Herefordshire villages

It can often feel like time has stood still among the timber-framed villages scattering Herefordshire. But that's the joy of it, writes Clare Gogerty, as she road-trips the historic countryside

- Clare Gogerty

As I bowled along the roads linking Herefordshire's 'Black and White Villages' (named in honour of their two-tone buildings), I believed, for a second, in time travel. Here, in one of England's least populated counties, little appeared to have changed for decades, centuries even.

The landscape of wooded hills shot through with sparkling rivers, has not been scarred by industry or development. Farming is the thing here, and although mechanisation has changed the means of production, apple orchards still burst into blossom in spring, hops are still cut from their strings in autumn and Hereford cattle still munch the grass.

Time was further suspended in the Black and White Villages. Located in the northwest of the county, lying along the tree-lined Arrow and Lugg river valleys, these timbered and half-timbered settlements remain virtually unaltered since they were built in the 15th and 16th centuries. Until relatively recently, rural poverty meant that they were repaired rather than rebuilt or extended, leaving the integrity of the originals intact. The only difference is that the oak beams wouldn't have been stained black: that became the fashion in Victorian times.

To help explore this heritage, Visit Herefordshire has devised several trails. I chose to drive the 68km motoring trail (with electric car charging points along the way), which is ideal for a weekend break, though there are also bus and cycling routes, too.

My drive started at the market town of Leominster, which has its fair share of black-and-white buildings, then meandered along to Dilwyn, Weobley, Eardisley, and Pembridge before ending up at what is regarded as the prettiest of the lot: Eardisland.