HEREFORDSHIRE is an inland county in the west of England, and on the borders of Wales. It is situated be tween 51° 53 7", and 52° 29' 43" North Latitude, and 2° 28' 30" and 3° 19' 32" West Longitude from London. It is bounded on the north by Shropshire ; on the west by the counties of Radnor and Brecon, from the latter of which it is separated by the Ilatterel Hills, or Black Mountains ; on the south by Monmouthshire and Gloucestershire, being separated from the former by the river Nye, and from the latter, partly by the river Munnow ; and on the east it is bounded by Worcestershire. Its outline forms nearly a circle, but its circumference is made irregular by many windings and indentations. The extent, from Ludford on the north to the opposite border, near Monmouth on the south, is 38 miles ; and from Clifford on the West, to Crad ley on the east, 35 miles. Some detached parts are situated beyond the general outline ; the parish of Fallow being wholly insulated by Shropshire—that of Rochford by Wor cestershire ; Lytton hill by Radnorshire ; and a considera ble tract of land, called the Futhog, by Monmouthshire. According to the original report to the Board of Agricul ture, the gross number of acres is 781,440 ; but in Mr Duncombe's report they are stated to be only 600,000. In the returns to Parliament respecting the poor rates, they are stated at 621,440; while Mr Marshall estimates them so high as 800,000. On the supposition that there are 600„000 acres, which is the most probable, it is computed that 30,000 arc the sites of towns, roads, water, &c. and 50,000 waste lands and woods ; hence there are about 520,000 acres of cultivated ground ; a much larger propor tion than most of the other counties of England contain.
Herefordshire is divided into eleven hundreds, viz. Brox ash, which contains 26 parishes ; Ewias Lacey, which con tains seven parishes ; Greytree, which contains 17 parishes ; Grimsworth, which contains 23 parishes ; Huntingdon, which contains eight parishes ; Mallow, which contains 24 parishes ; Stretford, which contains 15 parishes ; Webtree, which contains 27 parishes ; \Vigmore, which contains 14 parishes ; \Volphey, which contains 24 parishes ; and Wormelow, which contains 30 parishes ; making in all 215 parishes, besides six parishes in the city of Hereford. Be sides this city, which is also the county town, there are in Herefordshire two borough towns. \Vcobley and Leomin
ster ; and five other market•towns, Ross, Ledbury, King ton, Bromyard, and Pcmbridgc. It returns eight members to parliament, viz. two for the county, two for the city, two for Leominster, and two for Wcobley. It is in the province of Canterbury, and diocese of Hereford, and in the Oxford circuits.
The general aspect of this county is extremely beautiful; its surface is finely diversified, and broken by swelling heights in such a manner as to resemble the more central parts of Kent ; no wide open vale, nor any extensive range of hills, appear in the north-western quarter ; some sepa rated links of the Welch mountains rise above the hillocks and minor hills, which are scattered over the rest of the county. In short, Herefordshire may be said, without ex aggeration, to be altogether beautiful. From many of the elevations., the prospects are uncommonly fine ; rather rich and luxuriant, however, than grand, or even picturesqu'. The forest prospects are from the Malvern hills on the east, and the Hatterel, or Black Mountains, on the west.
It is equally favoured in respect to soil, which is every where fertile ; no watery bottoms, nor thin-soiled barren hills, except perhaps in the northern and western outskirts ; every other part is uniformly productke. The eastern side of the county is mostly a stiff clay, of great strength and tenacity ; for the most part red, but in some places of the ordinary colour. The western side is lighter, but still a productive soil. The county is clothed in almost perpe tual verdure : on side luxuriance of vegetation is exhibited, in s' idely extended corn fields, rich orchards, expansive meadows, and flourishing plantations. The sub soil, as well as the soil, contributes to this wonderful and almost unrivalled fertility. It is mostly limestone of dif ferent qualities. In some parts, particular ly near Snodhill castle, it assumes the appearance and properties of mar ble, being beautifully variegated with red and white veins. Deep beds of gravel are occasionally met with in the vici nity of the city of Hereford, and the subsoil of several of the hills is of siliceous grit. Fullers earth is sometimes dug near Stoke ; and red and yellow ochres, with tobacco pipe clay, are found in small quantities in various parts of the county. Iron ore has been met with on the borders of Gloucestershire, but none has been dug. for many years.