire as a [[unitary authority]] on 1 April 1998, combining county and district functions into a single council. Herefordshire is also commonly called a ''unitary district'', but this is not official nomenclature. Herefordshire is officially known as a unitary authority for local government purposes.<ref>{{cite web
 | url = http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/guide-method/geography/beginner-s-guide/administrative/our-changing-geography/local-government-restructuring/index.html | archive-url = http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20160105160709/http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/guide-method/geography/beginner-s-guide/administrative/our-changing-geography/local-government-restructuring/index.html | url-status = dead | archive-date = 5 January 2016 | title = A recent history of UK local government restructuring | publisher = [[Office for National Statistics]] | access-date = 28 February 2016 | quote = 1998 – Several more urban UAs were created. The county of Hereford and Worcester was divided into the two-tier Worcestershire and the misleadingly named UA, County of Herefordshire}}</ref> It is governed by Herefordshire Council which was created in 1998 with the new unitary district that absorbed the previous administrative areas of Hereford City Council, South Herefordshire District Council, most of [[Leominster (district)|Leominster]] District Council, and part of [[Malvern Hills (district)|Malvern Hills District Council]], all within the previous non-metropolitan county of Hereford and Worcester, whose functions the new authority inherited within its area.<ref>[http://www.herefordshire.gov.uk Official Hereford Council website]. Retrieved 21 May 2009.</ref> The remainder of Malvern Hills district absorbed the Worcestershire part of Leominster district (the area around Tenbury Wells) and continued to constitute a (smaller) district within the new two-tier county of Worcestershire.

The [[Lieutenancies Act 1997]] made Herefordshire a [[Ceremonial counties of England|ceremonial county]], covering the exact area of the unitary district. For [[Eurostat]] purposes it is a [[NUTS statistical regions of the United Kingdom|NUTS 3 region]] (code UKG11) and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire" NUTS 2 region.<ref>{{cite web | title = NUTS (Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics), by regional level, version 2013 | publisher = [[Eurostat]] | url = http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/ramon/documents/nuts/NUTS_2013.zip | format = zip | access-date = 11 January 2015}}</ref>

==Demographics==

In Herefordshire, the population size has increased by 2.0%, from around 183,500 in 2011 to 187,100 in 2021. This is lower than the overall increase for England (6.6%), where the population grew by nearly 3.5 million to 56,489,800.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.ons.gov.uk/visualisations/censuspopulationchange/E06000019/ | title=How the population changed in Herefordshire, Census 2021 - ONS }}</ref>

As of the 2021 census, 91.1% of the population identified as 'White British', and 5.1% as 'White Other'. The 'White Other' group is largely made up of migrants from central and Eastern Europe who began moving into the county in the early 2000's, initially for agricultural work, but more recently to work in other sectors such as health care, catering and hospitality.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://understanding.herefordshire.gov.uk/population/changing-population/ | title=Changing population - Understanding Herefordshire }}</ref> Poland and Romania are the two most common non-UK countries of birth for foreign born people in Herefordshire.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.ons.gov.uk/visualisations/censusareachanges/E06000019/ | title=How life has changed in Herefordshire: Census 2021 }}</ref>

===Travellers===
Gypsies and Travellers have historically been Herefordshire's largest minority ethnic group. They are made up of three main groups:
* [[Romanichal]] or Romani
* [[Irish Travellers]]
*New Travellers or [[New Age Travellers]]

As of the 2021 census, they number 600 people, at around 0.2% of the county's population.<ref>{{cite web|website=herefordshire.gov.uk
|url=https://understanding.herefordshire.gov.uk/media/2096/ethnic-group-national-identity-language-and-religion_census-2021-in-herefordshire.pdf|title=Census 2021|access-date=27 April 2024}}</ref>

Romany Gypsies and Irish Travellers fall within the definition of a minority ethnic group under the [[Race Relations Amendment Act 2000|Race Relations Amendment Act (2000)]]. There were approximately 400 people (0.2%) within this minority group in the county at the 2011 Census.<ref>{{cite web |title=Herefordshire, County of, in the 2011 Census |url=http://www.ukcensusdata.com/herefordshire-county-of-e06000019#sthash.ScocCiKW.dpbs |website=UK Census Data |access-date=23 December 2018 |archive-date=25 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201025082647/http://ukcensusdata.com/herefordshire-county-of-e06000019#sthash.ScocCiKW.dpbs |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==Economy==
[[H. P. Bulmer|Bulmers Cider]] in Hereford is the world's largest [[cider]] factory, and has the world's largest vat (for [[Strongbow (cider)|Strongbow]]), built in 1975. [[Painter Brothers]] (part of [[Balfour Beatty]]) in the north of Hereford, is the UK's largest manufacturer of electricity pylons ([[transmission tower]]s), [[Radio masts and towers|broadcasting mast]]s, the [[Callender-Hamilton bridge]], and [[Railway electrification in Great Britain|rail electrification]] structures. [[Henry Wiggin|Special Metals Wiggin]], part of [[Special Metals Corporation]], based at Hereford was the main producer of [[List of alloys|nickel alloys]] in Europe, with a large site directly north of Painter Brothers. [[Cargill Meat Solutions|Cargill Meats Europe]] (formerly Sun Valley) have a large poultry meat processing facility, processing chickens from around Herefordshire.

