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Malvern Hills

Hilly ridge on the boundary of Herefordshire and Worcestershire
150 sq km/58 sq miles
Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
Southwest England | West Midlands

An area of richly contrasting landscapes running north to south and straddling the boundary of Herefordshire and Worcestershire near Great Malvern, extending a short way southwards into Gloucestershire. A narrow central ridge of hills rises unexpectedly from the surrounding pastoral landscape, famed for its mineral water springs. The hilltops are managed by the Malvern Hills Conservators and are all open access, and there are a number of SSSIs.

  • Ravenshills near Alfrick in the north is privately-owned but open to the public.
  • Leigh Brook Valley and Knapp and Paper Mill Nature Reserve (Worcestershire Wildlife Trust) is a fascinating site between Alfrick and Storridge.
  • The extensive Castlemorton Common SSSI on the lowlands to the southeast near Welland and managed by the Conservators, has many good walks.

Accessibility

There are several easy accessible sites and walks: contact the AONB office for more information.

Public transport

The railway line between Hereford and Worcester passes through the AONB, with stations at Great Malvern (with a walking link into the hills via the Worcestershire Way), Colwall and Ledbury, providing direct services and/or good connections to south Wales, Shrewsbury, Birmingham, Oxford and London. There are various local buses, including a leisure bus service, the Hills Hopper, which links the main sites and railway stations at Malvern on summer Sundays and bank holidays. More details from the AONB or local information centres.

Maps

  • Explorer 190, 204
  • Malvern Hills Superwalker 1SBN 1 85137 352 7. Harvey £4.95
    1:10 000 map with visitor information.
  • The Wells of Malvern ISBN 1 85137 388 8. Harvey £3.95
    1:10 000 map with routes between the spas
  • More about maps

Publications

  • Discovery Walks, shorter walks away from the ridge, and circular hill walks, free leaflets from the AONB office or local outlets; some walks downloadable from the AONB website (below).

Paths and routes

Contacts

Regions

Local authorities

Visitor Information

Accommodation