Anyone know the Hereford/Leominster/Llandrindod Wells area?

[copycat]

We have booked a last minute weekend away (friday to monday, next weekend) at a cottage near Kington/Lyonshall which is roughly in the middle of the triangle created by Hereford, Leominster and Llandrindod Wells. If anyone is familiar with the area I'd be grateful for recommendations of places to visit with two ds aged 11 and 8. DH and I would be interested to know of anywhere in the region that is particularly scenic and of any nice child-friendly pubs!
Thanks.

Dull but helpful! Thanks Anchovy.

Hi Cookie monster !! I lived there from 77-85, lived in Tupsley ! Wonder if we know each other - I was at HCS !

Yeah - roadworks at Belmont v bad - they're building an Asda - cue much excitement - new shop !!!!!

And - outrageous allegations anchovy - I know no-one in Hereford with a tattoo and few fat people !

Cannot believe this thread ! Leave Hereford alone - there are NICE people there too you know !

copycat, we skipped the Stagg because our budget was under pressure, much to my disappointment :(
Had a cool egg on toast in one of those old-style English caffs in Presteigne though, friendly service, slumbering locals
Cod, thank goodness you don't live in Sarf London. I have TWO tattoo parlours within walking distance and definitely no cathedrals (or MILS, ugh)

Norah - actually I love Hereford, just don't want too many people knowing about it as the whole point is that it isn't one of those "rural theme parks for Londoners" like all of Gloucestershire.

But, honestly, get yourself down to the swimming pool and see if I have a point.

Norah, I left Hereford in 1978 so I'm obviously a teensy bit older than you, but I was at the Girls High School and then at Hereford Sixth Form College from 76-78. We lived on the other side of town from you - out on the Kings Acre Road.

I agree - stop this Hereford bashing!!

Oh and copycat, if you come into Hereford from the Kington direction, you won't need to cross the dreaded bridge with the awful roadworks - in fact, you'll go right past my mum and dad's house, so give us a wave!

well im not that far from llandridnod, infact im there next week for scout training....

Hi Anchovy - Was actually at Hereford swimming baths last Saturday (my parents live there still so I am frequebt visitor !) - didn't count tattoos but obviously not a lot around or dd would have yelled loudly about it (Mummy look at that man etc..) as she is not used to seeing tattoos !

Also - I am size 16 and felt like I was one of largest ladies there - so maybe if you are size 6 sylph like person perception is somewhat different !

Like everywhere Hereford has it's good and bad areas - the pool is on the edge of Putson which is not one of the best areas - generally speaking the south side of the river is less desirable - although the big development at Belmont has probably changed perceptions somewhat !

Anyway - each to their own - perhaps you are just terribly posh and I am an oik ?

Norah - unfortunately neither particularly posh not particularly slim! The play park next to the swimming pool is great, though!

Did you have a good weekend and where did you go....we drove from midlands to Aberystwyth and cardigan and back yesterday just for a few hours and was thinking of you as we drove through the area!

Hi zippi and everyone, we had a lovely weekend after a very tedious journey on friday afternoon/evening. The accommodation was absolutely gorgeous \link{http://www.premiercottages.co.uk/webdirect.asp?ID=63\The Forge}; even the kids were impressed!