[[Cadbury]] (Mondelēz International) make milk chocolate crumb near [[Marlbrook, Herefordshire|Marlbrook]] (near [[Leominster]]). [[Weston's Cider]] is in [[Much Marcle]], who also make Stowford Press. Wye Fruit Ltd is in the north of Ledbury on the B4214 and is a large site of [[Amcor]], and further west is Universal Beverages (UBL), owned by Heineken since 2007 where it cans cider. The site of Ledbury Preserves of RHM made [[Robertson's]] jam, mincemeat and marmalade and closed in 2008 when production moved to Cambridgeshire. Holden Aluminium Technologies are a sports car chassis manufacturer at [[Linton, Bringsty|Linton]]. [[Kingspan Group|Kingspan Insulation]] is based at [[Pembridge]].  BT's [[Madley Communications Centre]], claims to be the world's largest [[Ground station|earth station]]. [[Tyrrells (crisps)|Tyrrells Potato Crisps]] are at [[Dilwyn]] west of Leominster.

This is a chart of trend of regional gross value added of Herefordshire at current basic prices published by the Office for National Statistics with figures in millions of British Pounds Sterling.<ref>{{cite web |title=Microsoft Word&nbsp;— Regional GVA Article.doc |url=http://www.statistics.gov.uk/downloads/theme_economy/RegionalGVA.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071201002538/http://www.statistics.gov.uk/downloads/theme_economy/RegionalGVA.pdf |archive-date=1 December 2007 |access-date=25 September 2010 }}</ref>
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Year || Regional Gross Value Added{{ref|fn_4}} || Agriculture{{ref|fn_1}} || Industry{{ref|fn_2}} || Services{{ref|fn_3}}
|-
| 1995 || '''1,622''' || 218 || 567 || 836
|-
| 2000 || '''1,885''' || 155 || 643 || 1,087
|-
| 2003 || '''2,216''' || 185 || 708 || 1,323
|}

{{note|fn_1}} includes hunting and forestry

{{note|fn_2}} includes energy and construction

{{note|fn_3}} includes financial intermediation services indirectly measured

{{note|fn_4}} Components may not sum to totals due to rounding

Many well-known cider producers are based in Herefordshire. These include Weston's cider of [[Much Marcle]], and [[H. P. Bulmer|Bulmer's]] cider, from Hereford, which produces the UK market leader [[Strongbow Cider|Strongbow]].

==Cities, towns and villages==
{{Main|List of places in Herefordshire|List of settlements in Herefordshire by population}}

{{see also|Category:Towns in Herefordshire|Category:Villages in Herefordshire}}
[[File:LedburyMarketHouse.JPG|thumb|The [[Ledbury Market Hall|Market Hall]], [[Ledbury]]]]
The major settlements in the county include [[Hereford]], which is the [[county town]] and Herefordshire's only [[City status in the United Kingdom|city]], as well as the towns of [[Leominster]], [[Ledbury]], [[Ross-on-Wye]], [[Kington, Herefordshire|Kington]] and [[Bromyard]].

==Employment==
Most employment in Herefordshire is in agriculture, manufacturing and services. According to Herefordshire Council's online document "worklessness", 10% of people are unemployed in Herefordshire including out-of-work, homeless, ill and disabled and their carers. [[Cargill Meat Solutions|Cargill Meats]] and H. P. Bulmers are two of the largest private sector employers, with the Council and NHS being the largest public sector employers.

==Politics==

===Westminster Parliamentary===
{{Main|List of Parliamentary constituencies in Herefordshire and Worcestershire}}

There are two parliamentary constituencies in Herefordshire. {{As of|July 2024}}, [[Ellie Chowns]], a member of the [[Green Party of England and Wales|Green Party]], represents [[North Herefordshire (UK Parliament constituency)|North Herefordshire]] and [[Jesse Norman]], a member of the [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative Party]], represents [[Hereford and South Herefordshire (UK Parliament constituency)|Hereford and South Herefordshire]].

===Council===
{{main|Herefordshire Council}}

[[File:Arms of Herefordshire County Council.svg|thumb|168x168px|The coat of arms of Herefordshire County Council]]
The council operates a [[cabinet-style council]] and has been independently controlled since 2019. The chairman is Sebastian Bowen and the leader of the council is David Hitchiner.

