Castle House’s City Walks

Explore the ancient city of Hereford with one of our two circular city walks, both of which include historical information with maps and take just under an hour. Please ask for a copy at reception. You can also download our High Town Walk or our Riverside Walk.

The Guild of Guides also conducts daily guided city walks from early May until end of October. No booking is required, just turn up at the north porch of the Cathedral at 11.30am on weekdays and 2.30pm on Sundays.

Find out what else is going on in Herefordshire from the local tourism hubs Visit Herefordshire or Eat, Sleep and Live Herefordshire

Queenswood Country Park and Aboretum

Queenswood Country Park and Aboretum is a fragment of the vast ancient oak wood that once stretched to the Welsh borders and beyond.  It offers a wonderful day out for everyone and a great woodland adventure for children with its famous Gruffalo Trail as well as those for badgers, foxes and deer.

The Arboretum at Queenswood contains an incredible collection of trees from around the globe. They grow within a naturalistic setting interwoven with paths where wildflowers thrive and wildlife abounds. Species include:

• a collection of Californian redwoods (which grow to over 100m tall in their native America)
• an avenue lined with 40 different species of oak
• an autumn garden with Japanese maples displaying spectacular coloured foliage in late October
• 148 Champion Trees - the largest trees of their species growing in the UK.

Queenswood Country Park and Bodenham Lake are managed by a partnership of two local organisations: Herefordshire Wildlife Trust & New Leaf. The Arboretum is supported by the Queenswood Coronation Fund. The Park is 9 miles from Hereford HR6 0PY and the 492 bus runs regularly. 

No entry fee just a small charge for parking your car!

Hereford Cathedral and Mappa Mundi

This magnificent Cathedral, which overlooks the Wye, houses one of the most historic and fascinating maps in the world as well as the famous chained library.. Find out more here.

Shopping in Hereford

Book in to Castle House for the night, leave your car with us and explore the city.  There are any number of eclectic independent shops, boutiques, artisan jewellers and health food shops in the centre of the city, particularly in nearby Church Street and some of the little alleyways close to the Cathedral.  High Street names can be found in the centre of the city or in the new Old Market Shopping Centre.  Just ask if you're lost or need help, everyone is always so friendly. 

Some popular shops just a short drive from the city include Baileys Home Store and Ross Labels in Ross-on-Wye and Oakchurch Farm Shop in Staunton-on-Wye. Visit Eat Sleep Live's website for more shopping musts.

Hereford Race Course

Hereford Racecourse is conveniently located a heartbeat away from the city centre and Castle House, and a stone's throw from the beautiful Herefordshire countryside.  Set against the backdrop of Hereford city and the Welsh mountains it is a very picturesque venue and accessible.  Go racing and stay at Castle House from £155 for two including full English Breakfast.

 Fixtures :JANUARY
Tuesday 4 Afternoon Racing
Monday 31 Afternoon Racing

FEBRUARY
Wednesday 16 Afternoon Racing
Sunday 27 Afternoon Racing

MARCH
Saturday 12 Afternoon Racing
Friday 25 Afternoon Racing

APRIL
Sunday 3 (A) Dino Family
Fun Raceday

OCTOBER
Tuesday 11 Afternoon Racing
Monday 31 Afternoon Racing

NOVEMBER
Tuesday 8 Afternoon Racing
Tuesday 15 Afternoon Racing
Wednesday 23 Afternoon Racing

DECEMBER
Saturday 10 Afternoon Racing

The Wye Valley

The Wye Valley is a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, steeped in rich agricultural and industrial heritage and one of the most unspoiled parts of the UK. Explore the river, museums, castles and black and white villages. Walk, fish, canoe, drive the winding river road. Find out more here.

The Brecon Beacons

The Brecon Beacons are a beautiful stretch of mountain range within easy driving distance of Castle House. The scenery is amongst the most stunning in the UK, with a diversity of countryside, including valleys, waterfalls, caves and wildlife. Find out more here.

Weston's Cider Tours

Herefordshire and cider from the acres of orchards go together like apples and pears. Find out more about one of the city's best known companies, famous for its Stowford Press, and find out about traditional cider making.  Stay at Castle House and book a tour.

Hay Festival

Base yourself at Castle House and enjoy everything that the Hay Festival has to offer. Nobel Prize-winners and novelists, scientists and politicians, historians and musicians talk with audiences in a dynamic exchange of ideas. Hay is, in Bill Clinton’s words, ‘The Woodstock of the mind’. Castle House is proud to be an accommodation sponsor for the Hay Festival. Visit hayfestival.com for more information

Stay at Castle House: Bed & Breakfast from £155

Abergavenny Food Festival

The Festival was recently awarded 'Best Event in Wales' by the National Tourism Awards for Wales. Well worth a visit in September to discover the flavours and produce of this part of Wales. Find out more here.

Ledbury Poetry Festival

An annual celebration of the country's finest poets and poetry, this intimate and highly regarded festival takes place early July each year. Find out more here.

