Meeting planners seeking a destination for conferences, meetings and events that provides a genuine sense of escape without travelling to extremes would do well to consider the glorious county of Herefordshire.

Consisting of beautiful, unspoilt countryside, Herefordshire is England’s most rural county and offers a varied landscape ideal for both land and water-based teambuilding events and corporate activities right at the heart of the country.

Picturesque Tudor house villages and market towns such as Ledbury, Leominster and Ross-on-Wye lie nestled amongst areas of outstanding natural beauty and heritage such as the Forest of Dean, Offa’s Dyke and the Malvern Hills, and provide the perfect setting for corporate retreats, private board meetings and intimate weddings. Meanwhile the city of Hereford, situated on the banks of the River Wye, blends old and new to provide a welcoming location in which to host conferences and events with a range of venues to suit all occasions and capacities.

Located in the Marches region of the country, on the border of England and Wales, Herefordshire county is easily accessible from all directions. Connections with the M5 and M50 allow for good road access while excellent rail links connect directly with London, Birmingham and Manchester. Nearby airports at Birmingham, Cardiff and Bristol are within easy reach of the county for international conference delegates.

Both large and small-scale events can be easily accommodated in multi-faceted sporting venues such as Hereford Leisure Centre, which alone offers large conference and meeting spaces with capacity for 2,000 delegates, Ledbury Town FC, Leominster Golf Club, ideal for combining meetings and corporate golf events, The Bromyard Centre and Hereford Racecourse which offers ample space for teambuilding events and exhibitions alongside conference and banqueting suites. Modern conference centres come in the shape of Mortimer Park and cultural venue Courtyard Hereford whose 2 conference theatres and 3 meeting rooms provide versatile spaces for all events. Being an area rich in heritage there are several historic and unusual venues that offer a unique and memorable backdrop for conferences and corporate events such as Shire Hall, Hereford Town Hall and Berrington Hall, a striking venue set in Capability Brown’s last landscape. The impressive Eastnor Estate which extends over 5,000 breathtaking acres offers Bronsil House, a superbly well equipped venue for conferences, meetings, training seminars and teambuilding events, whilst the imposing Eastnor Castle makes a majestic setting for weddings, banquets and corporate hospitality events. Of the many conference-minded hotels within the county fine examples include enchanting country house hotels such as Parkfields Country House, Bishopswood House and Caradoc Court, all of which provide exemplary conference and banqueting facilities in tranquil settings perfect for corporate retreats and secluded weddings. Major hotel groups represented within the county of Herefordshire include Best Western, Classic British Hotels, Greene King, Old English Inns, Premier Inn and Warner Leisure Hotels.