The cabinet leader is appointed yearly by the full council of 53 councillors. The cabinet leader then picks their deputy and up to eight other councillors to form the executive cabinet. Each cabinet member makes the decisions about the portfolio that they are allocated.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.herefordshire.gov.uk/government-citizens-and-rights/democracy/council-committees/what-is-the-cabinet-and-who-are-the-cabinet-members |publisher=Herefordshire Council |title=What is the cabinet and who are the cabinet members? |access-date=28 February 2016 |quote=cabinet consists of six members, including the leader of the council and the deputy leader, each responsible for a programme area |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304142122/https://www.herefordshire.gov.uk/government-citizens-and-rights/democracy/council-committees/what-is-the-cabinet-and-who-are-the-cabinet-members |archive-date=4 March 2016 |url-status=dead  }}</ref> Elections to the council are held every four years. Elections are conducted under the [[First Past the Post|FPTP]] system with the 53 wards returning one councillor each. Elections have been held in [[Herefordshire Council Election, 2000|2000]], 2003, 2007, 2011, 2015 and 2019, 2023, with the next election to be held in 2027.

In the 2019 election, the Conservatives lost control of Herefordshire Council. This remained true for the 2023 local elections in Herefordshire.

==Education==
{{See also|List of schools in Herefordshire}}
Herefordshire has a comprehensive education system that also includes several independent schools.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/schooltables/herefordshire-1380158.html | location=London | work=The Independent | date=15 January 2009 | title=Herefordshire}}</ref> Most state secondary schools are for ages 11–16. Providers of further and higher education in the county include [[Hereford College of Arts]], [[Hereford College of Education]], [[Hereford Sixth Form College]], [[Herefordshire and Ludlow College]], [[Royal National College for the Blind]], NMITE and Herefordshire and Worcestershire Group Training Association (HWGTA).

==Agriculture==
The agricultural economy has changed greatly in recent years{{when|date=January 2024}} within the county. The county is on the western edge of England which has been historically pastoral as opposed to the east which was more [[arable land|arable]].{{Citation needed|date=April 2010}}

===Beef===
{{Main|Hereford cattle}}
Probably Hereford's most famous export is its [[Hereford cattle|Hereford beef cattle]]. Herefords are docile but extremely hardy creatures and these attributes have led to their proliferation across the world, particularly the US, Canada, South America and Australia. The breed is so gentle that a Hereford bull was used as the mascot for [[Hereford United F.C.|Hereford United Football Club]] for many years, led around the club's [[Edgar Street]] ground before major matches.

===Fruit===
[[File:N122 w1150 — Herefordshire Pomona, vol. 2, plate XLV.jpg|thumb|An illustration from the ''[[Herefordshire Pomona]]'', a record of the apple and pear varieties grown in the county in the nineteenth century.<ref>{{Cite web |date=15 June 2018 |title=The Herefordshire Pomona |url=https://exhibits.library.cornell.edu/cider/feature/the-herefordshire-pomona |access-date=23 July 2023 |website=Apples to Cider - Online exhibitions across Cornell University Library |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/55785600#page/1/mode/1up |title=The Herefordshire Pomona |publisher=Jakeman and Carver; Journal of Horticulture Office |others=illustrated by Alice B. Ellis and Edith G. Bull |year=1876–1885 |editor-last=Bull |editor-first=Henry Graves |volume=II |publication-place=Hereford, London |language=en |oclc=220640042 |editor-last2=Hogg |editor-first2=Robert}}</ref>]]
The county is famous for its apple and pear orchards, and its cider. There are many orchards around the county but not as many as there once were.

In the last few years, soft [[fruit]]s such as [[strawberries]] have become a new and rapidly expanding area of the agricultural economy of the county. One of the main reasons for this was the introduction of the [[polytunnel]] or French tunnel. This allows the strawberries to be grown for a far longer season and with a higher quality (with no blemishes from the rain). The strawberries are mainly picked by [[Eastern European]] workers who come over for the season and often earn more money than they could working in their own country and with the bonus, for many of them, of learning or improving their English. The polytunnels have been a major issue in the county, as some people see them as a "blot on the landscape".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.polytunnelcontrol.org.uk/press.htm |title=CPC&nbsp;— Press |publisher=Polytunnelcontrol.org.uk |access-date=25 September 2010}}</ref>

Although some polytunnel sites are illegal, [[Herefordshire Council]] has turned a blind eye in the belief that agriculture must be allowed to innovate; otherwise it will stagnate and the county will suffer.<ref>{{cite web  | title = THE QUEEN ON THE APPLICATION OF WYE VALLEY ACTION ASSOCIATION LIMITED v HEREFORDSHIRE COUNCIL and EC DRUMMOND & SON  | work = [2009] EWHC 3428 (Admin), [2010] Env LR 18, [2010] 2 All ER 863   | publisher = [[BAILII#BAILII]]  | date = 18 December 2009 | url = http://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWHC/Admin/2009/3428.html  | access-date = 24 August 2010 | quote = the Council, in my judgment, have made an error of law in relation to their findings that this development was not a project within Schedule 2 and such an error of law, as I set out above, means that quashing of the decision must follow, because the Council have failed to undertake an environmental impact assessment of the process. They failed to go on to consider whether or not the project would have significant environmental effects and, therefore, whether or not it required an environmental statement. In those circumstances, there is no need or purpose for me to consider the subsidiary ground which was raised in relation to the reasons provided with the screening opinion since my conclusions in respect of the first element of the ground of challenge disposes of the case and the planning consent must be quashed. }}</ref>

