II.

Land and Resources

Herefordshire is mainly lowland, bordered on the north by the hills of Shropshire, on the east by the Malvern Hills, on the south by the plateau of the Forest of Dean, and on the west by the Black Mountains. The Malverns consist of volcanic rocks and rise to a height of over 400 m (1,300 ft). The Black Mountains, which are formed from old red sandstone, cover an area of 210 sq km (80 sq mi) and extend into the Welsh counties of Powys and Monmouthshire.

Herefordshire’s principal river is the Wye, which enters the county from Wales, flows eastwards to Hereford, and then turns on a winding course southwards through Ross-on-Wye and Symond’s Yat. Other important waterways include the Arrow, the Lugg, and the Frome—all tributaries of the Wye; the Monnow; and the Dore.

The Malvern Hills and the Wye Valley have both been designated by the Countryside Agency as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Offa’s Dyke Path, which walkers can follow from Prestatyn in North Wales to Chepstow at the mouth of the Severn, runs through the county, close to the border with Wales. One of the finest areas for wildlife is the Croft Estate owned by the National Trust to the north-west of Leominster, which includes Croft Castle and the Iron Age fort of Croft Ambrey, where, among other creatures, fallow deer, stoats, weasels, and polecats are found.