St. Ann's Well and the Worcestershire Beacon

Grade - Moderate, though one or two fairly stiff gradients.

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

Suitable for - Anyone used to walking, but keep a close watch on children in some sections!

Duration - 2½ hours

Start - Wyche Cutting car parks, Grid ref. SO768437 (Click here for start point map)

Refreshments - St. Ann's Well café , pub and café at Wyche cutting.

This walk is a bit of a departure in terms of format from those previously described. I've tried to use pictures throughout to illustrate any turns along the way where you might go wrong instead of using line maps - please let me know what you think! Most people visiting the Hills for the first time take a walk along the ridge top - quite understandably so, considering the views they are rewarded with! However, there are many more paths and routes along the lower slopes that make for a fine afternoon out and this is one of them.

Starting from the Car Park at Wyche Cutting, as described in walk 1, head uphill along the broad, tarmaced path until you reach the round stone waymarker set into the centre of the route (See pic.1). Here bear right, following the arrow pointing to St. Ann's well and Quarry. The path trends downward through woods, quite steeply in places, passing through a variety of trees and shrubs until a fork is reached just at the top of the quarry. Here keep straight ahead by a low wall on your right, (See pic. 2) heading downhill all the while, to eventually emerge onto an open grassy area.

Follow this as it bears left around the end of a ridge, finally to descend to another path coming in from the right by a large tree stump (See pic. 7.). Now keep ahead , trending gently uphill, on this much better path until the buildings at St. Ann's well come into view.

Here refreshment can be had, with the choice of sitting inside or out as you drink your choice of a remarkable number of beverages (no alcohol though) or eat some rather good cake. St. Ann's well is one of the many Malvern springs which became popular as 'water cures' during the mid-nineteenth century. The spring still flows as it ever did, though a notice by a conscientious council now advises boiling the water befor drinking. Give it a try? It's up to you - I always do and I'm not dead yet!

The marble font is still inside (See pic. 8) the original building, the octagonal extension (now the café) being built more recently to give the building its present appearance (See pic. 9). Upon leaving St. Ann's well, look for a path which climbs up behind the outdoor picnic benches, which are on the bank to the side of the café, which then climbs uphill to a small summit upon which is a blue-painted circular metal seat.

Views from here are extensive, with Worcester Cathedral easily visible on clear days. Having sampled the view, turn your back on it to cross a grassed area and then head uphill following a broad, sandy track (See pic.10).

This track is fairly steep in places, and, depending on just how much cake you've had at St. Ann's well, you may find a rest in order at the top! You will see when you reach the junction a stone tablet set into the low wall opposite giving the direction to be taken - left towards the Worcestershire beacon (See pic. 11, sorry for the quality!).

From here take the broad, level path towards the Beacon until a round stone waymarker comes into view. Upon reaching it, bear right to head gently downhill following the arrow that points to 'The Dingle', ignoring the broad gravelled track that turns a sharper right - aim to descend the left-hand side of the valley before you (See pic.12 - follow the yellow arrow).

Here starts a pleasant stroll through light woodland - and it's all downhill! Continue along this track until a fork to the left is seen by a small fallen tree. Take this to head uphill once more, following the path that keeps to the edge of trees as it undulates gently along the flank of the hill.

Eventually West Quarry car park is reached. Head straight across this to take a path on the far side (See pic. 13). Keep forward and, as the wide track begins to disappear down into the trees, take a narrow path to the left, (See pic 14) which heads uphill until shortly emerging onto a wide, flat grassy area with several seats to the left. Keep forward across this to take a narrow path which once more takes you through trees.

When a fork is reached, take the left-hand, uphill branch (See pic.15), which will shortly bring you back to the round stone direction marker encountered at the start of the walk. From her turn right and head downhill along the surfaced path back to the car park.

Walk 1. Walk 2.  Walk 3.  Walk 4.  Walk 5.  Walk 6.  Walk 7.  Walk 8.  Walk 9.  Walk 10. Walk 12. Walk 13. Walk 14. Walk 15

To your left is the disused quarry, now with a deep pool at its base which, last time I looked, has some generously-proportioned carp swimming sedately about. Fishing not allowed, by the way! Directly in front of you is a mound, the now overgrown remnants of a large tree.

Ignore the obvious path that appears slightly to your right across the clearing which heads off downhill (you don't get away with it that easily!), instead bearing left around the mound to take a less obvious path at the top left of the clearing. (See pic.3). Follow this as it makes its way gently uphill until you come to a point where the path turns sharply left uphill. Here take a much narrower path to the right and simply keep forward along it.

This path is narrow, twisty, overgrown in summer and has some fairly sharp drops to the right in places, so watch the kids - and yourself! - and all will be well (See pic 4.)

After battling through the jungle for a ways, you will emerge on to a rocky outcrop with great views over Malvern and the Severn Vale. Here it almost seems that the path ends, as it manages only a few more yards until vanishing in a small rock jumble which forms the end of a knoll (See pic 5). Have faith! The rocky bit is only a few feet long (watch your footing though!) and then you are back on a slightly better path. Coming to a rather indeterminate path junction, bear right to follow a path leading downhill along the left-hand side of a steep valley (See pic 6).

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