British Camp and Broad Down

Grade - Moderate

Map - O.S. Explorer 190 (Malvern Hills and Bredon Hill)

Suitable for - All ages/families

Duration - 2 hours

Start - British Camp car park, Grid ref. SO763404 (click here for start point map)

Refreshments - Pub and cafe at British Camp.

This walk visits British Camp, more properly known as the Herefordshire Beacon. The name British camp comes from the fact that the entire top of the hill is the site of an Iron Age hill fort, with the ramparts and ditches still visible in some detail. It starts from the British Camp car park, which is opposite the Malvern Hills Hotel, about three and a half miles South of Great Malvern on the A449 road towards Ledbury. The camp is one of the largest and certainly one of the most impressive forts of this type to be found in this country; the extensive earthworks cover an area of about thirty acres and are over one and a quarter miles in circumference and, it has been estimated, could have held over two thousand people. The views from the 1,114 foot summit are extensive and panoramic if often a bit on the breezy side!

Find this at the start of the path to British Camp - interesting!

Begin the walk by heading up the path , which is situated directly opposite the refreshment kiosk near the Malvern Hills Hotel. This climbs quite sharply at first up a well-made path, the levels for a short space until a right turn is reached.

Here begins the second part of the ascent to the top. Follow this path as it heads steeply upwards towards the summit, which is fortunately not too far away! In its latter stages the path is stepped making climbing easier and is at all points solid underfoot. Arriving at last at the top, pause to enjoy the extensive panorama that unfolds all around - the views to the Cotswolds being particularly magnificent.

When normal service has been resumed and the heart stops hammering, take the path opposite from the side you arrived at, which leads down from the summit and strikes almost due South down from the summit to cross a broad saddle and climb gently towards another smaller hill.

Cross the top of this and continue along the path towards the end of the earthworks, where a small cutting gives onto a steeply descending stone surfaced path - care is needed in wet weather - which will bring you to a circular stone direction marker pointing to various features on the hills. Follow the pointer uphill through a shallow depression towards Broad Down.

Follow the path until it turns right and begins to descend, coming out at a junction of paths. Turn right and follow the path back uphill to pass by Clutter's Cave, a small man-made cave of unknown history. It is said to have once been the home of a hermit but it is unlikely that the truth of the matter will ever be known.

Keep ahead to reach the circular marker seen previously, passing straight by and then turning slightly left on to a broad, well made track that winds around the contours of the hills. This is an easy, fairly level section and will bring you back to the junction of paths where you originally started the climb to the summit of British Camp. From there it is just a short walk back to the car park and a well earned pint (or ice cream!).

Walk 1. Walk 2. Walk 4. Walk 5. Walk 6. Walk 7. Walk 8. Walk 9. Walk 10. Walk 11. Walk 12. Walk 13. Walk 14. Walk 15

After just a short uphill stretch the path emerges onto the rounded shoulder of Broad Down, then turns right (South) to follow the ancient line of The Shire Ditch or 'Red Earl's Dyke' along its entire length.

This mediaeval earthwork, constructed between between 1287 and 1291, was built by the order of Gilbert de Clare (the Red Earl of Gloucester), then owner of Malvern Chase, and runs for almost the entire length of the Malvern Hills, though it is perhaps best preserved on Broad Down.

It is reputed that it was constructed due to de Clare having a boundary dispute with the Bishop of Hereford over hunting rights and was so made that although deer could jump from the Bishop's land to de Clare's, they could not easily get back again. Well, they do say that good fences make good neighbours!