===Dairy===
Previously, most farms in the county had [[dairy cattle]]. Due to the cost of investing in new equipment, long hours,{{clarify|date=September 2013}} [[bovine spongiform encephalopathy|BSE]], [[foot-and-mouth disease]] and mainly falling milk prices, the county's milk production has drastically reduced, with only a few farms still in dairy farming.{{Citation needed|date=April 2010}}

===Potatoes===
The county is historically pastoral. The soils are mostly clay, meaning that large scale potato production was very difficult, as tractors were not powerful enough to pull the large machinery required to harvest the crop. Around the early 1990s new technology and more powerful machines overcame this problem. Potato production started to increase, fuelled by a few other key factors: The previously pastoral soils had not had potatoes grown in them; consequently they were not infected with [[nematode|eelworm]] (''Heterodera rostochiensis'' and ''Heterodera pallida''), which in the east of England had to be sprayed against weekly (a large cost). Also, the clay soil produced an unblemished potato of the highest grade.{{Citation needed|date=April 2010}}

The intensive nature of the crop meant that potatoes could be grown viably on a given field in only one of every five years. Because potato growers always needed more land than they owned, they rented extra. This demand for rental fields came at a time when the rest of the industry was struggling and in serious decline. The potato farmers' rents of £300–500 per acre (as opposed to normally £80 per acre) were very helpful to many farmers in a difficult period.{{Citation needed|date=April 2010}}

==Emblems==
[[File:County Flag Of Herefordshire.svg|thumb|The flag of the historic county of Herefordshire]]

===Coat of arms===
Herefordshire County Council was granted a [[coat of arms]] on 28 February 1946.<ref name="briggs">Geoffrey Briggs, ''Civic and Corporate Heraldry'', London, 1971</ref> The arms became obsolete in 1974 on the abolition of the council, but were transferred to the present Herefordshire Council by [[Order in Council]] in 1997.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si1997/19972618.htm |title=''The Local Authorities (Armorial Bearings) (No. 2) Order 1997'', www.opsi.gov.uk, accessed October 31, 2007 |publisher=Opsi.gov.uk |date=1 April 1974 |access-date=25 September 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080103164327/http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si1997/19972618.htm |archive-date=3 January 2008  }}</ref>

The arms are [[blazon]]ed as follows:

''[[Gules]] on a [[fess]]e wavy between in chief a lion passant guardant [[argent]] and in base a Herefordshire bull's head caboshed proper, a bar wavy [[azure (heraldry)|azure]]; and for a [[crest (heraldry)|Crest]] on a wreath of the colours a demi lion rampant gules holding in the sinister claw a fleece or; and for Supporters, on the dexter side a lion guardant or gorged with a wreath of hops fructed proper and on the sinister a talbot argent gorged with a collar or charged with three apples proper.''<ref name="briggs"/>

The red colouring ("gules") of the shield is taken from the arms of the City of Hereford. The red colour also represents the red earth of Herefordshire. The silver and blue wave across the centre of the shield represents the River Wye. The lions that form parts of the arms, crest and supporters are also taken from Hereford's arms. The agricultural produce of Herefordshire is represented by the bull's head, fleece, hops and apples. The [[Talbot (dog)|talbot dog]] comes from the heraldry of the Talbot family, Marcher Lords of Shrewsbury and also from that of Viscount Hereford.

The [[Latin]] [[motto]] is: ''Pulchra terra Dei donum'' ("This fair land is the gift of God").<ref>C Wilfrid Scott-Giles, ''Civic Heraldry of England and Wales'', 2nd edition, London, 1953</ref>

===County flower===
As part of a competition organised by the charity [[Plantlife]] to raise awareness of conservation issues, the public were asked to vote for "[[county flower]]s" that they felt best represented their county. [[Mistletoe]] was announced as the winning choice for Herefordshire in 2004.<ref>{{cite news|last=Kirby |first=Alex |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/3684291.stm |title=''UK counties choose floral emblems'', BBC News online, accessed October 31, 2007 |publisher=BBC News |date=5 May 2004 |access-date=25 September 2010}}</ref> The emblem has no official status and has not been widely adopted. Herefordshire Council uses a logo consisting of a green apple.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.herefordshire.gov.uk/homepage.asp |title=Herefordshire Council Homepage, accessed October 31, 2007 |publisher=Herefordshire.gov.uk |access-date=25 September 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100815063656/http://www.herefordshire.gov.uk/homepage.asp |archive-date=15 August 2010 }}</ref>

