Fan of the Cotswolds but not the hordes of tourists?
Then try Herefordshire instead, which, as the county’s High Sheriff reveals to MailOnline Travel, has everything the Cotswolds has but is much ‘more varied’ and much quieter.
Patricia Churchward, from Breinton, just outside Hereford, may here be referring to Cotswold villages such as Bourton-on-the-Water, which is so busy it has parking spaces for coach tours.
The 66-year-old says: ‘Obviously, the Cotswolds is beautiful. I love the Cotswolds. But it’s a lot less busy here, for a start.
‘We also have pretty, black-and-white villages, but we’re not just about pretty villages.
‘It’s a great county. I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else.’
Patricia, who was ‘born and bred’ in Herefordshire, and a farmer’s daughter, says her county’s ‘beautiful, unspoiled’ natural beauty makes it special.
She says: ‘We’ve got this idyllic, rolling farmland, which hasn’t been totally swallowed up by agri-businesses, so it’s still very easy to meet genuine farmers who continue to manage their relatively small farms, and they’re growing the food for us, and passing the love of the land down to following generations.
‘And I always maintain that it’s the farmers and the country people who keep the fabric of England in the manner to which we all want to imagine it to be – pretty with hedges, and animals in fields, and Herefordshire’s predominantly like that.
The High Sheriff of Herefordshire, Patricia Churchward, reveals to MailOnline Travel that her county has everything the Cotswolds has but is much quieter and ‘more varied’. Pictured is Leominster, one of the county’s ‘pretty, black-and-white villages’
Many parts of the Cotswolds can get very crowded, including Bourton-on-the-Water (pictured), which even has parking spaces for coach tours
Patricia (pictured here in her High Sheriff ceremonial dress) is a farmer’s daughter, ‘born and bred’ in Herefordshire
‘If you’re looking for somewhere to hang out for a weekend, to do some touring around, we’ve got such a varied scenery.
‘You can come, bring the dogs and have a great weekend. People aren’t fussy about muddy Labradors. We expect people to be quite earthy and we’re prepared for it.’
For first-time visitors to the county, Patricia recommends heading straight to Hay-on-Wye, which straddles the border of England and Wales.
Here, she says, you can row on the River Wye, or hike up the Black Mountains – which she prefers doing, being ‘a bit of a mountains girl’.
‘Hay-on-Wye is a real favourite place for us to visit,’ Patricia says. ‘It’s got lovely little bookshops, and you can drown in culture up there, if that’s what you want. Or you can just go and take the dogs for a jolly good walk across the mountains. It’s lovely.
‘There’s just the most phenomenal walks, and then, you’ve got the river Wye, where people do canoeing and paddle boarding. There’s a massive, huge variation.’
For food in Hay, Patricia recommends a ‘hidden gem’ called Drovers Rest Farm – which serves street food on Fridays, barbecues on Saturdays, and a three-course Sunday roast, all cooked over a fire using the farm’s produce.
She also mentions Under The Nut Tree, ‘championing local seasonal produce’ at pop-up supper clubs in Kentchurch.
If you fancy a spot of shopping, Patricia suggests stopping at the market town of Leominster.
She adds: ‘It’s had a bit of a poor history and doesn’t ever really get much airtime, but it is a beautiful town.
‘It’s an antique centre as well, so there are lots and lots of shops with antiques, and a lot of independent retailers, nice clothes shops, gift shops and things.’
For first-time visitors to the county, Patricia recommends heading straight to Hay-on-Wye (pictured), which straddles the border of England and Wales
From Hay-on-Wye, you can hike up the Black Mountains (pictured) – which Patricia enjoys doing, being ‘a bit of a mountains girl’
Symonds Yat (pictured), a village in the Wye Valley, is ‘particularly beautiful’, says Patricia, who adds: ‘It’s very closely guarded by people who are into nature, and look after all those things, and you can do canoeing and kayaking on the river there. It’s very nice’
Aside from the mountains, Patricia says the most beautiful nature in Herefordshire can be found in Symonds Yat, a village in the Wye Valley, home to the famous house from Netflix hit TV show Sex Education.
She says: ‘The River Wye runs straight through the county – I live right on it and I’m west of Hereford – but down at Symonds Yat is particularly beautiful.
‘It’s very closely guarded by people who are into nature, and look after all those things, and you can do canoeing and kayaking on the river there. It’s very nice.’
Another part of Herefordshire that Patricia recommends is Kington, which sits along Offa’s Dyke Path, the 177-mile National Trail that loosely follows the England-Wales border.
‘Kington is a great little place to visit,’ she says. ‘It’s the centre of Herefordshire’s annual Walking Festival, and you can walk from there, up to Hergest Ridge [hill], where you might see ponies grazing, and you’re right on the Offa’s Dyke Path.’
Thanks to all this green land in Herefordshire, Patricia has noticed a ‘huge, burgeoning industry’ of outdoor wellness activities, including wild swimming, ice baths and saunas, as well as glamping.
Patricia recommends walking from Kington up to Hergest Ridge, ‘where you might see wild ponies grazing’, as pictured. Hergest Ridge is part of the Offa’s Dyke Path, the 177-mile National Trail that loosely follows the England-Wales border
Patricia has noticed a ‘huge, burgeoning industry’ of outdoor wellness activities in Herefordshire. Black Box Sauna, pictured, offers saunas at The Dragon’s Gate, a glamping site in Hereford
She adds: ‘These saunas are being taken to the most amazing places, where you can get out of your sauna, and then jump into cold water. It’s great.
‘It seems that young people want to have a great experience somewhere rather than go and get absolutely hammered these days. And there’s a real surge of that now.’
One company Patricia notes is Black Box Sauna, currently offering saunas at The Dragon’s Gate, a glamping site in Hereford.
Glamping is also offered at the previously-mentioned Drovers Rest, as well as Brinsop Court, a wedding venue in Hereford, which Patricia owns and runs with her husband, alongside her role as High Sheriff.
Patricia’s daughter and joiner-carpenter husband, meanwhile, have taken advantage of the 800-acre farm surrounding Brinsop, and ‘built the most amazing treehouse’.
She adds: ‘It’s called The Quist. It’ll sleep four people. It’s got two bedrooms, and it’s just absolutely beautiful. She’s always busy with that.’
But if glamping isn’t your thing, other hotels Patricia recommends are the Green Dragon Hotel, in Hereford, and The Crown Inn, in Woolhope – and Patricia says they’re much cheaper than a stay in Bourton-on-the-Water or Stroud in the Cotswolds.
She says: ‘The Green Dragon has been there a while but has been refurbished. It’s very nice, and not too expensive, and The Crown is a great pub. They do really good food, and they’ve got rooms there as well.’