Rural Areas

Herefordshire is a predominantly rural county with unspoiled countryside, remote valleys, rivers and distinctive heritage. The west of the county is bordered by the Black Mountains and the east is bordered by the Malvern Hills and within the Malvern Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) and the south features the Wye Valley AONB. Rural Herefordshire consists of settlements, hamlets, and farmsteads that vary in character and size. 

Each of these is locally distinctive in size, form, historic character, and placement with various environmental constraints. 

Infrastructure, services, and facilities for these areas vary across the county as well as their access to public transport provision. Rural areas are primarily served by local bus services but these vary in frequency. The only rural train station is in Colwall along the Hereford to Worcester line. 

The preferred strategy for the rural areas will be a hybrid of options. More information can be found about those in the document below. Information on the Rural Settlement Hierarchy can be found in the Document Library. Please refer to this before answering our consultation questions.