Most of my walks so far this year have been in Kent and Essex along the England Coast Path, which is very flat. I felt in need of something hillier and chose this walk along the Malvern Hills. I followed the End-To-End walk from the website of the Malvern Hills Conservators.
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| On Worcestershire Beacon |
I reached the start by driving to Ledbury and getting a taxi to the start at Chase End (6 miles away, fare about £25). I finished the main walk on the most northerly summit, North Hill, then descended to Great Malvern, and got the train back to Ledbury.
There are several options for parking in Ledbury: I chose the car park at the Tesco Superstore, and paid approximately £6 via the YourParkingSpace app for an extended stay (till 11pm). The store is convenient for a pit stop at the start of your day. You can also park at the station (charge), and there must be other long term parking in the town.
The taxi dropped me on the lane about a mile from the start saying that the lane beyond there was very rough, although it seemed fine to me. Anyway, I reached the small dirt car park which is the official start of the walk at about 10:00am. Here is a map of my route.
It was a very fine walk. The Malvern ridge of hard ancient rock stands proud, offering outstanding views over the surrounding countryside, embracing, it is said, 13 counties: Northwards over the plain towards Worcester; Eastwards across the Severn Valley to Bredon Hill and the Cotswolds; and Westwards over the more hilly countryside of Herefordshire. In the distance to the West can be seen the Black Mountains from Sugar Loaf to Hay Bluff, and the hills of the Welsh Marches.
The line of the walk is along the county boundaries. Indeed the Ridgeline more or less defines those boundaries. The very start up to Chase Hill is Gloucestershire/Worcestershire. To the Wyche cutting is Herefordshire/Worcestershire, and the final portion is wholly in Worcestershire.
For my aging bones and creaking joints, this was quite a demanding walk. Inevitably, there are ascents and descents (that's the whole point), but these are quite steep and in places the gritty steep surfaces invite a slip, so care is needed. The End-To-End route itself is not signposted so far as I could see, though in parts it follows the Three Choirs Way and the Geopark Way, which are waymarked, so careful navigation is needed to make sure you stay on the ridgeline and get the best views.
The salient features are, in order from South to North:
- Start in small car park at Chase End
- Chase End Hill (Summit 1: 191m): beware the very steep and treacherous initial descent from the summit Ordnance pillar
- Hamlet of Whiteleafed Oak
- Raggedstone Hill (Summit 2: 254m): For some reason, the official route does not go over this summit, but skirts it to the West. I reached it by doubling back having nearly reached the Hollybush Car Park. It is well worth the climb, with a surprisingly rocky main summit and outlier. I think you can also reach the summit more directly from Whiteleafed Oak.
- Hollybush Car Park, from which you make......
- a steep climb to Midsummer Hill (Summit 3: 286m), crowned by the ramparts of an Iron Age Hill Fort, and a memorial shelter with a handy bench on which to take a break before descending to......
- The Gullet woods and pass. Optional Excursion out to the Eastnor obelisk memorial to the Somers family
- Swinyard Hill (Summit 4: 272m). I found the ascent from The Gullet pass a bit confusing. I went via Peacock Villa, and had to cut back onto the correct path. Walk along Swynyard Hill and descend to a wooded pass. Ascend slightly to an old stone sign which points the way to the right off the obvious track to reach......
- Hangman's Hill (Summit 5: 276m): the path follows ancient Shire Ditch, followed by a steep climb with stone steps up to....
- Millennium Hill (Summit 6: 327m) and then along to the Herefordshire Beacon (Summit 7: 338m). These two summits are wrapped around by ancient earthworks known as the British Camp. (I missed Clutter's Cave, which I think is on the Western side of the 'col' between Hangman's Hill and Millennium Hill.)
- Descend on a made up path to the British Camp Car Park. There is a cafe, hotel and toilets here, making an excellent pit stop. Then head out along the B4232 road past the hotel. Very shortly, before reaching the Black Hill Car park, bear off right on a path contouring round to the ridge line
- Continue over Black Hill (Summit 8: 308m), Pinnacle Hill (Summit 9: 345m), Jubilee Hill (Summit 10: 327m), Perseverance Hill (Summit 11: 325m) then descend to....
- the Wyche cutting (toilets, pub, Geopark Visitor Centre and cafe). Leave via Beacon Road, passing through the Lower and Upper car parks, and follow the obvious paths to the summits of......
- Summer Hill (Summit 12: 382m) and the Worcestershire Beacon (Summit 13: 425m). The latter is literally and figuratively the high point of the walk. There is a Victorian commemorative 'Toposcope', a circular stone table, with a map indicator showing the surrounding features. Note that from the Upper Beacon Car park to the Worcestershire Beacon, you can either ascend the grassy hillside, or there is a metalled track, which will provide more sure footing to weary legs.
- Descend to another 'pass', where the Green Valley comes up from Great Malvern. You could descend from here directly to Great Malvern or, bag the final three summits......
- Sugar Loaf (Summit 14: 368m), Table Hill (Summit 15: 373m) and North Hill (Summit 16: 397m): these are worth doing for the unimpeded view northwards.
- The official route descends from here to the North Quarry car park, from where Malvern Link is the nearest station. Since I wanted to end at Great Malvern station, I took a more direct route down the Green Valley. This ended in a steep descent on a zig-zag path then 99 steps to emerge finally opposite the Malvern Priory.