==Media==
===Television===
The county is covered by [[BBC West Midlands]] and [[ITV Central]] from its studios in [[Birmingham]]. Television signals are received from the [[Ridge Hill transmitting station|Ridge Hill]] TV transmitter located 8.5 miles south east of [[Hereford]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://ukfree.tv/transmitters/tv/Ridge_Hill|title=Full Freeview on the Ridge Hill (County of Herefordshire, England) transmitter|date=1 May 2004|website=UK Free TV|accessdate=16 February 2024}}</ref>

===Radio===
[[BBC Local Radio]] the for county is served by [[BBC Hereford and Worcester]] which broadcast from [[Worcester, England|Worcester]] but also has another studio in [[Hereford]]. County-wide radio stations are [[Hits Radio Herefordshire & Worcestershire]], [[Sunshine Radio (Herefordshire and Monmouthshire)|Sunshine Radio]], [[Radio Wyvern]], [[Capital Mid-Counties]], and [[Greatest Hits Radio|Greatest Hits Radio Herefordshire & Worcestershire]].

==Sport==
[[File:Hufc-lwme.jpg|thumb|right|[[Edgar Street]] is the home ground of [[Hereford F.C.]], the successors to [[Hereford United F.C.|Hereford United]], the only club from the county to have ever played in [[The Football League]].]]
Perhaps the most famous sporting team in Herefordshire is [[Hereford United F.C.|Hereford United]] football club, founded in 1924, who were members of the [[Football League]] and played at [[Edgar Street]] stadium in the city of Hereford.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.herefordunited.co.uk/page/PottedHistory/0,,10835~1917023,00.html |title=Hereford United – Potted History 1924–1949 |date=29 December 2009 |publisher=[[Hereford United F.C.]] |access-date=25 March 2016 |quote=Hereford United Football Club was formed by the amalgamation of two local sides, St Martins and RAOC in June 1924. |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120314125802/http://www.herefordunited.co.uk/page/PottedHistory/0%2C%2C10835~1917023%2C00.html |archive-date=14 March 2012 |url-status=dead  }}</ref> The club then made its way upwards to the [[Southern Football League]], finally gaining election to the [[Football League]] in 1972 and defeating [[Newcastle United F.C.|Newcastle United]] in an [[FA Cup]] tie. Two successive promotions saw the club reach the [[Football League Second Division|Second Division]] in 1978, but two successive relegations followed and saw the club side back into the [[Football League Fourth Division|Fourth Division]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.herefordunited.co.uk/page/PottedHistory/0,,10835~1917036,00.html |title=Hereford United – Potted History 1970–1990 |date=29 December 2009 |publisher=[[Hereford United F.C.]] |access-date=25 March 2016 |quote=With the club in a state of decline, a second successive relegation followed and in 1978, United found themselves back where they had started, in the old Fourth Division. |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120229230603/http://www.herefordunited.co.uk/page/PottedHistory/0%2C%2C10835~1917036%2C00.html |archive-date=29 February 2012 |url-status=dead  }}</ref> The club was relegated in 1997 to the [[Football Conference]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.herefordunited.co.uk/page/PottedHistory/0,,10835~1917047,00.html |title=Hereford United – Potted History 1990–2000 |date=28 December 2009 |publisher=[[Hereford United F.C.]] |access-date=25 March 2016 |quote=Despite United's brave efforts, the match finished all square at 1–1, breaking Hereford hearts and condemning them to relegation from the Football League after a twenty-five year reign. |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120314125848/http://www.herefordunited.co.uk/page/PottedHistory/0%2C%2C10835~1917047%2C00.html |archive-date=14 March 2012 |url-status=dead  }}</ref> not regaining its Football League status until 2006. The club then played in [[Football League Two]] – the fourth tier of English football – for six years before once again being relegated out of the Football League at the end of the 2011–12 season.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.herefordunited.co.uk/page/PottedHistory/0,,10835~1917048,00.html |title=Hereford United – Potted History 2000–2010 |date=7 January 2010 |publisher=[[Hereford United F.C.]] |access-date=25 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120314125941/http://www.herefordunited.co.uk/page/PottedHistory/0%2C%2C10835~1917048%2C00.html |archive-date=14 March 2012 |url-status=dead  }}</ref> The club was wound up in 2014. A new [[phoenix club (association football)|phoenix club]], [[Hereford F.C.]] was set up competing in the [[Midland Football League (2014)|Midland Football League]] Premier Division (9th tier) for its first season, 2015–16.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/32740977 | title = Hereford FC: New club to play in Midland Football League | publisher = [[BBC Sport]] | date = 14 May 2015}}</ref>

Cricket is widely played within the county, and [[Herefordshire County Cricket Club]] compete in the [[Minor Counties Championship]], having been elected in 1992 to take Durham's place, when that county joined the First-class structure.

