Welcome To Bromyard and it's surrounding area

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Google Map of Bromyard

	Local Attractions		Food and Drink
	Accommodation		Shopping
	Festivals		Bromyard Heritage Trail
	Bromyard Town Map & Guide 2009		Bromyard - Official Guide 2008
	Take-aways		Virtual Tour of Bromyard from VisitHerefordshire

Bromyard is a traditional market town situated between the cities of Hereford and Worcester.

It has a charm all of its own. Visitors to the town will find a range of individual shops, offering the more traditional shopping experience and an Art Trail that comprises of specially commissioned works of art. The town has many fine buildings including the former Police Station and Magistrates Court. The Post Office, built in 1911 is next door to the Bromyard and District Local History Society, here they have regular exhibitions and store many pictures and documents that tell the history of the town.

Bromyard and the surrounding area is particularly noted as a centre for hop growing, there are over 4,000 acres in the county, mainly in the Bromyard and Ledbury area. Herefordshire has been producing hops since the 15th century, with Bromyard as its centre. Most farms grew an odd acre of hops, but now fewer farms produce a larger acreage using mechanical harvesting and more advanced cultivation techniques. Hops thrive on a variety of soil types but generally do best in a deep non-acid loam, which has good drainage. For many centuries the hops were given support by chestnut poles up to 15ft tall, though nowadays the bines are trained to climb strings, which they always do in a clockwise direction. Those that wish to fully appreciate this beautiful part of Herefordshire should follow the road and lanes that flank the River Frome taking time to enjoy the hopfields, cider orchards and even vineyards as you pass through.

Close to Bromyard are the Bromyard Downs. The underlying rocks of the Downs are called Lower Old Red Sandstone, which produce the red soil characteristic of much of the county. It contains thin layers of harder grey stone, these were quarried to build the houses and cottages in the vicinity. There are 262 acres of open land on the Downs. This area has historically been used to graze stock by those with common rights, today only around 89 properties have these rights attached, and only a small flock of sheep graze on the Downs. Instead, the grass is cut for hay in the summer.