Hereford is a rural city with a flourishing creative community. Here you get the best of both city life and rural living. With activities and venues to suit all, here we will guide you through our recommended hang out spots and fun activities! You will also find some useful maps of Hereford and the surrounding area which you can download to your phone to help you when you are out and about exploring.
Please be aware that you must practise safe conduct when visiting these venues, each venue has put measures in place to ensure that you and others around you are safe. Some venues are working on a book beforehand only basis, others have implemented a track and trace system and others are working on a first come first serve basis. If in doubt make sure to call the venue beforehand so you know exactly what to do before you arrive.
Things to keep in mind:
Do not go out if you are feeling unwell or have a temperature.
After a few drinks it can be tempting to hug your friends and have a boogie on the dancefloor, please keep in mind that this is not safe practise.
Make sure to take hand sanitiser out with you.
Do not share drinks, cigarettes or makeup.
Discounted to students
Student favourite!
This pub has been a long time student favourite! With everything from cheap pints, to live music in an alfresco setting is available to you here. The barrels hosts the hugely popular annual beer festival in aid of local charities. This is often where to nights out begin and no doubt you will always find someone you know hanging out here.
The left bank village is located along the river not far from Hereford Cathedral. Within this village you can find, De Koffie Pot, Charles’ Bar and the Speakeasy. All unique in what they have to offer yet they all have a familiar relaxed and enticing atmosphere.
First Thursday of every month the Speakeasy host Power up promotions, a music event put on by a group of local musicians in Hereford. The genre changes every week but guaranteed you will hear something new!
With a friendly, warm atmosphere and fabulous beer garden, this café by day, bar by night is up creating a buzz within the streets of Hereford. With events from 5pm Wednesday to Friday and from noon at weekends this was voted by Hereford Times the best place to Hereford to listen to live music – ranging from open mic nights to professional and up and coming musicians.
The Meat Boutique is the one and only Beefy Boys restaurant, located at the Old Market in the centre of the city. Specialising in burgers, beers and cocktails it so totally worth a visit, even for vegetarians! If you want some dutty good fries or a stacked up burger of greatness, this is the place to be.
The Courtyard is a theatre and arts venue on Edgar Street, opposite Hereford United FC football ground. Hosting live music, shows, events, classes, workshops, art gallery and studios, it is also one of the main venues for the annual Borderlines Film Festival in February-March. They produce in house panto, youth theatre shows and offer co-producing opportunities. They have a varied live, film and visual arts programme that works with all ages within the local community. With different shows and events being hosted each week, you can always find something fresh to entertain yourself with.
A big night out in Hereford usually consists of visiting a few of the following pubs and bars:
The Barrels, Babar, De Koffie Pot/Speakeasy @ The Left Bank, Wetherspoon’s, Yates, Hogarth’s, Longbar – home of famously cheap shots, Karaoke @ The Golden Fleece, Gordon Bennett’s, Rubix – 80s music with light-up dancefloor!, The Kerry, The Venue, Play Nightclub – Hereford’s largest nightclub, The Golden Galleon – Finish the night off with a bag of chips and a battered sausage!
Not discounted but worth checking out! In Town
This is a hidden away little gem, miles away from your conventional cinema experience! As well as recent Hollywood hits, The Loft often screens smaller, independently made films and indie classics. You can watch your chosen film in comfort on rentable sofas and enjoy traditional snacks or a meal provided by local restaurants, The Burger Shop & The Stables. They have a bar that serves cocktails and locally sourced beers at any time during the film!
Independent Quarter on Church Street
Church Street is located in the heart of Hereford’s city centre, leading onto the Cathedral; this street is always full of life and interesting characters. Made up of small independent businesses including Rocket Café, Fodder health food shop, Fodder Lotions & Potions, Timothy Hawkins Art Gallery, Calendras Menswear and View clothes shop. Excite your senses, treat yourself and have a wander down to Church Street.
Voted best Sunday lunch in the UK (2017) by Observer food monthly, serving concise steak menu Wednesday to Saturday using grass- fed, dry-aged Herefordshire beef, along with other dishes focused on seasonality and sustainability. On Sundays they rock their roasts, oh and must not forget to mention their seasonal cocktails made with love, care and the freshest ingredients! The owners, brothers Ed and Dorian also run The Burger Shop and organise the annual indie food festival, which gets together independent food establishments throughout Hereford to promote and enjoy food made with knowledge and love.
Sport
Originally set up as a non-profit charity (Taste for Adventure) by the late Brummie Stokes to promote physical activity for all regards of age, ability or finances. The boulder barn climbing centre continues this ethos by being open to everyone, promoting a fun and friendly atmosphere and supporting local charities. The centre has an excellent bouldering wall suitable for all levels, they run group sessions, classes and competitions so that you can only get better!
