From the Cotswold escarpment and Malvern ridge to Bosworth Battlefield, the Shropshire hills and the White Horse of Uffington — England's historic heartland.
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A superb and varied circular taking in two of the great escarpment viewpoints of the north Cotswolds and a Cold War surprise few walkers anticipate finding on a Gloucestershire hilltop. Dover's Hill opens with the Vale of Evesham spread below in a view that stops you in your tracks. Broadway Tower's nuclear bunker just beyond it makes for one of the more unusual features in any walk in this collection — genuine Cold War history in an entirely unexpected setting.
Read full description →An outstanding circular around Cleeve Hill County Top with wonderful views and remarkable historical features. The Cotswold Way provides excellent walking with views over Cheltenham, the Vale of Evesham, the Malverns and the Black Mountains. Huddlestone's Table marks where King Kenulph of Mercia escorted guests after Winchcombe Abbey's dedication circa 798. Belas Knap — a Neolithic burial mound from around 3000 BC — is the walk's crowning historical feature. Navigation requires careful attention at numerous turns.
Read full description →A pleasant circular Cotswolds walk combining the Diamond Way and Monarch's Way long-distance paths through picturesque villages. A plaque in Blockley remembers the tragic 1924 bus accident that killed four women and three children. The Monarch's Way climbs steadily through fields past Batsford Arboretum before descending through Moreton-in-Marsh's main street. Very limited parking by a barn in Dorn — arrive early.
Read full description →An excellent walk along the southern section of the Malvern Hills ridge, taking in seven distinct summits with brilliant views from all of them. Midsummer Hill has been held by the National Trust since 1923 in memory of Captain Reginald Somers Cocks, M.C. The impressive Iron Age hillfort at Herefordshire Beacon adds deep historical weight to a walk of nearly 650 metres of cumulative climbing across classic Malvern Hills scenery.
Read full description →A circular to the summit of Brown Clee Hill, the highest point in Shropshire. The route climbs through woodland and past old mine workings before joining the Shropshire Way for the final approach to Abdon Burf. A plane crash memorial provides a poignant moment to remember those who lost their lives. Clee Burf relay station sits on the site of an ancient settlement. Two attempted shortcuts proved unsuccessful — stick to the described route.
Read full description →A complex but rewarding circular from Kinver Edge combining ancient history, canal heritage and war memorials. The Staffordshire Way climbs to an ancient hill fort; the Oxford Canal towpath winds past Debdale Bridge through Cookley and Whittington Lock. The graveyard at the church contains about eight war graves from both World Wars. A missed turn at the church lane added a 200-metre detour — the notes are precise about where to go right.
Read full description →A great circular taking in the best of Lickey Hills Country Park and the countryside south towards Barnt Green and the Bittell Reservoirs. The Woodpecker Trail passes the impressive Earl of Plymouth Monument obelisk and climbs to the toposcope at nearly 300 m with views on a clear day. The return over the railway and through the woods is a satisfying finish with the North Worcestershire Path and Gloucestershire Way adding named-trail interest.
Read full description →A walk steeped in history from start to finish, combining one of England's most significant battlefields with a fine stretch of the lock-free Ashby-de-la-Zouch Canal. Standing on the field where Richard III fell in 1485 — the last English king to die in battle — is a genuinely moving experience. King Richard's Well adds further weight before the canal provides a completely different, peaceful character to the return leg.
Read full description →A circular taking in the highest point in Oxfordshire, an ancient Iron Age hill fort and the Bronze Age Uffington White Horse — one of the oldest and most striking chalk figures in Britain. Stunning views from the top of White Horse Hill, and pleasant walking through the pretty villages of Uffington and Woolstone below the downs.
Read full description →A superb ridge walk covering the full length of the Malvern Hills from North Hill to Black Hill, combining the Three Choirs Way and the Worcestershire Way. The Worcestershire Beacon (425 m, highest point in the Malverns) is the undoubted highlight, its toposcope inviting you to identify a remarkable panorama across the surrounding counties. Wide views east across the Severn plain and west into Herefordshire accompany almost every step. The two-stage structure — out along the crest, back on the upper eastern flank — keeps the return interesting. St Ann's Well with its famous Malvern spring water makes a fine stopping point.
Read full description →A fine circuit from Castlemorton Common combining one of the great Iron Age hillforts of England with some of the most historically charged landscape in the Malvern Hills. The climb via Hangman's Hill and the Shire Ditch (Red Earl's Dyke) is the walk's most atmospheric section — the ancient earthwork carries an extraordinary layered history from Bronze Age origins through 13th-century territorial dispute to modern county boundary. Herefordshire Beacon (338 m) is genuinely impressive on the ground and the views from the hillfort are exceptional. The encounter with young brownie vendors on the return is noted as the finest brownie-related anecdote in the entire collection.
Read full description →A thoroughly enjoyable circular in the quiet Herefordshire countryside north of the Wye, combining a fine open hill summit with one of the most remarkable prehistoric monuments in the Welsh Marches. The climb to the trig point on Merbach Hill (318 m) gives views across the Wye Valley, the Golden Valley and the Black Mountains. Arthur's Stone — a massive Neolithic burial chamber whose 25-tonne capstone is balanced on its ancient uprights — is an extraordinary sight in an extraordinary position. The walk finishes at Bredwardine's Norman church where the diarist Francis Kilvert is buried. More history packed into 9 kilometres than many much longer routes.
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