The cult of celebrity has a firm grip on the UK public's imagination, and for marketing folk a celebrity endorsement is an ideal way to make a product look attractive. If you haven't got a Jamie Oliver gravy boat or a Jeremy Clarkson tax disc holder, you're absolutely nowhere. This fascination with branding extends to places, too. The Lake District is barely mentioned without Beatrix Potter being dropped into conversation and you'd think he had invented the place for the way Thomas Hardy's name is inextricably linked with the word 'Dorset'.
Herefordshire manages very nicely without any of this bolt-on glamour. It's an area with few obvious associations and where the attractions are cultured and choice, rather than eye-popping or headline grabbing. Composer Edward Elgar is celebrated in Hereford, but the fact he lived there is not rammed down your throat. And there's nothing to touch Hay-on-Wye if you're in the market for a well-thumbed book, but it's the retailers here who are the stars, rather than the authors.
For a brush with history, Hereford's handsome cathedral houses the 13th century Mappa Mundi (map of the world) and the 17th century chained library. It's a lovely city to stroll around, or for a taste of the rural head out to the 'black and white' villages.
Energetic types should head south to Yat Rock for a spot of canoeing, climbing and abseiling. Great walking trails criss-cross the county. And if you like your walking over shorter distances, the Maze museum gives your legs a workout. Hungry after all that walking? Herefordshire is a larder of apples, good-quality meats, cider and sweeties.

SEE ALSO IN THE MAY 2007 ISSUE OF PRACTICAL CARAVAN
The Great Outdoors, Holiday Hints, Nature Notes, Contacts, History and Culture, Foodies' Corner, Holiday Souvenirs, Family Fun, Festivals & Events

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