Herefordshire & Worcestershire | Discover Britain's Museums

HEREFORDSHIRE AND WORCESTERSHIRE

Worcestershire was named by Condé Nast as one of the Best Places to Go in the UK and Ireland in 2024 and its diverse mix of museums and galleries are a good pointer to illustrate why and from where to learn all about the county's rich history.

Museums Worcestershire is a good starting point with three great attractions of Worcester City Art Gallery and Museum, The Commandery and the County Museum at Hartlebury Castle all under its banner. Yet a mere mention of Worcester and the name Royal Worcester readily springs to mind so it is quite apt that the Museum of Royal Worcester is where you can find out about 250 years of stories told through the largest collection of Worcester porcelain in the world, where it was made.

A visit here is an exploration of social, food and design history that connects Worcester porcelain with the rest of the world as entertaining talks, demonstrations by its passionate experts and former Royal Worcester workers give a fascinating insight into the collections and life at the 'The Porcelain'.

The Museum of Royal Worcester now houses the finest and most extensive collections of Worcester Porcelain and visitors are transported to Georgian times and the very start of production when shapes and patterns were copied from the Far East for use in the homes of the very rich. An exquisite room setting shows how the table was laid for desert and features an eighteenth century long case clock and a fine trio of hexagonal vases, just as they have appeared in a gentleman's home. In contrast the Victorian gallery is decked with deep colours, extravagant exhibition pieces and works of breath-taking craftsmanship. There is also opportunity to get creative yourself with Paint-Your-Own-Pottery activities in its Ceramic Studio,

Other notable attractions which reflect Worcestershire's heritage are plentiful. Avoncroft Museum is home to over 30 different buildings and structures which have been rescued and re-built in rural Worcestershire. The Museum of Carpet is housed in a Grade II Listed building and looks at the world-famous carpet industry of Kidderminster.

Elsewhere the RAF Defford museum tells the fascinating story of RAF Defford during WW2 and the Cold War years, whilst the Transport Museum at Wythall is home to over 90 buses battery-electric vehicles, mostly Midlands-related, and the largest collection of battery electric road vehicles including over 30 electric milk floats and bread vans from operators such as the Co-op and Midland Counties.

To Worcestershire's westerly borders is Herefordshire, a beautiful county situated close to the Welsh border and the magnificent Brecon Beacons and Malvern Hills. Similar to the accolade lauded to its neighbour, Herefordshire has been named by The Times as one of the top holiday destinations for 2024 which is unsurprising given the region's outstanding areas of natural beauty and spectacular countryside landscapes. For a fabulous insight into history and life in one of the UK's smallest counties, the museums and galleries of Herefordshire offer visitors everything they need.

For starters, there is chance to see the world's largest medieval map, the Mappa Mundi, and immaculate Chained Library on view at Hereford Cathedral, and opportunity to
travel back to the bygone era of steam at the Waterworks Museum.

Herefordshire is well-known for its cider and The Museum of Cider housed in the original Bulmer's factory is dedicated to its fascinating history. There is lots to discover here with the Museum building itself being a former cider factory dating back to 1889. Today the museum tells the story of cider making nationally from the 17th century onwards and a well-stocked artisan cider shop bring visitors right up to the present day.

The cellars are extensive and displays of original equipment show the method used to make what was called 'champagne cider' by Bulmer's. This is the crucible in which important cider developments were made until the 1970s. The displays include stone mills and wheeled cider presses, drinking vessels, paintings, rare books, the former Bulmer Boardroom, a cooper's workshop, bottling hall and pub memorabilia.

A distinctive feature of Herefordshire is its black and white houses, and the Black and White House Museum a 17th century timber-framed house in the centre of Hereford, provides an insight into daily life in Jacobean times.