==Places of interest==
{{EngPlacesKey|align=right}}
* [[Abbey Dore Court]] [[File:HH icon.svg]]
* [[Arthur's Stone, Herefordshire|Arthur's Stone]] [[File:EH icon.svg]]
* [[Berrington Hall]] [[File:NTE icon.svg]] [[File:HH icon.svg]]
* [[Brockhampton Estate]] [[File:NTE icon.svg]] [[File:HH icon.svg]]
* [[Courtyard, Hereford|Courtyard Centre for the Arts]] – Hereford's main theatre and art performance centre
* [[Croft Castle]] [[File:CL icon.svg]]
* [[Dore Abbey]] [[File:AP Icon.svg|16px]]
* [[Eastnor Castle]] [[File:HH icon.svg]]
* [[Edgar Street]] (Football Stadium Home to [[Hereford F.C.]])
* [[Eye Manor]] [[File:HH icon.svg]]
* [[Goodrich Castle]] [[File:CL icon.svg]]
* [[Hampton Court, Herefordshire|Hampton Court]] [[File:HH icon.svg]]
* [[Hellens|Hellens Manor]] [[File:HH icon.svg]]
* [[Hereford Cathedral]] [[File:AP Icon.svg|16px]]
* [[Kilpeck Church]] [[File:AP_Icon.svg]]
* [[Malvern Hills AONB|Malvern Hills]] [[File:UKAL icon.svg]]
* [[Herefordshire Beacon]]
* [[Priory Church, Leominster]] [[File:AP Icon.svg|16px]]
* [[Sutton Walls Hill Fort]]
* [[Wigmore Castle]] [[File:HH icon.svg]]
* [[Welsh Newton]]

==Transport==

===Road===
[[File:M50 motorway from Ryton Bridge.jpg|thumb|right|The M50 motorway near [[Ledbury]] and [[Ross-on-Wye]].]]
The [[M50 motorway (Great Britain)|M50]], one of the first [[motorways]] to be built in the United Kingdom, runs through the south of the county and, with the [[A40 road|A40]] [[dual carriageway]], forms part of the major route linking [[South Wales]] with the [[West Midlands (county)|West Midlands]] and the north of England. The [[A49 road|A49]] runs north–south through the county and is a strategic route between [[North Wales|North]] and [[South Wales]] as well as catering for local traffic.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/365282Midlands_to_Wales_and_Gloucestershire.pdf | title = Midlands to Wales and Gloucestershire route-based strategy evidence report | date = April 2014 | website = Department for Transport | publisher = [[Highways Agency]] | access-date = 25 March 2016 | quote = The A49 is also used as a strategic route between North and South Wales. }}{{Dead link|date=October 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

===Railways===
The [[Welsh Marches Line]] also runs north–south with passenger trains operated by [[Transport for Wales Rail|Transport for Wales]] offering links to [[Manchester Piccadilly railway station|Manchester]] as well as to North and South Wales. [[Hereford railway station|Hereford]] is the western end of the [[Cotswold Line]] which runs via [[Worcester Shrub Hill railway station|Worcester]] with through services to [[Oxford railway station|Oxford]] and [[Paddington railway station|London Paddington]] (operated by [[Great Western Railway (train operating company)|Great Western Railway]]) and to [[Birmingham New Street railway station|Birmingham]] (operated by [[West Midlands Trains]]). The rural [[Heart of Wales Line]] linking [[Craven Arms railway station|Craven Arms]] in Shropshire to [[Llanelli railway station|Llanelli]] in southwest Wales passes through the extreme north west of Herefordshire, with stations at [[Knighton railway station|Knighton, Powys]] (the station is in Shropshire but the township is in Powys) and [[Bucknell railway station|Bucknell, Shropshire]], near the meeting point of the boundaries of Herefordshire, [[Shropshire]] and [[Powys]].<ref>{{Citation  | title = Presteigne and Hay-on-Wye: Llanandras A'r Gelli Gandryll (Landranger Maps)  | publisher = [[Ordnance Survey]]  | year = 2007  | edition = B2 | isbn = 978-0319229484 }}</ref> The majority of passengers between North and South Wales use the Marches line.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.blaenau-gwent.gov.uk/documents/wales%20docs/W29.pdf | title = National Transport Plan | date = 2009 | publisher = [[Welsh Assembly Government]] | access-date = 25 March 2016 | quote = Rail caters for longer distance travel with the services using the Marches Line, which in part runs through England, taking the majority of passengers. | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160415153817/http://www.blaenau-gwent.gov.uk/documents/wales%20docs/W29.pdf | archive-date = 15 April 2016 | url-status = dead | df = dmy-all }}</ref>

Former lines which are now closed were the [[Ledbury and Gloucester Railway]]; [[Ross & Monmouth Railway]]; Hereford to [[Hay-on-Wye]]; [[Pontrilas]] to Hay-on-Wye; Hay-on-Wye to [[Brecon]]; [[Leominster]] to [[New Radnor]]; [[Eardisley]] to [[Presteigne]]; and [[Leominster]] to [[Worcester, England|Worcester]] via [[Bromyard]]. Part of the Titley Spur is opened annually by enthusiasts and a steam train is run along the track.

