Colwall, Wyche Cutting and British Camp
Grade - Moderate, with one gradual climb and one short steep one!
Maps - O.S. Explorer 190 (Malvern Hills and Bredon Hill)
Suitable for - Families but very young children may find some of the going hard.
Start - At Colwall station - car parking at the station or you can of course use
the train! Grid ref. SO756424 (Click here for start point map)
Refreshments - Pubs at Colwall, and Wyche Cutting, pub and kiosk at British Camp.
This walk starts at the tiny railway station at Colwall, a village just to the West
of the Malvern Hills and just inside Herefordshire. Trains run regularly from the
directions of both Hereford and Worcester if you wish to leave the car at home for
once. If not, simply drive through Colwall keeping a look-out for the sign to the
station - believe me, it's not hard to find! The walk takes you up to Jubilee Drive
and Wyche Cutting, then for a grand ridge-top walk across the Southern Malvern Hills
to British Camp to finally lead you back to Colwall by quiet field paths, much of
them following the Worcestershire Way.
To start, then, cross the footbridge at Colwall Station and join a track immediately
ahead. To your right is the Charlie Ballard Nature Reserve, the abode of geese, waterhens
and other wildfowl. In front of you you will see a kissing-gate. Pass through this
and just ahead turn left at a Worcestershire way signpost, heading for another signpost
at the top left of the field.
This is a three-finger post, so follow the sign pointing left along the Worcestershire
Way North. Carry on ahead, initially with a hedge on your left until you see a signpost
in the field a few yards before a metal gate. Here turn right and head up the field,
keeping along the line of the hedge to your left until the top of the field is reached.
Immediately on your left is a wooden gate with a stile beside it and yellow waymark.
Climb the stile and follow this track through trees until a fork is reached with
a small signpost at its junction. Take the right fork, crossing another stile and
following the tree-lined track until in a little way a junction is reached. Here
turn left and follow the improving track as it ascends gently, ignoring all other
footpaths to eventually come out onto a road at a hairpin bend. (Incidentally, at
this point you are stood directly over the train tunnel which runs under the Malverns!)
A few yards before the road is gained, look left to see what appears to be a huge,
ivy-covered chimney standing alone in the wood. Purpose? Unknown, though I'd be happy
to find out what this peculiar construction was erected for. Just to the right of
the road as you emerge out onto it is a rough track which runs parallel to the road
ahead. Take this and walk gently uphill until Wyche Free Church is seen on your right
- it's the building with the tiny steeple.
The walk then takes you on a ridgetop roller-coaster walk along the Southern Malvern
Hills. The way is obvious and very well-walked - if you'd like a fuller description
please see Walk 2 for more details. Suffice it to say that the views are superb,
the paths easy and well-trod and British Camp really comes into view far too soon!
Upon reaching British Camp, and after perhaps taking refreshments at the pub or kiosk,
head towards the public conveniences (signposted) and take a path to the left waymarked
Worcestershire Way. Pass to the right of a brick building and make downhill through
trees following waymarks and the obvious path. This part can be muddy during wet
weather so take care not to slip!
Bear right up a grassy bank to gain Jubilee Drive, then turn left along this road
for a few yards until the church is reached. Here a choice can be made. Just before
the church on the right is a gravelled track which leads to a house, then bears right
- there is no signpost - to head steeply uphill to the ridgetop. This is the quickest
way but the gradient is fairly severe though the distance is not great. If this is
not to your liking after the long uphill from Colwall, pass by the church and continue
on to Wyche Cutting. (Blue arrows) Just by the public conveniences you will see steps
leading uphill that take a more gradual and easy ascent to the ridgetop, saving a
lot of puff. (Sketch 1.)
Cross a stile and leave the tree cover, crossing a rough piece of ground - this too
can be very boggy - to cross another stile ahead. To the right is a superb view across
fields to the Hills. Upon arriving at a signpost, turn right along the Worcestershire
Way North.
Cross a stile and proceed down a broad track until you reach a stile by a metal gate.
Cross this stile and turn immediate right, keeping the hedge on your right until
you come to a short wooden waypost. I know this seems a bit strange when you actually
walk it but it's the path taken by public footpath and the Worcestershire Way!
Here turn left and head for another stile and plank bridge - yet another boggy bit!
- crossing this and carrying on across the next field, keeping to the left of a hedge
for a little way. At the end of the hedge bear slightly right to a gate and stile.
Cross this and follow an enclosed track which improves later and sports a very nicely
clipped hedge on your right, to emerge onto a lane. Here turn left and walk down
the lane until a double finger post is seen on the left, just outside a gate at 'Hartlands'.
A path will be seen climbing the bank to your right, so take this and climb another
stile seen at the top of the bank, following the path to quickly cross another stile
onto rough pasture, the home of a large but docile goat! (please don't feed it though
- discretion is the better part of valour..) Cross the pasture following the path
in the grass to gain yet another stile.
Cross this and immediately another on the left to gain the lane just beyond. (Both
these stiles are (a) tall and (b) a bit rickety so take care.) Turn right along the
lane and follow it to the end by a white house. Cross the stile immediately ahead
and then two more (although the first stile can be skirted around - the fence is
only a few yards long) to gain access to a large field.
Follow a clear if meandering path across this field - there are fine views to The
Malvern Hills on the right and over to the left the Clee Hills can be clearly seen
- to gain a stile in the hedge at the far side of the field. Cross this and keep
to the right hand edge of the field beyond. In front of you will now clearly be seen
the railway embankment. Upon reaching the foot of the embankment, turn right through
a gate and follow a path as it runs along the base of it, until a rough lane is reached
just after crossing a spring. Here keep forward with the embankment on your left
to soon pass the Nature reserve and arrive once again at Colwall Station. (See Sketch
2.)
