RURAL Herefordshire and the quaint little villages which are hidden within it can be explored by following a new bike route.

The Black & White Village Trail is a route through some of the prettiest villages and most beautiful landscape in the county. The 40-mile circular trail leads west from the ancient town of Leominster, through a rich landscape of orchards, hopyards and distant hills, taking in the most picturesque black and white villages along the way as well as the little market town of Kington.

The trail, as the name suggests, is characterised by the large number of timbered and half-timbered houses in the area some dating from medieval times, others from more recent periods.

‘Unrivalled in England,’ is how historian Alec Clifton-Taylor described the half timbered ‘black and white’ buildings of north-west Herefordshire.

The villages on the route are more than just pretty places to visit. Each one has its own character and community, with tea-rooms, shops, craft workshops and pubs waiting to welcome visitors.

The route travels from Leominster through Dilwyn, Weobley, Sarnesfield, Kinnersley and Eardisley before arriving in the market town of Kington.

The return leg includes the villages of Lyonshall, Pembridge and Eardisland before arriving back in Leominster.

More information about the route, how to purchase a map of it and the villages along the way be found by visiting: www.blackandwhitetrail.org.