There has long been talk of a new station at Rotherwas, in the south of [[Hereford]].
[[File:Railway at Pontrilas - geograph.org.uk - 889611.jpg|right|upright=1.3|thumb|[[Arriva Trains Wales]] service passing the currently closed [[Pontrilas railway station|Pontrilas station]] on the [[Welsh Marches Line]].]]

===Air===
There are no airports with scheduled air transport in Herefordshire. [[Birmingham Airport]], [[Cardiff Airport]] and [[Bristol Airport]] are the nearest. The RailAir<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.railair.com |title=Welcome to |publisher=Railair.com |access-date=25 September 2010}}</ref> [[RailAir]] [[Coach (rail)|coach]] operated by [[First Berkshire & The Thames Valley]] provides connections to [[Heathrow Airport]] via [[Reading railway station|Reading station]] or passengers can change at Reading station and then go all the way by train via [[Hayes & Harlington railway station|Hayes & Harlington]] to Heathrow Airport. [[Shobdon Aerodrome]] near Leominster is a centre for [[general aviation]] and [[gliding]]. [[Hot air balloon]]ing is also popular with [[Eastnor Castle]] being one of the favourite launch sites in the area.

===Waterways===
Historically, the rivers [[River Wye|Wye]], [[River Teme|Teme]] and [[River Lugg|Lugg]] were [[navigable]] but the wide seasonal variations in water levels mean that few craft larger than [[canoes]] and [[coracles]] are now used. There are canoe centres at [http://www.wyevalleycanoes.co.uk Wye Valley Canoes], Glasbury-on-Wye (in [[Powys]], Wales), [https://web.archive.org/web/20051119124701/http://www.herefordshire.gov.uk/youthservice/22702.asp the Hereford Youth Service] and [http://www.wye-pursuits.co.uk Kerne Bridge] in [[Ross-on-Wye]], as well as [[Rowing (sport)|rowing]] clubs in Hereford and Ross-on-Wye.

The early 19th century saw the construction of two [[canals]], The [[Herefordshire & Gloucestershire Canal]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.smr.herefordshire.gov.uk/post-medieval/canals/hereford_gloucester.htm |title=Hereford & Gloucester Canal |publisher=Smr.herefordshire.gov.uk |access-date=25 September 2010 |archive-date=29 June 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080629021130/http://www.smr.herefordshire.gov.uk/post-medieval/canals/hereford_gloucester.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref> and The Leominster & Stourport Canal<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.smr.herefordshire.gov.uk/post-medieval/canals/leominster_stourport.htm |title=Leominster & Stourport Canal |publisher=Smr.herefordshire.gov.uk |access-date=25 September 2010 |archive-date=11 September 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070911032939/http://www.smr.herefordshire.gov.uk/post-medieval/canals/leominster_stourport.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref> but these were never successful and there are now few remains to be seen. The Herefordshire & Gloucestershire Canal is currently the subject a restoration project, which includes the construction of a new canal basin in [[Hereford]] city centre as part of the regeneration of the [[Edgar Street Grid]]. The project, however, is being undertaken by a small voluntary group and there is no expected date for any part of the canal to re-open for boating.

