Britain’s Best Views: Malvern Hills, West Midlands
Discover the best views of Britain, from the world’s most famous prehistoric stone monument to endless grassland.
In this blog, we will tell you all about the views of the Malvern Hills, West Midlands, England.
Malvern Hills is not a ‘Site of Scientific Interest’ for no reason. No sir! Tools and weapons have been found on the site from early Bronze age settlers (approximately 3200 – 600 BC), quite possibly formed from some of the ancient rocks which form part of the hills. These rocks are thought to be over 600 million years old and are responsible for the famous Malvern spring water which act as a filtering device for rainwater, leaving little to no mineral traces in the water! It is said to have medically beneficial properties; at least our British royalty seem to think so. Apparently, Queen Victoria would not be without it, and Queen Elizabeth II and the Queen’s mother drink only Malvern water whilst away on tour.
The Malvern Hills have a lot more to offer than just pure water, however. The area is said to have some of the most spectacular, panoramic views of the Midlands and part of the reason the Hills were awarded with the moniker ‘Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty’. Here you can see landmarks such as the Black Mountains, Golden Valley and Welsh marshes. The area also has a wide range of rural towns and villages that are spread out throughout the vicinity that can be explored.
Indeed, the Hills have been intentionally left un-fenced and unenclosed so that the public have the freedom to fully enjoy this open, public space for recreational use.
This space could equally feature in our ‘Britain’s Most Scenic Walks’ series, as walking is very popular in the area as well as lots of other activities such as mountain biking, wildlife spotting, kite flying, hang gliding and more. To find out more about these activities, and some recommended routes, click here.
Of course, if you feel tired of the beautiful views and want to do something a little different, Malvern Hills is also home to the Eastnor Castle, only a 15 minute drive from the hills and described as one of the most beautiful castles in England. Eastnor is also where the first ever Land Rover was developed. Guests are also able to embark on the thrilling Land Rover experience where they are given the chance to drive through the enchanting surroundings of the Eastnor Castle and take on board the amazing wildlife that dwells in the area. What’s exciting about the Land Rover experience is that the participants are able to choose the range that they would like to drive and also get to clean the car afterwards! For more on the Land Rover experience, and to book, click here.
With an area such as Malvern Hills that is filled with so many different points of interest and exciting activities, we would highly recommend staying at Colwall Park Hotel. Not only is the hotel situated in the heart of all the main attractions but the beautiful country house settings of the Hotel is bound to let you feel that you are on the perfect getaway. But don’t just take our word for it… Pop in to the Hotel’s Lantern bar or restaurant sometime, it was featured in Michelin and other food guides, and it’s very popular with the locals. In addition, fortunately visitors are lucky enough to not only be positioned within 100 metres of the famous Malvern Hills bottling plant when staying at Colwall Park, but quite a few of the nearby springs, responsible for the areas spring water farm. Amusingly, a customer even suggested that the hotel should have a notice over every cold tap stating that it is safe to drink the water.
Hope you get a great view!
Malvern Hills I image by TomGough Malvern Hills II and Hang Gliding image by rodtuk Eastnor Castle image by Matt Buck