Malvern Hills

BONGO

TRAVEL

VANLIFE

WALK

WORCESTERSHIRE

Malvern Hills

Sunday 13 September 2020

Bianca Bongo had performed wonderfully on our European adventure, so we wanted to give her a little treat. We booked Bianca in for some anti-rust treatment at a place in the Midlands and, wanting to make the most of it; we arranged to meet a friend and do a little walk in the Malvern Hills while we were there.

I had managed to find a free park up in Pershore, about thirty minutes from the start of the walk, so we made our way across the country the evening before the walk and picked a spot. The park up was right next to the River Avon and only a short walk from the town, so we headed there to buy supplies for dinner and the packed lunch that we would need the next day. After dinner, we took a short stroll along the river to look at the canal boats before settling in for the night.

In the morning, we headed to the British Camp Car Park to meet our friend and start the walk over the Malvern Hills.

The Malvern Hills are a range of hills on the Worcestershire and Herefordshire border which dominate the skyline in an otherwise flat landscape. The highest point in the range is Worcestershire Beacon (425m) which is also the county top for Worcestershire and a Marilyn.

Directly South of the British Camp Car Park is Herefordshire Beacon (338m), which is surrounded by the Iron Age hill fort known as British Camp. Unlike its neighbour, Herefordshire Beacon is neither a county top nor a Marilyn, but it has been classified as a mountain.

We opted not to include British Camp and Herefordshire Beacon and headed North. The sun was shining, and the clouds floating in the blue sky seem mostly harmless. It was a tad windy, but you can’t have everything.

The walking was easy. There are paths everywhere along the ridge and if you want to miss out a steep bit, you can. There are toilets at the beginning, middle and end of the ridge and plenty of benches to sit and enjoy the views. It was all very civilized, and we had a fantastic walk.

Our accommodation for the night was another car park only this one was not free; we would have to pay £2! Upper Arley was almost an hours drive from the Malvern Hills, but it had the advantage of being right on the River Severn and had an excellent pub, the Harbour Inn, only a short, picturesque walk away.

It also had the advantage of being only half an hour from the treatment centre where Bianca had her appointment the following morning.

Free park up at Pershore, next to the River Avon

Canal boat on the River Avon at Pershore

Black Hill Summit with Pinnacle Hill and Jubilee Hill behind. I think!

What a great place to wake up! Upper Arley

Bianca Bongo getting her rust treatment treat.

The Route

Distance : 9 Miles

We started our walk from British Camp Car Park but you could also park at Swinyard Car Park and extend the walk by four miles by including British Camp Hill Fort. Parking costs £4.50 for the day but you can use the ticket in any of the local car parks. Google this for the latest prices, terms, and conditions.

Click HERE for a GPX file of the route.

David Welch – View Profile

Are you tired of being stuck in the office? Bored of being chained to a desk? Counting down the days until retirement?

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