By Portia Jones

Copyright walesonline

I love an historic market town with proper pubs, striking architecture and boutique shops. While we are blessed with plenty of pretty towns in Wales, several just across the border are worthy of a visit. One of my favourite recent finds is the town of Leominster in Herefordshire, around an hour from Wales. The pretty town sits at the start of the Black and White Villages Trail, a 42-mile route through some of Herefordshire’s loveliest villages. The timber-framed buildings are striking all year round, but in autumn, the changing foliage really brings them to life. The colours are perfect for a scenic bike ride or a serene walk in the surrounding countryside. The pubs here are gorgeous too. They have real fires, local ales, and a relaxed atmosphere in historical interiors. The cosy cafés are just as inviting, serving coffee, homemade cakes, and filling lunches. Leominster also has its fair share of boutique shops, where you can find antiques, unique local crafts, and Christmas gifts. Easy to get to from Wales and packed with history, Leominster makes for a perfect autumn getaway. From superstar gigs to cosy pubs, find out What’s On in Wales by signing up to our newsletter here What I particularly love about Leominster is that it’s really ancient, with a timeline dating back to the 7th century. The area was inhabited by a Christian community established by a monk, St. Edfrith, around 660 AD. During the 8th and 9th centuries, marauding Vikings frequently raided the area. History is all around you in this town, and it’s also where you’ll find the last ducking stool used in England in the Priory Church of St. Peter & St. Paul. These 17th-century stools were formerly used to punish disorderly women by plunging them into water on a stool of repentance. Thankfully, for ungovernable women like me, this has been discontinued for a long time. Phew! Various Tudor, Stuart and Georgian-era buildings can also be spotted along Church Street, Broad Street and Drapers Lane, making for lovely autumnal photographs. Keen to learn more? Leominster Heritage Guides offers guided walking tours twice a week, revealing the fascinating stories behind this historic market town. Join them every Saturday at 11:00 a.m. and every Wednesday at 2:00 p.m. for a 90-minute tour led by knowledgeable local guides. Each walk explores different aspects of Leominster’s past, from Roman roots to medieval trade and historic buildings. The meeting point is outside the Leominster Information Centre, Corn Square. Tickets are currently £5 per adult and must be purchased in advance at the Information Centre. For a history fix, swing by the Grade II* Listed Grange Court, built in 1633 by John Abel, a master carpenter who left behind some of the finest examples of a half-timbered style. Grange Court was originally a market hall where traders would gather to sell their goods under its oak-beamed roof, and was moved to its present location in 1859. There are many market halls, although many others have been destroyed, lost, and burned. This one amazingly survived because it’s all timber-framed, and it’s famous because of the number of extraordinary oak carvings on the exterior walls. Today, it’s a community space where you can wander in, explore the intricate carvings on the building’s exterior, and have coffee and cake in the friendly cafe. Like most decent market towns, Leominster has several independent shops selling a variety of goods, from clothing and jewellery to wine and spirits. There are several antique and secondhand stores to browse, where you’ll find antiques, vintage items and pre-loved treasures. Minster House Leominster Antiques Centre features 17 rooms filled with antiques from every period, as well as extensive gardens showcasing furniture and other architectural pieces. The Secondhand warehouse has 12,500 sq ft of retail space filled with large vintage and pre-loved furniture items such as dressers, cupboards, and dining tables. Leominster offers various blooming gardens to explore, including the Secret Garden, Stockton Bury Gardens, Aulden Farm, and others open through the National Garden Scheme . The Secret Garden is worth a visit. This walled garden is located at the rear of the Town Council Offices. It’s a large grassed area with access to the Leominster Information Centre and Etnam Street Car Park, and regularly hosts community events. One of my favourite things to do in the area is to traverse the Black and White Villages Trail . This scenic 42-mile trail can be explored in several ways. Driving is one of the easiest options, allowing you to take in the villages at your own pace, or you can walk or cycle. The roads through Herefordshire are quiet and scenic, with each village just a short drive from the next. You can easily spend a whole day exploring two or three towns, enjoying a lovely lunch or visiting a local museum. Cycling is a fantastic option for a scenic ride along the trail. The route is flat, and the roads are free from heavy traffic, making it an ideal day out for cyclists. If you want a multi-day ride, companies like Wheely Wonderful Cycling offer cycling packages that include bike rentals, route maps, and luggage transport. The Pembridge to Eardisland loop is a favourite among cyclists. It offers lovely countryside views and plenty of opportunities to stop for refreshments. At just over nine miles, it’s ideal for visitors who want to explore some of the Black & White Villages Trail in a day rather than biking the entire route over two or three days. Pembridge, the starting point, is a quintessentially English village that once enjoyed the patronage of the powerful Mortimer family and the prosperity that went along with it. Its picture-perfect timber-frame buildings line the main Street and are often framed by beautiful spring blossoms or blooming window boxes, giving it that quaint village feel. Honestly, it’s almost like you’ve stepped into a TV show, and this couldn’t possibly be where people lived. It’s too perfect like If Disney created ye olde England land. I almost expected a town crier to wander out of the 700-year-old pub. You can also pick up provisions from the 500-year-old ‘ye olde steps village shop’ for your biking adventure. They have many Herefordshire projects, including cheese, biscuits and local gin. From Pembridge, the route passes through country lanes, rural farmland, and orchards as you cycle from village to village on a mostly flat route without much traffic. Along the way, expect the usual countryside features like tractors, horses, local pubs, and a selection of fascinating sights like St Mary Magdalene’s church, featuring the work of Herefordshire School of Romanesque sculpture, and you can also see the oldest AA box in the country. Hungry? Leominster and the surrounding area have several proper pubs, lovely cafes, and restaurants where you can grab lunch or dinner. The Press Room is a historic, independent bar featuring antique copper and brass utensil decor. They serve real ales, craft beer, Italian coffee, fine tea, stews, and filled rolls. For a proper pub lunch, the dog-friendly White Lion in Leominster, run by Nina and Laz, serves homemade food, real ales, lagers, ciders, and wine. Drapers Lane Delicatessen offers unique sharing boards paired with a glass of wine or local cider. Sit outside with a coffee and watch the world go by. Further afield, The Cider Barn in Pembridge is one of the best places to sample Herefordshire’s bountiful produce and changing seasons. A 450-year-old, Grade II-listed barn at Dunkertons Cider Mill has an inviting ambience and knowledgeable staff. It’s a contemporary dining space in a converted barn that features creative, seasonal menus with locally sourced produce. Most evenings, the restaurant is busy with diners who order local ciders and browse the seasonal à la Carte Menu. Typical dishes include Herefordshire beef Denver with pulled brisket and potato terrine, Smoked vegetable consommé, and Chicken and herb ballotine. Ye Olde Salutation Inn in the village of Weobley is another brilliant spot for classic dishes featuring hearty Herefordshire produce. Step inside this old English Inn to find a warming fire, proper pies, and local ales, including tap beers from Leominster microbrewery The Swan Brewery.