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In 1887, John Bartholomew's Gazetteer of the British Isles described Herefordshire like this:
Herefordshire, an inland co. on the SE. border of Wales, and bounded N. by Shropshire and Worcestershire, E. by Worcestershire and Gloucestershire, S. by Gloucestershire and Monmouthshire, and W. by Monmouthshire, Radnorshire, and Brecknockshire; greatest length N. and S. 38 miles, greatest breadth E. ...
and W. 35 miles; 532,918 ac., pop. 121,062. The co. is almost circular in form, and its surface shows a series of quiet and beautiful undulations. It is watered by the Wye, Lugg, Monnow, Arrow, and Frome, also the Teme, which flows on the NE. boundary. All these streams are well stocked with fish. Of late agriculture has been greatly improved in the co.: the soil peculiarly suitable for the growth of timber, which is very abundant. The pear and apple orchards of Herefordshire are famous; while the luxuriant meadow-land affords pasture for a well-known breed of oxen. (For agricultural statistics, see Appendix.) Marl and clay form the chief part of the soil; the subsoil is mostly limestone. There are no valuable minerals, and the mfrs. are insignificant. The co. comprises 11 hundreds, 258 pars., and parts of 3 others, the parl. and mun. bor. of Hereford (1 member), and the mun. bor. of Leominster. It is mostly in the diocese of Hereford. For parl. purposes it is divided into 2 divisions, viz., Northern or Leominster, and Southern or Ross, 1 member for each division. It returned 3 members till 1885.
Vision of Britain presents long-run change by redistricting historical statistics to modern units. However, none of our modern units covers an area close to that of Herefordshire. If you want trends covering a particular location within the county, find it on our historical maps and then select "Tell me more".
How to reference this page:
GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth, History of Herefordshire | Map and description for the county, A Vision of Britain through Time.
URL: https://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/place/17312
Date accessed: 11th February 2026
Click here for more detailed advice on finding places within A Vision of Britain through Time, and maybe some references to other places called "Herefordshire".
