Linear walk in the Malverns

 West Mendip Walkers 12 mile linear walk from Ledbury Railway Station.

We start our linear walk at the 19th century railway station in Ledbury and amble through the attractive Herefordshire town with its 17th century market hall, originally a grain store and church. We then climb through woods and open field tracks to reach St John the Baptist, Eastnor Church, originally built in Norman times, rebuilt in 1852. The walk then takes us past the mock 19th century Eastnor Castle, up into Eastnor Deer Park and steeply uphill to an obelisk, a monument to the local Somers family.

We now start the gradual ascent of Hangman’s Hill and follow the ridge to the 2nd century iron-age fort on the Herefordshire Beacon. This is the second highest point of the walk at 338m where, on a clear day, there are splendid views over the Cotswolds, the Clee Hills in Shropshire and towards the Bristol Channel. We descend to the British Camp car park where there are refreshments and toilets. This may be a good spot for our packed lunch.

We continue to walk south to north following the ridge of the Malvern Hills towards the Wyche Cutting (toilets are available), an engineering feat of a passage hewn through ancient rock originally to enable the salt trains to move easily down to Bristol and on to France by the local salt king, John Corbett; then onwards to the Worcestershire Beacon, the highest point on the walk at 397m. It is said that on a clear day, views are possible over seven counties. The main path then leads to North Hill, which we walk around, finally descending to St Ann’s Well, where we are told the late Queen Elizabeth would collect fresh spring water on her visits to Malvern, descending into the town, finishing at the pretty Victorian railway station in Great Malvern. We then take the train from Great Malvern back to Ledbury.