Places Around Malvern
Areas in easy reach
The web sites listed should give you some idea of attractions in the particular locality. These should be possible to include on a day's bike ride from the Malvern vicinity, but some more so than others.
Some Ordnance Survey (Landranger) grid references are added in italics. Also, we try to highlight refreshment possibilities most of interest to the hungry/thirsty cyclist!
Jump to
Black and White Villages; Bredon Hill; Chartist Cottages; Garden of England (Evesham/Pershore); Forest of Dean; May Hill; Symonds Yat; Tenbury Wells/Teme Valley; Woolhope Dome; Wyre Forest.
Also See
Towns and Villages around Malvern. Or go to Further afield page for taking it beyond this - includes county wide sites (Glos, Shrops) and Welsh Borders.
Some pics of places of interest below can be seen on a photo album page.
Places in Malvern and the immediate vicinity: see Local Interest.
Black and White Village Trail
This is taking you out of the immediate Malvern cycling area, but worth planning a trip this way (north west of Hereford). Can take in Weobley, Eardisland, Pembridge, Eardisley, Dilwyn, and Lyonshall, which are all pretty villages. There is a published Cider Cycling Route which takes in much of this - obtain from Herefordshire Tourist Information (note: it's not the Ledbury one!).
Book: Black and White Village Trail (part of Family Walks series) Scarthin Books, ISBN 0 907758 47 9. Buy from Amazon.co.uk.
The Black and White Houses website has some information and pictures on the trail. Download the Black & White Villages Leisure Cycle Ride (9 or 15 miles) as a pdf, 567kb from Herefordshire Council site.
Eardisland History and community site. Flower festival in late May. Tea room behind the church, phone 01544 388226. Also The Dancing Tree farm shop and tea room SO432591(Wed to Sun) a mile to the east, phone 01544 388764. Eardisland River Festival (early September).
Monkland Cheese Dairy could be fitted in a tour. Cafe open most of the year, shut Sundays mid October to Easter. The Pleck, Monkland, HR6 9DB, phone 01568 720307.
Pembridge SO392583
Dunkertons Organic Cider and Perry Mill, SO393569. Worth checking whether mill, pressing area or orchards can be visited. The cider shop is open for tastings and sales, Monday - Saturday 10.00 am - 6.00 pm all the year. Phone 01544 388653. Cider House Restaurant has closed.
Pembridge itself is an interesting 'black and white' town, most famous for the free-standing belltower (mostly 17th century but some dates back to 12th). See Pembridge Amenity Trust (or Mediaeval Pembridge but site owner is moving). Visitor Centre in East St, phone 01533 388761. Old Chapel Gallery for contemporary arts and crafts.
Weobley
Jules Bistro (at the top of the 'square') is a good place to eat. Jules himself is always happy to see cyclists partaking in his cooking - see pic on CycleTrail album.
Weobley and District Local History Society.
Bredon Hill area
In summertime on Bredon The bells they sound so clear; Round both the shires they ring them In steeples far and near, A happy noise to hear. From AE Housman, A Shropshire Lad.
Bredon.info Picture gallery for places close to Bredon Hill, and a little more.
Kemerton Conservation Trust based around (but not limited to) Kemerton Estate.
Bredon Barn (National Trust) 14th-century Cotswold stone building in Bredon itself. SO919369
Bredon Pottery is in the High Street of Bredon itself, open Tues-Sat. Phone 01684 773417.
Toff Milway - Conderton Pottery.
Beckford Silk Mill - tours, cafe (Mon-Sat).
Book: Bredon Hill: a Guide to Its Archaeology, History, Folklore & Villages. Logaston Press, £4.95, ISBN 1873827067. Buy from Amazon.co.uk
Garden of England
aka Vale of Evesham. Pershore (don't judge the town by the railway station of that name!), Evesham, Honeybourne ...
Worcestershire's Heritage Garden (the Wychavon district) takes in Droitwich Spa, Pershore, Evesham and more. There is a Blossom Trail cycle route, with the train station as a recommended starting point.
Visit Pershore tourist info site.
Number 8 Community Arts Centre has a cafe which is a good place for a coffee, cake or ice cream. 8 High Street, Pershore.
Evesham, Almonry Heritage Centre.
Evesham Town Council site has history and events info. Also see newish Evesham Events site.
The Fleece Inn at Bretforton held its first Asparagus Festival May/June 2006 (it is a National Trust property); the nearby The Round of Gras (Badsey) claims to be the only pub anywhere named after this locally grown delicacy.
Forest of Dean
A fascinating area, of early industrial and mining activity which now blends in with the beautiful landscape. More history on the FoD tourism site. Would be pushing it to visit much of this on a day cycle ride from Malvern but worth looking at possibilities. For example, Lydney rail station is on the Gloucester/Newport line. Symonds Yat (below) is on the north western edge.
