Peterstow

Peterstow has no hotels of its own, reflecting its size as a small Herefordshire village, but it makes a peaceful base for exploring the Wye Valley thanks to its position just two miles from Ross-on-Wye on the A49. Broome Farm, home of the Ross-on-Wye Cider & Perry Company, offers bed and breakfast rooms and cabins set among its orchards, a distinctive alternative to a conventional hotel stay and a genuine taste of the local cider-making tradition. Guests here wake up among sixty-five acres of managed orchards, with the farm shop, tasting room and cafe all on site.

For a wider range of hotels, inns and guesthouses, Ross-on-Wye is the obvious next step, with accommodation ranging from traditional coaching inns in the town centre to guesthouses overlooking the River Wye, many within easy reach of the town's independent shops, cafes and the Wye Valley walking routes that begin nearby. Hereford, around twelve miles north along the A49, offers a larger choice again, including well-known hotel chains, and is a practical base for visitors also planning to explore Hereford Cathedral and the wider county. Wherever you choose to stay, Peterstow's location on the main Ross-to-Hereford road means the village and its orchards are always a short drive or bus ride away.

Peterstow itself is tiny, so most days out combine a wander around the village with trips into Ross-on-Wye and the wider Wye Valley. Here are the best of what is genuinely on offer.

• Broome Farm & the Ross-on-Wye Cider & Perry Company — Explore sixty-five acres of working orchards, join a guided tasting tour, or simply follow the self-guided Broome Farm Orchard Walk through the trees.
• St Peter's Church — A small parish church with Norman origins and 13th- to 15th-century features, restored by the noted Victorian architect Sir George Gilbert Scott in 1865–66 and now doubling as the village hall.
• Peterstow Common — The open grassy heart of the village, shaded by mature trees and a pleasant spot to stretch your legs or let children run around.
• The Yew Tree Inn — The village pub, a short walk from the bus stop and a natural stop-off at the start or end of the Orchard Walk.
• Ross-on-Wye — Two miles east, this handsome market town has a red sandstone church spire, a riverside prospect over the Wye, independent shops and cafes, and is the traditional starting point for exploring the Wye Valley.
• Wye Valley walking and canoeing — The River Wye loops close to Ross-on-Wye, and the valley beyond is popular for canoe trips, riverside walks and views towards Symonds Yat.

The village's own options are refreshingly simple: the Yew Tree Inn serves as the local pub, and Broome Farm's shop and tasting room let visitors sample the Ross-on-Wye Cider & Perry Company's ciders and perries straight from the source, alongside its cafe for those visiting the orchards. There is also a village stores and post office serving day-to-day essentials. For a larger choice of restaurants, cafes and pubs, Ross-on-Wye's town centre is only a few minutes away by car or bus.

Peterstow's best-known camping option is the campsite at Broome Farm, home of the Ross-on-Wye Cider & Perry Company, where a simple, family-friendly site in the farm's Old Orchard is open through the summer months. Pitches sit among working cider orchards, with the farm shop, tasting room and cafe on hand, and the self-guided Broome Farm Orchard Walk leading straight from the campsite gate. It is a low-key, back-to-basics style of camping rather than a resort experience, which suits the quiet, rural character of the village.

As with anywhere in England, wild camping on private land, common land or farmland around Peterstow is not permitted without the landowner's express permission, so it is worth sticking to established sites such as Broome Farm or the wider network of campsites around Ross-on-Wye and the Wye Valley. The valley's gently undulating terrain, orchards and pasture make for pleasant, easy walking rather than rugged hill country, so most pitches here suit families and those wanting a relaxed few days outdoors rather than serious backcountry trekking.

Late spring through to early autumn is the best window for camping in this part of Herefordshire, when orchard blossom gives way to a leafy, shaded summer and the Wye Valley's rivers and trails are at their most inviting; autumn brings cider-pressing season at Broome Farm itself, an atmospheric time to be camped among the trees. Those who prefer a roof over their heads without booking a hotel can also look to Broome Farm's own cabins, or the wider choice of glamping pods, shepherd's huts and yurts found across the Wye Valley and around Ross-on-Wye, many set on working farms within a short drive of Peterstow.