Walking around Malvern area

Part of our Active Visits section, which also includes:

This page: Information and ideas for walks in the wider area around the Malverns.


Walk Leaflets

Info on walks in Great Malvern and immediate area is on Walking the Malvern Hills.

Worcs Way pear

One end of the Worcestershire Way is in Malvern (before 2004 it extended over the county boundary). The other end is in Bewdley 31 miles to the north, going via Knightwick (River Teme), Abberley Hills. There is an official Worcestershire Way Walkers’ Guide from Worcs County Council. Buy from Amazon.co.uk (but note its not a stock item). The waymark is a pear in green.

Wildlife and Landscape Trail is a 13km (8 mile) circular walk in the Suckley Hills area, taking in three nature reserves, The Knapp & Papermill, Ravenshill Wood and Crews Hill Wood. Leaflets may be available locally, or download from reserve info pages on the web. Probably best in spring or summer as can be very muddy. Worcestershire Wildlife Trust produced this with the help of Malvern Hills AONB.

Rail Trails – station to station walking guides for Worcestershire, a project for Worcestershire Community Rail Partnership. Includes a Malvern to Worcester route.

Herefordshire Council has produced various free leaflets as well as the Herefordshire Festival of Walking. Ones we have picked up (and for areas not far from Malvern) include Woolhope Dome, Mordiford Loop, Capler Loop.

Dymock Poets Paths – a couple of leaflets produced by Windcross Public Paths Group. (See Around the Area for Dymock background.) Check out Events listings for Daffodils weekend walks.

The Herefordshire Trail is a long distance path using existing public rights of way to give a circular tour around the county and linking 5 market towns. Guide book listed below.

The Wye Valley Walk goes through Hereford, Mordiford and Ross on Wye.

Abbeydore Deanery has details of a ‘Golden Valley Pilgrim Way’ – a 6/7 day circular pilgrimage route along beautiful and ancient paths that begins and ends at Hereford Cathedral (new 2023). The trail links the Wye Valley with the Golden Valley and the flower meadows and foothills of the Black Mountains. Along the way, you can stay overnight in medieval churches. Also a 2/3 day suggestion and a cycling pilgrimage route are sketched out in their overview and description.

Info on the Severn Way on the Long Distance Walkers Association website.

Online

Walking Routes is a directory of sites with walking routes, maps, directions etc around the UK.

Guide Books

The Herefordshire Trail Hereford Group of Ramblers Association, second edition 2010. £7-50, ISBN 1 906494509. A well produced guide to a 150 miles circular walking trail visiting all of the market towns of the county, many villages and lots of wonderful countryside. Order from  Herefordshire Trail.

Literary Strolls Around the Cotswolds and The Forest of Dean Sigma Leisure; ISBN: 185058687X.

50 walks in Herefordshire and Worcestershire AA, £11-99.

Walk this Wye 75 page book with 12 walks from 2 – 10 miles easy to advanced and all accessible by public transport. £2 from Wye Valley AONB.

From the Wye to the Thames 14 countryside walks making use of train services on the Hereford-Worcester-Oxford line – out-of-print at Jan. 2014. From Thames to the Wye (pub. 2009) should still be available. Published by Cotswold Line Promotion Group.

Led Walks

Also see under Holidays below for commercially organised/arranged walks.

Guided Walking Tours of Hereford. City walks May to September.

Groups

Malvern Hills District Footpath Society (pic below)

MHDFS walking towards Nottingham Hill

was originally set up to keep local paths open, but puts on a wide variety of walks throughout the year, Saturdays and mid-week.

The ‘Mondays up the Malverns’ group is for mums, dads, babies and toddlers, and led by Malvern Hills NCT volunteers on different routes across the Malvern Hills every week. The group has a Facebook page – you just need to request to join.

Malvern University of the Third Age has several active walking groups, for the retired and semi-retired.

Forest of Dean Ramblers Association Site includes details of current programme, generally in and around the Forest. See national site (below) for walks directory for all groups.

Tewkesbury Walking Club.

Worcester Rambling Club– not the same as Worcester Ramblers, part of the national Ramblers body.

Herefordshire Ramblers Association – taking in Hereford, Ross, Mortimer (Leominster) and Leadon Vale (Ledbury) groups.

Mainly (but not exclusively) for those in their 20s, 30s and 40s: the very active and large West Midlands Walking Group, also the Gloucestershire Walking Group of Ramblers.

Also see Worcestershire Walking Groups list from Walking in England.

Ramblers Association website has a Local Walks locator. Worcester, Leadon Vale, Gloucester, Mortimer and Forest of Dean groups are likely to have some in the area.

Festivals

Check the Events Calendar for latest dates and details.

Malvern Walking Festival in spring (late May/early June). There may be a booking fee per walk, plus some involve transport costs. Organisers include the Malvern Hills Trust. Phone Tourist Information on 01684 892289.

Herefordshire Walking Festival Takes place in June. Most walks need to be booked in advance.

Ross-on-Wye Walking Festival Late September.

Evesham Walking Festival June/July.