Royal Forest Route 20 miles route for walking or cycling (or car). The map and directions available online as a pdf file is the whole of a large leaflet and is tricky to print - use their 'easy print' options instead, or even better send off for a brochure (from Glos Tourism site). See travel article in The Guardian for a flavour.
See Cycle Hire and Shops for Pedalaway bike hire in the Forest. The Pedalabikeaway Cycle Centre is next to the 12 mile way-marked Forest trail - off-road and rather different to most cycle routes in the area.
Forest Web Royal Forest of Dean community site, or go to the Tourism site.
Forest of Dean Sculpture Trail.
Forest-bigartweb. Browse around the web site for all sorts of artistic stuff in the area. Also see ArtForest.
Forest of Dean Craft Workers Guild site includes dates of Shows.
Model Village Lydney Park estate, phone 01594 845244. Looks fun from the pics on the web site.
Dean Forest Railway; Perrygrove Railway on the edge of the Forest.
Forest of Dean (community) radio broadcasts on 1521/1503 MW.
May Hill
A prominent landmark south of Newent, it can be seen for miles around - the hill with a distinctive clump of trees of top.
Taynton is just to the east and is the home of the Taynton Squash Perry Pear and award winning walnuts. The web site has an interesting article on May Hill. According to the site, Glasshouse village right on the edge of the hill is actually a part of Taynton.
Staunton (Snigs End SO793291) and
Lowbands (SO715315)
Chartist Cottages
Dating
from mid 1840s, this was an attempt by the Chartist Movement to settle the "working
classes" on
the land. Some 40 were built at Lowbands. Pending finding something more
developed on the web, see this Chartist
location map on Kidderminster Revolutionaries site.
There is a farm b&b (Kilmorie Smallholding) at Snigs End, phone 01452 840224.
Book: The Chartist Land Company by Alice Mary Hadfield. The story of the Chartist settlements of Heronsgate, Great Dodford, Minister Lovell, Snigs End and Lowbands. Try Amazon.co.uk for availability.
News item from Sept 00: "The Chartist settlement of Snigs End is to become a conservation area in a bid to preserve a unique part of British social history. Key buildings of the settlement, just to the south of Staunton, have been conserved since 1976. Now, following a period of public consultation carried out this summer by the Forest of Dean District Council, conservation area status is to be extended to preserve for posterity the settlement's original layout and distinctive cottages." From Hereford Times.
Just to the east of Lowbands is Gadfield Elm, which has the oldest Mormon chapel in the world, (at GL19 3PB, phone 01452 840576), built in 1836 (originally by the United Brethren). See local BBC pages.
Symonds Yat
Also see Ross-on-Wye info. Earth Heritage Trust has published a geology/landscape Trail Guide - driving/walking.
Wyenot.com Some nice pics as well as info.
Goodrich Castle (an English Heritage property). Has its' own Earth Heritage Trust Trail Guide too.
Wyedean Canoe and Adventure Centre Symonds Yat East, phone 01594 833238, email: wcc@wyedean.co.uk. Alternative: Symonds Yat Canoe Hire, Symonds Yat West.
Wye Valley Butterfly Zoo. Symonds Yat West.
Tenbury Wells SO594678
and Teme Valley
Tenbury Wells Visitors Guide. Check out the unusual Pump Rooms, built in 1862.
Teme Valley for Tenbury Wells and further upstream (Ludlow, Knighton). Mainly local history.
Go West tourism project up the Teme Valley.
Burford House Gardens has a National Collection of Clematis. West of Tenbury Wells.
Kyre Park Gardens SO623632. 29 acres created 1754, has recently been restored, large collection of ferns. Tea room. Phone 01885 410669. See UK Attraction info.
See Mistletoe festival info on Events page.
Tourist Information Centre: 21 Teme Street, WR15 8BB, phone 01584 810136.
Woolhope Dome
A beautiful if rather hilly area west of Ledbury. Earth Heritage Trust has published a geology/landscape Trail Guide - ten miles so possible to cycle (there's also some info in their Frome Valley discovery guide).
Good views from the picnic spot half way or so up the hill from Cockshoot to Checkley (SO577385).
The Crown at Woolhope village has good beer and food, and is likely to be packed on a Sunday.
Fownhope SO580345
Parish site Includes some info sheets for local walks. Fownhope Gallery, phone 01432 860220.
Wyre Forest
Towards Bewdley/Stourport, so on the edge of the area.
Wyre Forest Visitor Centre. They had 01299 402776 as a phone contact for local cycle hire.