Ledbury's countryside is the point of staying here, and the day trips out are short.
The Malvern Hills — five miles east — are the unmissable outing. Drive to Wynds Point for the British Camp Iron Age hillfort, or to Great Malvern for the cafes and the famous spring-water fountains.
Hereford, fifteen miles west, is the county town. The Cathedral has the Mappa Mundi (the largest medieval map in the world) and the Chained Library; the cider museum on the edge of town is the other strong reason for the trip.
Eastnor Castle, two miles east, makes a half-day with a long lunch in the Feathers afterwards.
Hay-on-Wye, the famous book town and Hay Festival venue, is forty minutes' drive west over the Welsh border — worth a full day for the bookshops alone.