==Notable people==
[[File:Elgar-Bicycle-Statue-by-Oliver-Dixon.jpg|thumb|right|Classical composer Sir [[Edward Elgar]] lived in Hereford from 1904 to 1911. His association with the city is commemorated with this statue.]]
[[File:GraveOfStJohnKemble(PhilipHalling)Jan2006.jpg|thumb|right|Roman Catholic martyr St. [[John Kemble (martyr)|John Kemble]]'s grave in the Herefordshire village of [[Welsh Newton]].]]
* [[Jarrod Bowen]], footballer
* [[Simon Carr (cyclist)|Simon Carr]], cyclist
* [[Frank Oz]], actor and voice actor, producer, director 
* [[Matthew Hall (writer)|Matthew Hall]], writer
* [[Dennis Potter]], writer
* [[Connor Wickham]], footballer
* [[Fred West]], serial killer
* [[Elizabeth Barrett Browning]], poet
* [[Richard Hammond]], ''[[Top Gear (2002 TV series)|Top Gear]]'' and ''[[The Grand Tour (TV series)|The Grand Tour]]'' presenter 
* [[Mary Duggan]], cricketer
* [[Noele Gordon]], actress
* [[Mike Oldfield]], musician
* [[Mick Ralphs]], [[Mott the Hoople]] and [[Bad Company]] guitarist
* [[Richard Ashcroft]], songwriter and lead singer of [[The Verve]]
* [[Thomas Britten]], 19th-century footballer<ref name="ssh">[https://www.scottishsporthistory.com/sports-history-news-and-blog/the-english-players-in-1870s-scottish-football The English players in 1870s Scottish football], Andy Mitchell, Scottish Sport History, 12 April 2021</ref>
* [[Monty Don]], BBC TV presenter
* [[Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex]], favourite of [[Queen Elizabeth I]]
* [[Bessie Drysdale]], activist and writer
* [[Conroy Maddox]], artist
* [[Beryl Reid]], actress
* [[Jessica Raine]], actress
* [[Sir Edward Elgar]], composer
* [[Sir Roy Strong]], art historian 
* [[David Garrick]], renowned actor of the 18th century
* [[Lady Godiva]], wife of Leofric, [[Earl of Mercia]]
* [[Harold Godwinson]], Earl of Hereford and last Anglo-Saxon King of England
* [[Ellie Goulding]], musician
* [[Nell Gwynne]], [[Mistress (lover)|mistress]] of [[King Charles II of England]]
* [[Terry Jenkins]], professional [[darts]] player
* St. [[John Kemble (martyr)]] [[Catholic priest]]
* [[Francis Kilvert]], 19th century diarist and [[Church of England]] clergyman
* [[Henry Stanley Newman]], Victorian philanthropist
* [[Mark Labbett]], one of five Chasers on ''[[The Chase (UK game show)|The Chase]]'' as well as its [[The Chase Australia|Australian counterpart]]
* [[Albert Lee]], guitarist
* [[Peter Mandelson]], politician and former resident of [[Foy, Herefordshire|Foy]]
* [[John Masefield]], poet laureate
* [[Sidney Nolan]], Australian artist 
* [[John Oldcastle]], [[Lollard]] leader and basis for [[Shakespeare's]] character [[Falstaff]]
* [[Blanche Parry]], [[lady-in-waiting]] to [[Queen Elizabeth I]]
* [[Peter Scudamore]], jockey
* [[James Honeyman-Scott]], guitarist [[the Pretenders]]
* [[Pete Farndon]], bass guitarist [[the Pretenders]]
* [[Martin Chambers]], drummer [[the Pretenders]]
* [[Tom Spring]], [[Bare-knuckle boxing|bare-knuckle boxer]], champion of England in the 19th century
* [[Thomas Traherne]], 17th century poet
* [[Alfred Watkins]], pioneering archaeologist and photographer
* [[Richard Johnson (jockey)|Richard Johnson]], jockey
* [[Sir Walter Roper Lawrence]], author
* [[Allan Leonard Lewis]], posthumously awarded the [[Victoria Cross]], died 21 September 1918, commemorated on Vis-En-Artois Memorial, France
* [[Richard Hakluyt]], Elizabethan writer and geographer who recorded contemporary voyages of exploration and promoted the settlement of North America
* [[Ronald Pennell]], artist, engraver and sculptor
* [[Geoffrey Wood (botanist)|Geoffrey Wood]], botanist<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.nationaalherbarium.nl/FMCollectors/W/WoodGHS.htm | title = Wood, Geoffrey Howorth Spencer | publisher = [[National Herbarium of the Netherlands]] | access-date = 2 February 2023}}</ref>
* [[Lucy Letby]], serial killer

==See also==
* [[Healthcare in Herefordshire]]
* [[Custos Rotulorum of Herefordshire]] – Keeper of the Rolls
* [[Herefordshire (UK Parliament constituency)]] – Historical list of MPs for Herefordshire constituency
* [[High Sheriff of Herefordshire|List of High Sheriffs of Herefordshire]]
* [[List of English and Welsh endowed schools (19th century)#Herefordshire]]
* [[List of schools in Herefordshire]]
* [[Lord Lieutenant of Herefordshire|List of Lord Lieutenants of Herefordshire]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*{{wikivoyage inline}}
*{{Commons category-inline}}
*[http://www.herefordshire.gov.uk Herefordshire Council]
*[http://www.visitherefordshire.co.uk/ Visit Herefordshire]
*[https://guide2.co.uk/herefordshire/ Full Guide To Herefordshire]
*[https://guide2.co.uk/herefordshire/looking-for-things-to-do-in-herefordshire/ Things To Do In Herefordshire]
*[https://guide2.co.uk/herefordshire/listing-category/eat/ Where To Eat In Herefordshire]
*[https://guide2.co.uk/herefordshire/whats-on-in-herefordshire-1/ Events & What's On In Herefordshire]

{{Herefordshire}}
{{West_Midlands}}
{{England counties}}
{{Unitary authorities of England}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Herefordshire|*]]
[[Category:Ceremonial counties of England]]
[[Category:Local government districts of the West Midlands (region)]]
[[Category:NUTS 3 statistical regions of the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Unitary authority districts of England]]
[[Category:West Midlands (region)]]
[[Category:Counties of England established in antiquity]]
[[Category:Counties of England disestablished in 1974]]
[[Category:Counties of England established in 1998]]