We present the kpc-scale behaviour of the powerful extragalactic radio source Hercules A and the behaviour of the intracluster gas in which the radio source is situated .
We have found that Hercules A exhibits a strong Laing-Garrington effect .
The X-ray observations have revealed an extended X-ray emission elongated along the radio galaxy axis .
The estimated temperature of the cluster is kT = 2.45 keV and the central electron density is n _ { \circ } \simeq 7.8 \cdot 10 ^ { -3 } cm ^ { -3 } which reveals a hot , dense environment in which Hercules A is situated .
From the combined study of the radio and X-ray data we have estimated a central value of 3 \stackrel { \textstyle < } { \sim } B _ { \circ } ( \mu G ) \stackrel { \textstyle < } { \sim } 9 .

We also present the most recent results from the analysis of the radio data on the pc-scale structure of the radio galaxy , observed at 18 cm by the EVN-MERLIN array .
A faint but compact radio source , coincident with the optical centre of Hercules A was detected by the EVN at 18 mas resolution .
The total flux density of the EVN core is 14.6 mJy .
Its angular size is 18 \times 7 mas with a position angle of \simeq 139 ^ { \circ } .
There is also evidence for extended emission in the NW-SE direction , most probably from the eastern pc-scale jet .
If this is true then there is a misalignment between the direction of the pc-eastern and the aligned kpc-scale jets of \simeq 35 ^ { \circ } .