Herefordshire (produces over half of England’s cider!)
Herefordshire is a lovely county, quiet and quite small, next to the Welsh border. Thanks to enormous amount of fruit orchards in these parts, apple and pear ciders are abundant.
Cider is to Hereford, what wine is to Bordeaux. Pickers go out early morning to harvest baskets of fruits, before being pressed and fermented into cider.
There are even towns that celebrate apples, with orchard walks, barn dances and sampling of cloudy juice. Cider is sold alongside chutney, jam and fresh bread in markets. And there are even cider competitions, with entertainment from local Morris dancers.
How Herefordshire became cider country
The county has fertile soils, including the red earth many people link with Herefordshire farming. Apples like deep, workable ground, and they also need a balance of rain and light. Herefordshire gets both.
Winters are cool enough to support the growing cycle, while spring and summer are usually mild rather than harsh. That helps blossom set and fruit ripen at a steady pace. In other words, the county gives cider apples time.
The cider apples in Herefordshire
If you’re used to dessert apples, cider varieties can seem almost severe. That’s the point. They carry more tannin, more acid, or both, and that gives cider its shape.
Herefordshire is linked with well-known cider apples such as:
- Dabinett often brings rounded, bittersweet depth.
- Kingston Black is famous for balance, with sharpness and body in one fruit.
- Yarlington Mill can add softness, tannin, and a full orchard scent.
The pretty city of Hereford
Sitting on the River Wye, the city of Hereford feels more like a quiet town, than a city. Surrounded by lush countryside, people here still nod hello, and sup cider in local pubs, made with apples from local orchards.
Farmers’ markets spill onto ancient streets, and even the cathedral has a lovely green, where people sit outside and enjoy chat and picnics.
Inside the cathedral is housed the Mappa Mundi, a stunning map from the 1200s, that tries to show the entire world, as it was known then. It also houses one of the world’s oldest chained libraries; you can still see the iron links that once kept books safe from thieves, centuries before borrowing cards!
Out walking? Follow the Countryside Code to keep all creatures safe. Keep dogs away from steep banks, mushrooms (and other toxic plants/trees) and on leads during nesting season (and near barnyard friends and wild ponies).
How to upright an overturned sheep
If when out walking you see a sheep on its back (due to pregnancy or rain-soaked wool), just firmly right it back (or it will die) then stay with it, until the rain has drained off.
