Herefordshire

Not to be confused with Hertfordshire.
For the UK Parliamentary constituency (abolished 1885), see Herefordshire (UK Parliament constituency).

Herefordshire
Ceremonial county
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")
Herefordshire within England
Coordinates: 52°05′N 2°45′W / 52.083°N 2.750°W / 52.083; -2.750
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Constituent countryEngland
RegionWest Midlands
Established1 April 1998
Established byLocal Government Commission for England
Preceded byHereford and Worcester
OriginAncient
Time zoneUTC+0 (GMT)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+1 (BST)
UK ParliamentList of MPs
PoliceWest Mercia Police
Ceremonial county
Lord LieutenantEdward Harley
High SheriffPatricia Thomas[1] (2020–21)
Area2,180 km2 (840 sq mi)
 • Rank26th of 48
Population 
(2022)[2]
188,719
 • Rank45th of 48
Density87/km2 (230/sq mi)
Ethnicity
 (2021)[3]
List
Unitary authority
CouncilHerefordshire Council
ControlNo overall control
Admin HQHereford
Area2,180 km2 (840 sq mi)
 • Rank12th of 296
Population 
(2022)[4]
188,719
 • Rank106th of 296
Density87/km2 (230/sq mi)
ISO 3166-2GB-HEF
GSS codeE06000019
ITLUKG11
Websiteherefordshire.gov.uk

Herefordshire (/ˈhɛrɪfərdʃɪər, -ʃər/ HERR-if-ərd-sheer, -⁠shər)[5] 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.

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.

  1. ^ "No. 62943". The London Gazette. 13 March 2020. p. 5161.
  2. ^ "Mid-2022 population estimates by Lieutenancy areas (as at 1997) for England and Wales". Office for National Statistics. 24 June 2024. Retrieved 26 June 2024.
  3. ^ UK Census (2021). "2021 Census Area Profile – Herefordshire Local Authority (E06000019)". Nomis. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 7 August 2024.
  4. ^ "Mid-Year Population Estimates, UK, June 2022". Office for National Statistics. 26 March 2024. Retrieved 3 May 2024.
  5. ^ "Herefordshire definition and meaning | Collins English Dictionary". www.collinsdictionary.com. Retrieved 6 August 2020.