With the arrival of autumn, life at The Whittern Estate is all very fruitful. We have finished the blackcurrant harvest and now we begin the apple harvest. Our fruits mainly go to the local cider producer and the pungent smell of ripened apples and misty mornings makes this a poetic time of year.

Visitors to the estate are enjoying long walks through the woodlands or brisk hill walks in the nearby Welsh hills.  There is always plenty to do even once the summer sunshine has gone. If you love historic buildings - castles, mansions, churches - then Herefordshire is a wonderfully rich location for you. Just a short twenty minute drive takes you to Croft Castle, a National Trust estate with fantastic walks, an iron age fort, woodlands, and the castle and gardens. Closely situated is the splendour of Berrington Hall, with its Capability Brown parkland and extraordinary house. Other fantastic National Trust properties nearby include the Brockhamton Estate near Bromyard and the fabulous riverside gardens and unspoilt natural beauty of The Weir (Swainshill, Hereford).

This is also famous pub country so after a long days walk there is plenty of hospitality to enjoy. A visit to North Herefordshire wouldn't be complete without a visit to The Stagg at Titley, the first pub in the UK to gain a Michelin Star (which it has retained). Also recommended are The Jolly Frog at Leintwardine, perfect for fish lovers, and The Riverside Inn at Aymestrey. Ludlow, famous for food, houses the Michelin-starred fine-dining gem Mr Underhill's and a wide variety of other establishments.