One of the biggest outdoor skate parks in the country, Hereford Skate Park is suitable for all ages and abilities. Run by a charity that is passionate about providing a safe, fresh and interesting space for people to have fun and develop their skills, whether it be on a BMX, skateboard, roller blades or a scooter.
Crafts
Manic Ceramics is a great experience to share with friends and family. Whether or not you are confident in ceramics, here it is made easy and accessible for you. It is a good day out as all firing and previous preparations are done for you so you have the fun part, decorating! You can book them out to host parties and group events or for commissions for more bespoke works.
Be a part of a community that cherishes creativity and collaboration. CUP ceramics is an open-access ceramics studio situated at Foley Trading Estate. With specialist facilities and tutors it is great space to develop your skillset in ceramics to create your own items of beauty and meaning. Within their creative community emphasis is placed within the philosophy of making and sharing knowledge to create in a sustainable way. This organisation adds variety and depth to the creative community within Hereford.
Green spaces
Castle Green – Previously the site of Hereford Castle and just next to the Duck Pond, Castle Green is a good place for a walk/jog around or sit with a picnic.
Bishop’s Playing Fields – Across the Vicky Bridge, on the South side of the River, the King George V playing fields (AKA Bishop’s Meadows) is a great spot for a kick about, or to sit and watch the river flow by. It’s right next to the swimming baths and tennis courts.
Churchill Gardens – At the top of Venn’s Lane/Aylestone Hill, ‘Churchy’ hosts a great view of the city.
Walk along the Wye – You can walk the full length of the city following the river tow path. From the cow filled fields of Bartonsham, along to Broomy Hill and Breinton even further!
Lugg Meadows – Beautiful flood plains filled with wild flowers in the summer and a quiet riverside picnic spot.
Breinton Springs – Next to Breinton Church, the springs is a site at the end of the River footpath. Go on further by bike to explore the ancient orchards of Brienton, following in local artist Brian Hatton’s footsteps.
Museums & Galleries
As Hereford is famous for its cider it is only appropriate that you pay a visit to Hereford Cider Museum! Founded in 1973 to preserve the history of cider making worldwide, their extensive collection includes cider mills, presses bottles, photographs and memorabilia. The international Cider and Perry festival competition is held in May and a Cider making festival in October.
Located opposite the Cathedral on Broad Street.
If you have a car or fancy a road trip
Chase distillery is a family owned, British field to bottle distillery in Herefordshire. They have won numerous awards for their fine spirits crafted from scratch, give it a visit to see how you start with a potato and finish with a refined and refreshing gin!
Hereford Canoe & Kayak Rental Service
Award winning (Luxury Travel Guide 2017) boat hire is located a couple of miles out of Hereford at Lucksall park, Mordiford. They pride themselves in protecting and maintaining the best stretches to paddle along the Wye River, preventing a quiet tranquil atmosphere with beautiful views. You can hire a boat for 2 – 5 hours so that you can paddle away at your own pace. Along the way there are drop off points so that you can enjoy bites to eat and popular tourist spots. At a reasonable price this is a great way to get to know Hereford and its surrounding areas.
Canwood gallery is a charity gallery set up with the goal of exhibiting thought provoking art within a beautiful inspiring countryside of Hereford. Sustainability (as it is all run by solar power) and a healthy charitable attitude (as it is non-profit and all proceeds go to Bart’s Charity) are the core of this galleries ethos. Featuring the works of Angela Conner, Jonty Hurwitz and Carl Andre this exhibition space is forever changing with the works of many world renowned artists.
The Weir garden is owned by the National Trust near Swainshill, lying alongside the river Wye. The garden covers over 10 acres and has become home to all kinds of wildlife and insects including the increasingly rare club tailed dragonfly. This area is free to visit and has many different walking paths to explore. They have a catering and chill out area on site to rest your feet with a cuppa after a long walk. They have recently collaborated with HCA to create the ‘Craft on the Outside’ exhibition.
Fancy testing out your blacksmithing skills? Joel Black is an internationally esteemed knife maker located just outside Hereford. Graduating from HCA in 2016 he has since set up his own business, creating and selling knives. He offers knife making sessions to the public at his forge on weekends in which you learn how to prep, craft, forge and refine a handmade Damascus steel blade. Working alongside his partner, award winning crafts maker Holland Otik and Bob the dog you get to have a taste of the blacksmithing life.
Only a few miles from Hereford this festival gets the good vibes flowing every year! Attracting over 5,000 visitors last year this is the kind of festival where you could lose your friends and find them again in the same day! It is made up of a delightful amalgamation of performance, art, electronic super sounds and good old fashioned guitar strumming and drum bashing. The festivals ethos is to bring fun and play to everyone in whatever form it can. Nozstock Hidden Valley is a blissful family festival that caters to all ages, with ball pits by day and some booming tunes by night!
Maps of Hereford and the surrounding area. Click the links below to download your copy.