Countrywalkers

Country walks around the

Malvern Hills and Cotswolds

Welcome and thanks for dropping by....

ks for dropping by...

This site is dedicated to, and for the use of, people who enjoy walking or just being in the great outdoors, with a special bias towards the Malvern Hills and surrounding areas and the Cotswolds! Now fully overhauled and brought up-to-date (it’s been live since 1998!), the site contains detailed walks, information on map and compass usage, a picture gallery, places to stay and guest articles.

If you have a favourite walk in the area that's not included, please feel free to submit it by dropping an e-mail to me. I'll do my best to put it on this site as soon as possible, with of course a credit for your efforts! It would help greatly if you could include such things as map references (especially for the start of walks), which OS map to use and (in your own opinion) the grade of difficulty/length/time required. Don't worry about how it's written - the main things are start point, directions and duration of walk. What I'm really looking for is the type of walk anyone can do - and although I realise 'favourite' routes exist do try to include any features, items of interest etc. not found in the walking books!

(If you are looking for a host for your own website, I would personally recommend Hostgator. Despite the odd name, they are excellent. Give them a try!)

Weather: For an idea of the weather around the Malverns and Cotswolds in real-time click here.

I hope you'll find this a useful reference site to help you enjoy the marvellous countryside that exists in this part of the world. Users can feel free to print off walks as they wish. I'm also interested in any features or places of interest on the walks which will add to pleasure gained from them.

If there are any walking groups out there who would like a mention of their activities or future walks they've arranged I'll be glad to include them too. Any other places of interest are welcome to submit but there should be a strong link to walking and rambling in the area (so I guess pubs on the Cotswold Way would qualify!)

As you'll see, the site now has fifteen of my favourite walks on it. I plan to add to them in the future with some of my own research but anyone viewing this site is welcome to make a submission or suggest a theme they would like to see or that they think will be of interest. NEW - three short walks from Liz Hayden-Jones, local walker and writer!

Map and Compass - A recent venture is this piece on reading and understanding map and compass - just a basic primer which I hope will add to your knowledge and enjoyment. It's now (at long last) finished - have a look at it by clicking here or by using the navigation menu at top left of this page. As you will have seen, the rather piecemeal system of page links has been replaced by the new menu that I hope will be easier and quicker to use.

Other Interests - I recently spotted a couple of good e-books that may well be of interest to anyone wishing to branch out from country walking into climbing or backpacking (that's country walking in generally wilder places!). The info pages can be accessed by clicking the links below. Worth a look!

Rock Climbing Essentials - a comprehensive reference guide to all aspects of rock-climbing

A Beginner's Guide To Backpacking outlines all the essentials for succesful and enjoyable backpacking expeditions.

I look forward to hearing from you - happy walking!

Some reader comments -

"We have just discovered your website. (Good old Google!)

We have been meaning to walk the Malverns for some time now, and this weekend finally decided the time had come. Knowing nothing of the area, we decided to search the web, and Hey Presto! there you were! We decided to start with walk 1 (no imagination some people) and were delighted with the whole experience. The descriptions and directions you give are spot on; the descriptions in particular, give a real feel for the walk. We shall embark on, you guessed it, walk 2 very soon. We live in the heart of the Cotswolds (near Stroud) and have enjoyed rediscovering the pleasures of walking, in our middle years, having both, for different reasons, sort of given up on the idea. It's great to be back on track - pun intended.

Thank you for a great website."

Chris and Anne

"We did the walk from Bibury to Coln St Alwyns (and back) this weekend (20 October) and your directions were excellent. Although we had an OS map with us, we did not need it as the pictures and descriptions were 100% accurate. We were very lucky with the weather and the walk was a perfect was to build up an appetite for a pub lunch (at the Swan Inn) at Bibury.

Thanks, we will use your walks again."

Robert and Sharon Quinn

"We completed you Adlestrop walk on Sunday 11th November 2007. It was a most beautiful and interesting walk passing a number of wonderful country houses and estates. We are off on the Lower Swell walk this weekend. Many thanks."

Mark and Jane Weir

"Just a quick note to say we did walk No. 14 on Saturday and thoroughly enjoyed it despite some shocking weather. Everything was very clear. We had the OS map which we didn't need and the GPS was even more redundant. No bulls either! Thank you again - its inspired us to make more effort to go back and explore other parts of the Cotswolds."

Mark.

Thanks to all for their kind comments - if you have any please drop me a line, thanks!

By the way - if you want three really useful large-scale maps of the Malvern Hills (very easy to follow), I do recommend the ones printed by The Map Shop at Upton-upon-Severn. Check their site at www.themapshop.co.uk for a truly outstanding selection. I'd also recommend you to get  one of the Ordnance Survey maps for each walk - they can be obtained from shops such as the above or at your local library. The Outdoor Shop in Malvern is now run by Elt's, the shoeshop adjacent. Elt's have had  a presence in Malvern for well over a hundred years but their stock is bang up-to-date. See it at the top of Church Street or give them a call on 01684-899144 (please mention Countrywalkers!)

The Map Shop, Upton-upon-Severn

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Finally, if you find that you love the area enough to return, you may want to purchase timeshares in your favorite region in or near the Cotswolds or Malvern Hills. These vacation properties make it possible for you and your family to return to a beloved vacation destination year after year for a fraction of the cost of many other accommodation options. Timeshares afford prepaid, weeklong lodgings annually or biennially, which means you can spend your afternoons exploring the area's famous natural surroundings, and your evenings cozying up in your home away from home.