Wildflower meadows, Iron Age hillforts, ancient woodland and views of the Brecon Beacons.
Staying in this 17th-century farmhouse set along winding lanes in the Welsh Marches is the closest you can get to travelling back in time and experiencing rural Elizabethan life in the English countryside.
While many people view Stratford-upon-Avon as Shakespeare’s country, Herefordshire plays a close second.
From March, travellers can book a stay in the Grade II-listed Jacobean farmhouse seen in the on-screen adaptation of Maggie O’Farrell’s bestselling novel about Shakespeare’s only son and the grief that inspired Hamlet.
Hamnet, which is released in UK cinemas this Friday, tells the powerful story of love and loss that inspired the creation of Shakespeare’s masterpiece, Hamlet.
The film has already earned six Golden Globe nominations, making it the buzziest Bard-themed film since Shakespeare in Love hoovered up seven Oscars in 1999.
Cwmmau Farmhouse, a five-bedroom National Trust holiday cottage in Whitney-on-Wye, near the border with Wales, sets the scene as the romantic backdrop to Chloé Zhao’s version of the story.
In the film, Cwmmau Farmhouse stands in as Hewlands, the childhood home of Agnes (also known as Anne) Hathaway, Shakespeare’s wife.
Cwmmau Farmhouse is a Grade II-listed Jacobean farmhouse managed by the National Trust in Herefordshire
In the film, Cwmmau Farmhouse stands in as Hewlands, the childhood home of Agnes (also known as Anne Hathaway), Shakespeare’s wife
The real Hewlands, now known as Anne Hathaway’s Cottage, near Stratford-upon-Avon, is a popular attraction open to the public.
Filming for Hamnet took place during the summer of 2024, predominantly in Herefordshire, with some scenes shot in Wales and London.
According to the National Trust, location fees helped to fund the ‘vital conservation’ work on the 15th-century farmhouse without sacrificing its period features, from its timber frame to original rooms and drawings by families who once lived there.
The old kitchen has been preserved with its bread ovens and stoves, while there’s a new modern kitchen with everything you need for your holiday just along the hall.
It’s an impressive house with huge oak beams, stone, oak and elm floors and leaded windows, as well as spacious bedrooms and bathrooms and plenty of room to gather, inside and out.
The Herefordshire countryside has an abundance of wildlife, walking routes and great views, with Iron Age hillforts, Sites of Special Scientific Interest and ancient woodland.
You can see the closest of the Black Mountains, and Hay Bluff is a popular ascent near Hay-on-Wye, a town known for its bookshops and annual literary festival.
Guests have free entry to National Trust places to visit during their stay and the closest is The Weir Garden, about half an hour away.
According to the National Trust, location fees helped to fund the ‘vital conservation’ work on the 15th-century farmhouse
Whitney-on-Wye toll bridge, a historic crossing over the River Wye in Herefordshire is pictured
The house sleeps 10 across five bedrooms and is available for a minimum of three nights starting at £1,547.
It comes as Expedia predicts an increase in travel to Yorkshire in 2026 ahead of Emerald Fennell’s upcoming film, Wuthering Heights, based on the work of Emily Brontë.
The film, featuring Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi as Catherine Earnshaw and Heathcliff, was filmed on location on the wily, windy moors of the Yorkshire Dales, including the valleys of Arkengarthdale and Swaledale and the village of Low Row.
The village of Haworth in West Yorkshire, known for its heritage railway and Brontë Parsonage Museum, is a popular base for exploring Brontë Country.
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