Explore the index
The Capital of Rural Britain.
That's the ambition the region has set for itself.
In May 2026, the leaders of Powys, Herefordshire, Monmouthshire and Shropshire wrote to the King with a shared proposal: to position the Welsh Borders as the Capital of Rural Britain. Not a marketing slogan. A practical commitment to putting rural land, food systems, water resilience and independent enterprise at the centre of economic decision-making.
WB-REI exists because that ambition needs an evidence base. Every business in this index is a data point in the wider story of what the Welsh Borders actually produces, who runs it, and what it's worth.
What you'll find here
This index covers independent and family-run enterprises across Herefordshire, Shropshire, Powys, Monmouthshire and Worcestershire — the counties that form the English-Welsh border economy. Makers, food producers, artisan traders, heritage craft businesses, farm diversifications, rural tourism operators and specialist services.
We don't list everything. We research what matters: businesses with a genuine contribution to the rural economy, a distinct local identity, and a story worth telling.
How to use it
Search by name, sector or keyword. Filter by county using the strip at the top of the index. Each business profile gives you the basics — what they do, where they are, how to find them online — alongside a sense of why they matter to the wider rural ecosystem.
If you're relocating, use the Counties section to understand the character and economic makeup of each area. If you're interested in a particular trade or sector, the Sectors section maps where concentrations of activity are strongest.
A living index
Records are added, verified and updated on an ongoing basis. The Welsh Borders rural economy is not static — new businesses open, established ones evolve, market towns grow or quietly contract. WB-REI reflects that reality rather than presenting a fixed snapshot.
If you're a business owner and you'd like to update your listing or claim an unclaimed record, each profile has a direct link to do so.
Enterprise intelligence
The public index shows you who's here and what they do. The R-E-S Ltd enterprise intelligence layer goes further — economic clustering, relocation analysis, investment signals and property context for the Welsh Borders region.
Start with the index
Live search, county chips and sector filter.