On Saturday we headed to Newbridge Farm Park via Hereford (well I had to see for myself!) where we had lunch (and cakes) in the trendy, upscale, Cathedral cafe - or so we thought! Dh and I did comment on the fact that the Cathedral was very small ... ummmm, we realised as we drove out of Hereford that we had been in the church in the town centre and not the Cathedral . I have to say that I wouldn't rush back to Hereford and I counted two Tattoo Shops! Leominster is a much nicer town.
Newbridge Farm Park was closed when we arrived so we continued to Symmonds Yat where we went to The Amazing Hedge Puzzle Maze and to the adjacent Leisure Park by the river. Just for a laugh we drove as far as we could up the steep and narrow winding roads of the Yat and enjoyed the amazing views. The kids thought the steep drops were great fun
On Sunday went to Eastnor Castle but took the scenic route via Eardisland, Pembridge and Weobley which are truly beautiful villages. We drove into Kington too. In fact we tested our sat nav system to the limit by turning off the main roads at every opportunity to enjoy the beautiful Hereford villages and countryside. This did incorporate a good deal of reversing every time we encountered a tractor (which was rather too often for dh!) but the children thought it was funny. At one point we had one tractor behind us and a train of four in front! Anyway, the Castle was great fun and the Maze proved to be more challenging than the Hedge Puzzle the day before. The Medieval Re-enactment Day added a further interest to the day. Sunday evening we planned to eat out so I rang The Stagg which is closed Sunday evenings and all day monday. We drove to The Boat Inn at Winforton by the River Wye but didn't make it through the smoke to enjoy the views. We headed back to Pembridge but The New Inn was also closed so we ended up having a meal to forget in the Red Lion in Pembridge.

On Monday we stopped at Westons Cider Centre in Much Marcle on our way home. We missed the 11am tour by about 15 minutes but, as a consolation, enjoyed coffee and cider cake in the Tea Room . The play area was a liitle young for our children but it was a successful and interesting short break on our return trip.
Thanks to everyone for everything they contributed in this thread.

Hey Norah and Anchovy! I'm from Hereford too!
I went to St Mary's out at Lugwardine and then Sixth Form college(left in '88)
We're there fairly often as ALL my family still live there,one set of Grandparents live in Stretton Sugwas.

PS.It DOES NOT rain ALL the time and it ISN'T full of fat people with tatoos.

Copycat,glad you enjoyed your weekend.

Oooh how exciting - Hello sugarfree - fellow Herefordian !

Oh shame I missed this thread when it was active (think it must have been when we were away during the school hols).
I was born in Hereford and lived about 12 miles away during my chilhood until I went away to uni. I even spent a year at Hereford Art College and Tech re-taking the A levels I messed up at school!
Glad you had a lovely time -Newbridge Farm Park only closed a few weeks ago (after foot and mouth etc they lost loads of trade and the threat of bird flu looming was too much I think). Eastnor Castle is ony a couple of miles away from us.
Agree with the poster who said that the London crowd haven't really discovered the area yet!

Sorry about Newbridge and rofl at missing the cathedral you nutters! Sounds like you had an excellent time closures and near-misses notwithstanding copycat.
You have made me all nostalgic for a very enjoyable week. And I bet you missed the wasps, which were everywhere, huge and quite possibly fat and tattoed...

Closed permanently
That's dreadful, it's one of the nicest we have ever been to :(
What a huge shame. More likely to catch bird flu off a feral pigeon at London Bridge, surely :(

For those of you who visit the area theres another farm park -Shortwood Farm (near Pencombe/Bromyard I think). Its much more of a working farm than Newbridge was but is great (and they do delicious homemade cakes too

well Marina, it was cold and windy and it was a coffee shop in a church (like you'd said) The lure of homemade cake made me forget to check I was going into the right church (well they are quite near each other) ... and, of course, I was being chased by a swarm of tattooed wasps .

Ah - so the wasps weren't fat then ?

lol@ copycat
god you ahev done more in your trip that nwe aever do
is stand corrected.

BT woudl you ever go back
it is a weird place kington isnt it

I wouldn't dream of insulting anything that stings Norah!

yes cod, Kington is entirely missable (no offense to the sainted mil of course) although, ironically, this was one place we didn't miss. Beautiful countryside nearby though ... Have you taken your ds's to the Hedge Puzzle - there's a Butterfly Zoo next door too? The leisure park nearby has an adventure playground with huge inflatable slide and a couple of bouncy castles, trampolines etc (£4 per child all day I think).

god NO! the shame!