Herefordshire from Above

More than 15,000 images from one of the earliest and most significant collections of aerial photography of the UK, including Herefordshire, are now available to view online.

Britain from Above, a new website launched by English Heritage and the Royal Commissions on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland and Wales, features images from the Aerofilms Collection, an archive of over 1 million aerial photographs, dating from 1919 to 1953 and covering the countryside, industrial and urban landscapes, iconic landmarks and villages and coastal scenes.

Hereford Cathedral

The city of Hereford boasts a few photographs, taken mainly above the Cathedral, but also featuring High Town and the Victoria Bridge / Castle Green area, all taken in 1921.

Commercial Road, leading into High Town

One enlightened member has also created a Hereford group, and has uploaded some more gems, such as a couple of shots of the railway station at Barr’s Court Road (c. 1933) and the aerodrome (c. 1945).

The River Wye by Fiddler's Green

As for the rest of Herefordshire, the towns of Ledbury, Leominster and Ross-on-Wye are also covered extensively, and the photographer also meandered above the River Wye and took a few snaps along the way. Other landmarks include Eastnor Castle, the Malverns and Colwall, all taken in 1920/1.

Gloucester

Further afield, aerial photos of Worcester, Gloucester, Monmouth, Abergavenny, Hay-on-Wye, Ludlow and Great Malvern can be found.

All in all, this website provides a fascinating glimpse into the interwar period from a unique perspective and is definitely worth a look!