Hen House Hideaway

National Trust properties in the area include Berrington Hall (15 minutes’ drive), a country house with a landscaped garden and a lake, and Croft Castle and Parkland (20 minutes). Woodland walks surround this refurbished medieval castle, while seasonal plants bring colour to the walled garden. Combining gardens of the world with much-loved children’s books, Ralph Court Gardens (25 minutes) is a top spot for the entire family. While the children explore the Alice in Wonderland area or embrace their inner pirates on a galleon, the adults stroll through a recreation of Monet’s Water Lily Garden or a Japanese garden with a ginkgo biloba tree. The cathedral in Hereford (half an hour) is home to the Mappa Mundi and a rare chained library. Admire the period furniture in the Black and White House Museum, in a 17th-century timber-framed building, or stroll along the River Wye in Bishops Meadow. If the kids clamour for some action, Matrix is an entertainment venue with an arcade, laser tag, miniature golf, axe throwing and soft play.