Sunday Sept 9 - Malverns day-walk

An invitation to all OM-ers within easy reach of the West Midlands.

A few walking buddies and I propose an amble along the spine of the Malvern Hills on Sunday 9 September. We envisage meeting in (or near) Great Malvern (easy for public transport and/or road access) at approx 10am to walk south along the ridge then back to Great Malvern.

Feel free to discuss timings, distances, route variationss, car-parking, etc etc. There is some more information in this previous OM Meet threat

If you are interested, add your name down below (either copy-and-paste or use the 'quote' function as in other meet threads).

1) Skip
2) Teesdale Viking

1. Skip
2. Teesdale Viking
3. Milly Maybe

Milly. wrote (see)

1. Milly Maybe

1) Skip
2) Teesdale Viking
3) Milly Maybe
4) Andrew (Skip's mate)

Imperial Dave wrote (see)

about 3 miles from where i work 

Sign up then, Dave!

Little Miss Maria wrote (see)

Can we set off early then, as it's a long drive home

I originally suggested a 10am start but on reflection feel that would bea bit late.

How about meeting at the car park from about 9am with a view to start walking by 9.30? Does that suit everyone?

The whole ridge (North Quarry car park to Chase End hill) is approx eight miles and apparently the cumulative ascent over all the tops is roughly 3,000 feet.

That's an easy one-way walk so we'd have an early finish. However, it's a stiffer walk to do as an out-and-back - even avoiding the hilltops on the return, it'd be about 16 miles and 4,000+ feet ascent)

Two possible alternatives:
1) walk south halfway along the ridge (to British Camp / Hereford Beacon) then back to North Hill
2) do a car shuffle before we set out to leave one (or more) of the cars at Chase End - walk the whole ridge then drive back.

As no-one has objected here (and the non-OMers are OK with it), the revised time will be:

Meet from 9am to start walking at 9.30am

Our meeting point will be the old quarry carpark (I think it's called 'Tank Quarry') which is below North Hill on North Malvern Road (the B4232) at grid ref SO 771 470.

The car park is about fifteen minutes walk from Great Malvern town centre. The nearest railway station Malvern Link.

The list so far:

1) Skip
2) Teesdale Viking (Skip's mate)
3) Milly Maybe
4) Andrew (Skip's mate)
5) Little Miss Maria (also maybe, but a little more more probably!)

The list so far:

1) Skip
2) Teesdale Viking (Skip's mate)
3) Milly Maybe
4) Andrew (Skip's mate)
5) Little Miss Maria (also maybe, but a little more more probably!)
6) pete_rbg (90% defo)

Home turf for you, Glenn - bet you can almost see your house from Worcestershire Beacon. It'd be good if you can join us.

1) Skip
2) Teesdale Viking (Skip's mate)
3) Milly Maybe
4) Andrew (Skip's mate)
5) Little Miss Maria (also maybe, but a little more more probably!)
6) pete_rbg (90% defo)
7) Glenn (maybe - and Glenn's missus possibly)

A brief update:

I was near The Malverns yesterday so I had a quick recce.

The carpark at North Quarry is reasonably easy to find (grid ref above) and the charge is £3 for all-day parking. It's not big but there should be adequate space at 9am on a Sunday.

The snack kiosk at British Camp (about half-way along the hills) is open every weekend.  As well as bacon butties, tea and coffee etc, they sell home-made rock cakes - I've tried them and they are delicious! But, the owner says, they sell out quickly. She gave me contact details and suggested that I let her know how many people would like a rock cake midway along the walk and she will keep that number of cakes aside for us

As to walking options, the highest (and, arguably, best) section of the hills is the north end from North Hill to British Camp. This is a four mile section and includes the majority of ascent / descent. The other section is a further four miles south from British Camp to Chase End Hill.

The three most obvious options are: walk from North Hill to British Camp and back; walk from North Hill to Chase End then return in one of the cars we'll have left there earlier in the day; and, for t'hard bastards, walk from North Hill to Chase End then walk the return (perhaps avoiding some of the ascent by using low-level paths on the way back).

I went for another snoop round the Malverns yesterday.

There is a free carpark at Hollybush beside the A438 Tewkesbury-Ledbury road at SO758369. This is about three miles south of British Camp and gives access to Midsummer Hill (north) and Rsaggedstone Hill (south).

List so far:

1) Skip
2) Teesdale Viking (Skip's mate)
3) Milly Maybe
4) Andrew (Skip's mate)
5) Little Miss Maria (also maybe, but a little more more probably!)
6) pete_rbg (90% defo)
7) Glenn (maybe - and Glenn's missus possibly)

Bump - everyone welcome

Plan is to start from North Quarry / Tank Quarry carpark (£3 all day). We will meet at 9am to start walking about 9.30am. However, we will park a car or two at the south end of the hills at Hollybush carpark (free) to get us back after the walk.

The walk is from north to souyth along the whole ridge - approx nine miles and up to 3,000 feet of ascent / descent. It takes in all the hill summits (inc North Hill, Worcestershire Beacon, British Camp, Swinyard Hill, Midsummer Hill and on to Raggedstone Hill and Chase End). Mostly ridge top walking n good paths, a few woodland sections too. Really great views over Severn valley to the Cotswolds on the east and towards Wales and the Black Mountains to the west.

List so far:

1) Skip
2) Teesdale Viking (Skip's mate)
3) Milly Maybe
4) Andrew (Skip's mate)
5) Little Miss Maria (also maybe, but a little more more probably!)
6) Pete_rbg (90% defo)
7) Glenn (maybe - and Glenn's missus possibly)

To join us, just add your name to the list

Hi there,

I haven't joined you guys before, and wondered if I would be welcome?

wow, have just checked trains to the area and I couldnt get there till 12 anyway! Gotta love public transport. Will look into alternative options i guess

Hang on til some of the others have seen your post, Becky; if you tell them where you're trying to get from, it's possible someone may be able to help.