No gnomes and a pile of old stones: the best and worst Tripadvisor reviews for Herefordshire visitor attractions

And Herefordshire has a wealth of outdoor attractions, offering beautiful gardens and walks.

But, as their Tripadvisor reviews, they are certainly not to everyone's taste.

Here are some of the best, worst (and funniest) reviews for some of the county's best known attractions.

Goodrich

Goodrich Castle

With an overall rating of 4.5 stars, Goodrich Castle near Ross-on-Wye is a hit with most of its visitors.

"Must see castle," wrote Amy C.

"Must see castle

"Wonderful castle with stunning countryside. Staff were friendly and knowledgeable about the area and history of the heritage site. Really good afternoon/morning trip."

And Michele R praised 'fascinating and knowledgeable" castle tour guides for bringing the history of the castle to life during a visit in October.

But for some, the castle just did not cut the mustard, with one reviewer describing the ancient building as 'a load of old stones'.

" Nothing special about this castle - just another load of old stones. Not worth the money. And I get tired of the inevitable knick-knack shops selling tourist trash," wrote Rogert5595.

Croft Castle. Picture: Peter Ramsay/Hereford Times Camera Club

Croft Castle

Croft Castle, near Leominster, is a popular visitor attraction, with its stunning grounds and historic interior gaining it an overall rating of 4.5 stars.

Jenny E wrote: "We had to smile when we went into the Castle as the volunteer asked us if we were National Trust members - which we are. She said they had no kitchen or bedrooms to show us as they were used, but I must say it was a lovely castle and the rooms we walked through were super - I appreciated her humour - excellent. What lovely walks and as usual, as with National Trust establishments, a great cafe. A lovely day out.

But while some reviews rave about the castle, others found it distinctly underwhelming.

TinaTurner, who gave Croft Castle just one star, said: "After looking around the house, it was disappointing that there was not that much original to the house. Maybe some of the best rooms had been "rested", we headed to the cafe for lunch. The food was appalling."

Taken by Holly Boulton, Hereford Times Camera Club. Snowdrops and the first signs of spring at the Weir Gardens.

The Weir Gardens

Another 4.5 star rated attraction, the Weir Gardens at Swainshill, has also divided opinion.

"Stunning daffodils," wrote Sandra B.

"Lovely walk by the river, through the daffodils with a stop by the pond to see the frogs / newts / frog spawn. Will definitely go again (A bit of a shame it’s ‘no dogs’ but there were a lot of free roaming sheep, so I am guessing that is the reason for no dogs)."

Herefordliz echoed Sandra's sentiments, saying: "It's been a while since we went round here to have a look round. Due to restrictions, they have a one way system in place at the moment and it worked really well. It was a dry day when we went and the daffodils were really pretty. Some of the areas were closed due to recent flooding. But it is a truly nice place to visit regardless the time of year."

But a gnomeless gnome trail put one visitor off returning, while another felt there was nothing special about the site.

Writing in 2019, emilysujo, who gave The Weir Gardens a 'poor' rating said: "My family and I visited The Weir Gardens today for their half-term 'Gnome Trail'. The gardens themselves are lovely but there were NO GNOMES on the Gnome trail. My 2 year old niece loves gnomes, hence our trip here but we were confused and disappointed to find no gnomes during our trail? We paid £6.85 per adult for entry and a further £2.50 for the Gnome Trail. "Instead of Gnomes there are other things to search for like 'gnome washing lines' and a 'gnome swing'. We thought possibly the last clue would have a gnome but no such luck. It was rather disappointing and puts us off visiting for the Peter Rabbit trail as she loves Peter Rabbit but I doubt Peter Rabbit will make an appearance?!

"Lovely idea, just badly executed on their part. I'd give zero for effort!

"I wouldn't bother paying the extra £2.50 for the piece of paper for the trail if I were you. The 'prize' at the end was a box of £1 toys to choose from.."

And artmarketing said: "Sorry to say found this to be a little bit of a waste of time, walk by any river bank you can find near to your home address, to save the trip."

ATTRACTION: Berrington Hall

Berrington Hall

Also earning 4.5 stars, Berrington Hall near Leominster hit the right notes for many.

"Just Wow!" wrote Shaun S.

"A stunning house to look around and fantastic grounds too. Beautiful colours on the trees and just gorgeous surroundings. A definite gem to visit."

And poohsticks praised the enthusiastic and helpful staff.

But stephen w was left disappointed by his visit, saying it was a house that had lost the plot.

"A House thats lost the plot!

"Sadly this is one of the most contentious series of interiors of any NT house," he wrote.

"It used to be a delightful property to visit but has hosted a succession of the most awful exhibitions and radical imagery over the last 5 years in its rooms that we don't ever want to visit again until a replacement House and Collections team are appointed and bring the beautifully furnished rooms back again.

"The house team here seem hell bent on turning the entire interior into gallery space to host ridiculous exhibits whilst storing, the charming furnishings away for good.

"The house team clearly have got their own agenda and are trying to be the forerunner of all properties in ignoring the NT view that you can present an exhibition but not lose track of the fact that the integrity of the house must be maintained."