Like Hereford cattle, cider and perry-making are synonymous with Herefordshire and their origins are so old they breathe history. Roy Lewis raises his glass . . .

The county's soil and climatic conditions have always been ideal for growing apples and perry pears so it is little wonder that both drinks found favour with local yeomen in olden times, probably before the Romans.

While nowadays most people associate cider-making with the county, the production of the thirst-quenching perry also boasts an illustrious past and its production is still maintained by several specialist outlets who are rediscovering and developing the craft.

The trees certainly make their mark on the landscape. They are often lofty and so long lasting - more than twice the life of the apple - and they can remain in good health and crop well for at least 300 years.

With more shops and supermarkets stocking the drink, there are now signs that its popularity is starting to gain ground, vying with more expensive sparkling products as a summer quencher.

Tom Oliver, of the Old Hop Kilns, Ocle Pychard, who has some 200 young trees, said there was a resurgence in real home-produced perry, especially after it had become relatively endangered.

"It is a highly regional product to this area which is now recognised the world over for its perry," he explained. "The Three Counties Cider and Perry Association is doing all it can to enhance the product."

Many older tipplers will remember perry as a popular drink when a Shepton Mallet firm produced Babycham, the drink said to lighten the spirits at party time.

However, perry pears had their real heyday in the late 17th and early 18th centuries when the making of perry was indelibly linked to the county, particularly around the Herefordshire-Gloucestershire border.

Today, perry pear trees can be seen in abundance across eastern Herefordshire with trees rising as high as 15 metres and dwarfing nearby cider apples.

At Westons, Much Marcle, where seven acres of bush perry trees have just been planted, the soil particularly favours the growing of pears and the drink has been produced there since 1880.

According to the Gloucestershire Orchard Group, there are 84 varieties from the counties of Gloucestershire, Herefordshire and Worcestershire.

The national distribution of the specialised perry pears, says the group, is almost totally confined to the counties and during the 1990s this prompted the establishment of a national perry pear collection at the Three Counties Showground, Malvern.

Many varieties carry Herefordshire village names, including Bartestree, said to be a large tall tree and a good cropper; Early Griffin, a seedling selected by the Griffin family, near Ross-on-Wye; Hellens Early from Much Marcle, a variety still growing there; Hellen's Green, planted at Much Marcle in 1710 to commemorate the coronation of Queen Anne; Holme Lacy, rooted branches of the tree are growing near the village church; Holmer, named after the parish; Red Pear, known for at least 400 years; and Water Lugg, planted at Much Marcle in 1710.

It is easy to see why cider has proved the more popular drink. While the process of making perry is similar to that of cider, it is a much lighter drink requiring a far more delicate blend.

And perry pear trees can be difficult to grow which discourages investment for business purposes.

Said Melvyn Dickinson of Westons: "The saying is that you plant cider apples for your old age but you plant perry pears for that of your heirs.

"This goes to show how long a good perry tree takes to grow into maturity. Some of the perry pear trees in Much Marcle are thought to date from Queen Anne's reign in 1710."

At Hellens, a fine old manor house in Much Marcle, there is a whole avenue of trees planted to commemorate Queen Anne's coronation.

During production the pears should be milled immediately after they have been collected as they are difficult to keep once picked.

Shaking off the tree is frequently not an option due to the size and height of many trees.

All in all, it is a drink that requires more attention to detail than cider.

The pears contain varying amounts of a natural sweetener called sorbitol which does not ferment to alchol so that perry often has a touch of sweetness as a result.

However, there is a side-effect. Sorbitol can have a laxative action.

Some people are more susceptible than others and it is this property at its extreme which has probably given rise to the saying "Perry goes down like velvet, round like thunder and out like lightning." You have been warned!