The Herefordshire Golf Club and Castle House

We have linked up with The Herefordshire Golf Club which would like to offer our guests a discounted green fee at its beautiful course in Wormsley, near Hereford. 

First established in 1896 and the oldest club in the county, The Herefordshire Golf Club, on the Raven's Causeway, was founded by the legendary James Braid.  With stunning views of the Shropshire Hills, the Brecon Beacons and Malvern Hills, the course provides 148 acres of magnificent tranquil countryside and is a testing ground.  Described as the 'Gleneagles of The Midlands' it suits golfers of all abilities and is a challenge right from the 1st tee to the 18th green. As a Castle House Guest, the member's guest green fee is available to take advantage of at all times of the year.

Stay at Castle House -  Single rooms £140 Doubles from £155 inclusive of Full English Breakfast. Please contact reception for more information. 

The Herefordshire Golf Club, Raven's Causeway, Wormsley, Herefordshire, HR4 8LY  01432 830219  www.herefordshiregolfclub.co.uk 

The Cider Museum

Explore the city's interesting cider museum, which was where the Bulmer family started, and discover the history of this famous local drink. Find out more here.

Tintern Abbey

This spectacular 12th century ruin, made famous by William Wordsworth, startles you in its beauty as you meander down the Wye Valley. The old Tintern Station is a great place to stop off and have afternoon tea in the old waiting room. Find out more here.

Symonds Yat

Discover this lovely area with woodland that straddles the River Wye.  There is a traditional rope ferry to cross from one side of the river to the other. You can walk the path to the top of Symonds Yat Rock and catch the most magnificent view of the river snaking its way through the farm land below and maybe some Peregrine Falcons that regularly nest in the rocks opposite. Find out more here.

Berrington Hall

This handsome house, designed by Henry Holland, is owned by the National Trust and features Capability Brown's last landscape project. There is always a busy programme of events at the house. Find out more here.

Bespoke Tours

Leave your car in the car park and have a driven tour of Hereford and the surrounding area. Sit back in the comfort of an executive vehicle while an expert guide shows you the sights.

Local travel expert Liz Hill's awarding-winning company Rural Concierge offers excellent sightseeing itineraries, tours and talks around Hereford and beyond.  A mine of information, you can find Liz in the Butter Market where she runs the local Tourist Information Centre.


Please book your tour when booking your accommodation to avoid disappointment.

Chase Single-Estate Distillery Tours

Chase Single-Estate Distillery is just four miles outside of Hereford and a 15 minute drive from Castle House. 

Visit the Distillery and stay at Castle House from £205 for two to include Bed & Breakfast and two tour tickets.  The offer is available from Tuesday to Friday and must be booked with us in advance.  Weekend Tours may be booked by special arrangement. 

On the tour, you will see for yourself the only truly Single-Estate distillation process in the UK. This unique tour and tasting experience, lasting just over an hour and a half, unlocks some of the secrets and skills that go into creating Chase’s award-winning range of spirits. An expert guide will talk you through everything from traditional mashing, fermenting and distilling processes, to how bottles are finished by hand. Chase Farm’s rolling potato fields and cider apple orchards provide a glimpse of some of the raw ingredients that go into making each of its spirits.

After the tour, you’ll head back to the Chase Bar to enjoy a tutored tasting of Chase’s range of award-winning products, and if there’s something that takes your fancy, you can pick up a bottle at the boutique distillery shop.

Tour tickets: £25 per person (£10 of each ticket is redeemable when spending over £20 in the distillery shop).  Tours take up to an hour and a half.  As it is a working distillery and farm, visitors must wear suitable footwear (no heels or open-toed shoes) and must be 18 years of age or over.  

For details, tickets and tour timings, please visit chasedistillery.co.uk

Three Choirs Festival 2022

Established in 1715, the Three Choirs Festival is a venerable coming-together of people from the three cathedral cities of Gloucester, Hereford and Worcester to produce an annual programme of choral and orchestral music, chamber recitals, cathedral services and more, rotating between the cities on a three-year cycle. Until very recently, the festival was entirely produced by the voluntary committees in each city, who together form an Association, which today is the company that produces each festival.

The 2022 Programme will be announced in March 2022

Baileys Home Store

Bailey's Home Store is an unique shopping experience. People travel from all over the world to visit this eclectic shop just outside the market town of Ross-on-Wye.

Housed in some ancient farm buildings, Mark and Sally Bailey describe their business as a general store, stocking an ever-changing collection of homewares, household hardware, stationery, cookware, food, clothing, lighting, antiques and textiles. A bit of lux flux!

Bestselling products range from their craftsman-made linen sofas, specialised recipe and literary books to soya wax candle jars and other artisan potions and foods. Established more than 22 years ago, the store was a natural progression from the couple's previous architectural antiques business, where they worked with brass and metal founders and spinners in the Midlands. Early pioneers of the rescue and reuse movement, they decided to change from Far East importing and mass production, to a well-made, considered and honest approach. 

A definite must-visit.