Herefordshire is one of England’s most rural counties where geography and history have combined to produce a land of remarkably varied and distinctive appeal. It is isolated in its setting - its borders are formed by a ring of hills, its centre is a saucer of rolling countryside cut by a series of rivers. The landscape has shaped the character of the county; villages are scattered, and almost every parish has the remains of a castle, a reminder of Norman times when the area was part of the Welsh Marches. The main industry was agriculture; Hereford cattle and Ryeland sheep flourished on the pastorally perfect land, as did hops, orchards and arable crops. The buildings of the county bear testament to the periods of great wealth generated from the land, and their preservation to periods of poverty when no one had the funds to modernise them.In ‘Historic England: Herefordshire’, author Malcolm Mason brings together a fascinating series of images selected from the Historic England Archive. This unique collection of more than 12 million photographs, drawings, plans and documents, from the 1850s to the present day, covers England’s archaeology, architecture, social and local history. This book highlights the rich and vibrant history of Herefordshire, and introduces readers to some of its unique and little-known sights. Discover the changing face of the towns, villages and the way of life in one of England’s most picturesque counties.