Worcestershire Beacon

The Malvern Hills rise dramatically from the surrounding pastures to form a beautiful ridge that runs north to south for over eight miles (13 km), splitting the counties of Worcestershire and Herefordshire. Hikes to Worcestershire Beacon tackle the range’s highest point, a sumptuous viewpoint for the nearby Cotswolds and beyond.

Such is the high regard with which the hill is held that the summit is the centre of a veritable spider’s web of paths. There are myriad potential walking routes to Worcestershire Beacon, each worth taking time over. None of the paths are technical, on mostly gentle gradients surrounded by quintessential English countryside.

A magnificent panorama of England’s heartland from a historic summit

The panorama grows and grows with each upward step. From the apex it is extensive. It is easy to see why such a prominent summit was used for signal fires in centuries gone by, most notably to warn of the coming Spanish Armada in 1588.

On a clear day, the plateau of the Black Mountains rises to the south west across the Welsh border. Shropshire’s Hills rise in the north west, with the hills of the Cotswolds in the opposite direction. The eye is often drawn south to the River Severn, as it bends and widens on its journey to the sea. You can orientate yourself with the rather grand toposcope that marks the very top of the hill.

Ascents from the 19th century spa town of Great Malvern are a delightful mini adventure. You can set out from one of the many tea rooms, have a gorgeous few hours on the hill and be nursing a drink in the pub just a few hours later. There is all manner of accommodation, whilst train links to London, Birmingham and Bristol mean that a jaunt in the Malverns is more accessible than you might think.