A steep little ridge of very old rock rising straight out of the Severn plain, with easy tops and views for miles
From the flatlands of the Severn plain the Malverns rise up sharp and sudden, a narrow spine of very old rock running roughly north to south. It’s not big country — 107 square kilometres straddling Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire — but the tops feel higher than they are, and the walking is friendly. Worcestershire Beacon is the high point, and the ridge path links one summit to the next with hardly a scramble in sight.
Down the flanks there’s grazed common at Castlemorton Common and old parkland and woods around Eastnor Park. The hills are known for their spring water, and paths run everywhere, so it’s an easy place to spend an afternoon. Go on a clear day for the views, which reach across to Wales one way and the Cotswolds the other. It gets popular at weekends, so early or midweek is quieter.