I encountered few other walkers initially, but as you go North, the numbers increase as the route becomes more accessible, especially from British Camp onwards.
The total distance walked from the start at Chase End to finishing at Great Malvern Station was 12.6 miles. This included the 0.6 mile round trip to the summit of Raggedstone Hill, a 0.6 mile round trip to the Eastnor Monument, and 1.7 miles from the summit of North Hill to the station. I arrived in Malvern around 6:30pm. I grabbed a cuppa at the Fig restaurant off the High Street, and got the 19:15 train back to Ledbury, where I got a meal in the Seven Stars pub before heading home. It was a long day, climbing 16 summits, very tiring but very satisfying.
Here's some photos. It was a beautiful summer's day, with a cooling breeze on the tops. After several weeks of drought, the grass was all dried and brown.
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| Tesco Car Park, Ledbury |
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| Start of the End-To-End Walk at Chase End |
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| The (small) Chase End Car Park |
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| Summit 1: Chase End Hill (Raggedstone Hill behind) |
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| View North East towards Bredon Hill |
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| Steep slippery descent from Chase End Hill |
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| Whiteleafed Oak hamlet (where the three counties, Hereford, Worcester and Gloucester meet). Route goes up this lane |
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| Gate to path around Raggedstone Hill |
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| Path through woods around Raggedstone Hill |
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| I cut up sharply to reach .... |
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| Summit 2: Raggedstone Hill |
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| Rocky top |
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| View back to Chase End Hill |
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| Descending from Raggedstone Hill (Somers memorial obelisk just visible on right) |
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| Hollybush Car Park |
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| Path up Midsummer Hill |
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| Somers Memorial Obelisk |
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| The earthworks on Midsummer Hill |
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| View to Eastnor Castle |
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| Shelter on Midsummer Hill |
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| View from shelter |
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| Summit 3: Midsummer Hill |
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| View descending from Midsummer Hill: Swinyard Hill, Hangman's Hill, Millenium Hill in the foreground; Black Hill, Pinnacle Hill, Summer Hill, Worcester Beacon in the background |
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| Confusing junction at The Gullet |
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| Somers Monument (excursion) |
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| Somers memorial tablet |
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| There are several of these indicators |
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| Looking back to Midsummer Hill from Swinyard Hill |
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| Somers Obelisk from Swinyards Hill |
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| Looking North from Swinyards Hill (Summit 4) |
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| View from Swinyard Hill |
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| Follow arrow on this stone to Hangman's Hill |
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| R-L: Black Hill is the small hill, then the double summit of Pinnacle Hill, then Summer Hill and Worcester Beacon merged together |
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| Shire Ditch on Hangman's Hill (Summit 5) |
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| Path ascending Millenium Hill (Summit 6) |
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| Indicator looking South West |
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| Steps up Millenium Hill |
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| Looking back from Millenium Hill (Summit 6) over Hangman's Hill |
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| Herefordshire Beacon (Summit 7) from Millennium Hill |
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| View West over Herefordshire |
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| On Herefordshire Beacon (Summit 7) |
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| Looking back to Millennium Hill over ditch of British Camp |
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| The made up path down from Herefordshire Beacon to British Camp Car Park |
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| Britsh Camp ditch |
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| The final summits from descent of Herefordshire Beacon |
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| English Countryside in summer |
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| British Camp Car Park |
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| Malvern Hills Hotel |
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| British Camp Cafe |
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| View West from Black Hill |
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| Black Hill (Summit 8) |
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| View back from Black Hill (Herefordshire Beacon on the right) |
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| View North West from Black Hill |
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| Black Mountains on the horizon |
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| Descending from Pinnacle Hill (summit 9) looking to Jubilee Hill (Summit 10), Perseverance Hill (Summit 11) and Summer Hill (Summit 12) and Worcester Beacon (Summit 13) |
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| View from Perseverance hill across Wytch cutting to Worcestershire Beacon (tree-covered Summer Hill is foreshortened in front of the Beacon) |
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| Upper Beacon Road Car Park |
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| View from Summer Hill (Summit 12) to Worcestershire Beacon (summit 13) |
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| Summit 13: Worcestershire Beacon |
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| Summit indicator |
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| View from Beacon: Sugar Loaf (diminutive Summit 14 on the left), Table Hill (Summit 15) and North Hill (Summit 16) |
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| Commemorative Toposcope |
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| Cutting on the summit |
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| Great Malvern |
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| Descending to the 'Green Valley' pass |
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| Sugar Loaf (Summit 14) |
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| Table Hill (left, Summit 15) and North Hill (right, Summit 16) |
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| View Northwards from Table Hill |
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| Looking back : Sugar Loaf on the Right, Worcestershire Beacon, Centre |
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| Looking down on Malvern Priory from North Hill |
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| Green Valley (stay vigilant, I slippped and fell here) |
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| The windy hairpin path |
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| Malvern Priory getting nearer |
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| The 99 steps |
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| Two Buzzards sculpture in Rose Bank Gardens |
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| Victoriana, Great Malvern Station |
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| Ledbury was home to John Masefield, and was also the junction used by the the poets who created a community at the nearby village of Dymcock (including Robert Frost and Edward Thomas). The town hosts an annual Poetry Festival. |
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