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Tour Ideas

Let us help you discover the area’s secrets

For the traveller with limited time to spare, the secret delights of churches, tiny villages and landscape are hard to find - especially in the maze of little roads and track ways. So, Marches Tours & Talks was formed to provide tour guides for individuals, small or large groups, and people of all ages who could use our skills to get the best out of any visit.

Here are some ideas for your tours or talks!

Black and White Villages
Follow the 35 mile Black and White Trail in north Herefordshire including the villages of Pembridge, Eardisland, Eardisley and Weobley. See also our Hidden Extras Audio Car Tours
Churches
Visit the renowned churches such as Kilpeck (Norman), Hoarwithy (Italianate), Shobdon (Strawberry Hill Gothic) or the remains of the Cistercian Dore Abbey. www.doreabbey.org.uk Tour the glorious St. Lawrence Church in Ludlow.
Hereford Cathedral and the Mappa Mundi
One of our members is an official Cathedral guide, who will take you to discover its treasures – the greatest of which is the 13th c. world map – the Mappa Mundi. www.herefordcathedral.org.
Gardens
With an expert guide, discover the 50 acres of gardens at Hergest Croft www.hergest.co.uk visit Bryan’s Ground, Burford House, Stockton Bury, Shipley Gardens, Westonbury Mill Water Gardens www.westonburymillwatergardens.com and many others. Our specialist guide knows every garden well and can advise on the best time of year to visit to see them at their best.
Walking
Walk the Cat's Back Ridge, the Black Hill and into the Black Mountains. Follow the Offa’s Dyke Path, walk the Long Mynd and the Mortimer Trail, or the western edges of the Malvern Hills. Stop at one of our many village pubs and sample the delights of locally produced food. See Hidden Extras and the new Herefordshire Trail www.herefordshiretrail.com.
Town Walks
Available in Hereford City, Leominster, Ledbury, Ross on Wye, Kington, Bromyard, Ludlow and Bishops Castle.
Cider Making
Herefordshire is the home of cider and perry. Visit well-known producers such as Westons of Much Marcle www.westons-cider.co.uk , Gwatkin’s, Dunkerton’s and Broome Farm, and taste the many varieties of cider and perry produced here. In Autumn, you can see the cider being made as the apples are harvested. In the city, visit the Cider Museum and King Offa Distillery www.cidermuseum.co.uk and follow the history of cider.
Vineyards
Tour Bodenham English Wines, Coddington Vineyard and Frome Valley Vineyard, and taste English wines at their best.
Castles and Hill Forts
Visit the many English Heritage sites including Longtown, Wigmore and the magnificent ruins at Goodrich. Tour the 900 year old Ludlow Castle, and explore Stokesay Castle – one of the first fortified Manor houses in England.
Kilvert’s Diary
Discover the villages where the Revd. Francis Kilvert was curate and rector – see the places where he walked and worshipped. Watch his diary come alive.
Natural History / Wildlife
Enjoy an area known for its natural history with guides who were born, or have chosen to live, in the area and who enthuse about the delights of the Marches - an area of outstanding beauty with an abundance of wildlife.
Industrial Archaeology
Come and explore Downton Iron Industry, the Victorian Model Farm at Leighton, Welshpool, and RAF Cosford.
Geology and Landscape
Explore the landscape of this distinctive part of Britain; its underlying geology, its superficial deposits, its structure and the natural and human ecology (including human history) associated with it.
Folklore
Be intrigued by the fascinating stories that surround the life and the people of the Marches - tales that will encourage a smile and others that will bring a tear.