Eastnor Park and Gospel Oak 23 April 2026

 This was my second walk as walk leader for Worcester Ramblers. 

We started at Swinyard car park promptly at 1000 (despite the parking ticket machine being faulty) and walked up past the Gullett Quarry to the Obelisk on the Eastnor estate. 

Continuing across the estate we passed the new addition, part of the Berlin wall! This was chosen as the coffee break

The walk then continued out to the railway tunnel to Ledbury entrance,  along the Ridgeway and back over the Malverns through News wood , passing the Pink cottage back to the car park (to be greeted by the sight of the car park machine being fixed....obviously the number of phone calls they got earlier in the morning forced them into action!). Some of us went to the Duke of York pub again for lunch

Total 6.8 miles

Railtrail Foregate Street to Pershore 18 April 2026

 I decided it was time to revisit the Cotswold line Rail Trails and offer it as a Saturday Walk to the Worcester Ramblers. The first leg would be a merging of the Foregate street to Parkway and Parkway to Pershore routes to form a Foregate street to Pershore route, as was originally done during the Malvern Walking Festival in 2023

A reccy in late February showed there was a diversion near Millhouse (Peopleton) as the wooden bridge was closed for 6 months to be repaired. Fortunately Worcestershire CC confirmed 3 days before the walk that the repairs were completed before Easter so the detour would not be needed

Four of us parked at Pershore station (actually in Pinvin! but beware, the GWR ticket machine on the platform only sells weekly Parking tickets for £20!!) We caught the train to Foregate street and met up with another 3 walkers.starting the walk at 0920

The route took us out of Worceter via the Country Park (coffee break)  to Lunch which was had at the lake near Peartrees  listening to the birdsong. The route then continued through Peopleton to Pershore station arriving at 1420, just in time for those who wanted to catch the train back to Worcester

11.8 miles

Second attempt to Reach the Lancaster Crash site 26 March 2026

After spending the previous day walking the four waterfalls dodging the hail storms the weather turned fine so I decided to have another go at reaching the Canadian Lancaster crash site. To avoid the need to wade across the stream again I decided to start from the Talybont reservoir 

The route starts with walking up Twyn Du then it is fairly flat until you reach Carn Pica where you are greeted with a steep walk up some steps to the marker.

Continuing along Waun Rydd you turn left at the pathway intersection to the Memorial which can be seen glinting in the distance

There are a lot of aircraft pieces still on site (the engine rolled down the hill!)

Having got to 700m i decided to keep walking at this altitude going along Graig Fal Las turning right at the Cairn to cross the very Boggy path to Craig cwmoergwm, The views of the snow capped big 3 was impressive but i decided to go to Fan y big (which i had previously visited up the very steep Western slope) for Lunch

I took a different route back along the ridge at Craig Cwareli and Bwlch y Ddwyallt with fine views of breacon and Sugar Loaf Mountain nearer Abergavenny before descending back to the reservoir down Cairn Pica

7 hours 15.4 miles total ascent 3200'

First attempt to get to the canadian Lancaster crash site 24 March 2026

 

This walk was to see  the Memorial on Waun Rydd marking the location of the 1945 crash of a Canadian Lancaster

The weather was damp but it shouldnt get any worse according to the forecast. I parked at Blaen y Glyn Isaf upper car park and walked down to the stream at Blaen y Glyn walking up towards the waterfalls. There was no safe way to cross the stream when the path changed sides so i had to remove boots and paddle across! I left the stream and headed up the slope to the Cairn at Gwalciau'r Cwym. The rain then got worse accompanied by high wind making it difficult to see through my spectacles. It would only get worse as I got higher so the decision was made to retreat (before reaching the Cairn) I took a shortcut across Waun y Gorlan back to the stream and after removing footwear again to cross the river returned to the car park for Lunch . The crash site would have to wait!

5 miles in 3 hours

CWOG: Colwall to Malvern Link 28 Feb 2026

This was my first time leading a CWOG walk.

We all met at Malvern link station (£1.25 parking on Saturdays) which had other hiking groups assembling. The train arrived on time at 0944and got us to Colwall on time at 1002.

We left the station over the footbridge and walked though the mud and surface water through Evendine up to British camp. There we paused for coffee, We then walked via Black Hill, Pinnacle hill and Peresevarance hill to the Wyche cutting where we had lunch in the sun.

We then went up the Worcestershire beacon which was crowded. 

We went over sugarloaf hill and around North Hill descending down the rocks to North Malvern and finishing at Malvern Link 

8.5 miles in 4.5 hours total

Worcester Ramblers: "Snowdrops at Hanbury" 26 Feb 2026

 The walk started at Pipers Hill car park, proceeding through the very muddy Hanbury woods to Hanbury church there was a mass of snowdrops. 

We passed Hanbury Hall then  over farmland, through three farmyards and crossing the railway We joined the canal for a short while before returning through the woods back to the carpark.

7.2 miles 3 hours

Worcester Ramblers: "Hollybush to British camp and return" 19 Feb 2026

This was to be my first attempt at leading a walk! It was planned as a  7 mile circular walk starting at Hollybush, visiting the Eastnor Obelisk, along the Three Choirs way past the side of the Hereford beacon to British Camp Car park then along the lower east side of the Malverns  via Bowling Green to Hollybush.

I did a reccie on 16 February. It was muddy in places but the worst part was across Berrow downs which had acquired 4 brooks and knee deep mud. The route was adjusted to avoid the area

On Feb 19 on the way to Hollybush snow could be seen along the peaks but it did not get much lower so the walk proceeded, Sixteen appeared at the start. The view was limited but at least it didnt rain

Highlight of the walk was near the end, when approaching Holybush when three Reeves Pheasants were seen

The walk was 7.2 miles and took 3 hours

Worcester Ramblers: "Blackstone Nature Reserve" 12 feb 2026

 We started off from the Blackstone Picnic site car park (not to be confused with the Blackstone car park) which was a bit muddy. We went under the SVR line and Past the West Midlands safari park where we saw wildlife that came out of their house to great us:-

Family Outing!

The Severn Railway passes by

We then followed the edge of the safari park along heathland and then woodland towards the scout camp, past the Devils Spittleful (which you cannot go onto) past the old Rifle Range (which was too wet to cross) passing the old WW2 camp at Burlish Top before returning to the car park. Generally muddy but passable. 7.2 miles total:-

Worcester Ramblers: "Cutnall Green, Rushock and a 'Whole lotta love' tomorrow" 5 Feb 2026

We started the walk at the Chequers pub at Cutnall Green

Th coffee stop was at the St Michael and All Angel's church at Rushock where the Led Zeppelin drummer, John Bonham, has his final resting place

The 6.7 mile walk in 2.5 hours included the villages of Elmley Lovett, Rushock and Bryan's Green

Although it was considered impossible for it to be muddier than the previous Thursday walk this walk managed it!

Worcester Ramblers long walk from Temple Guiting 31 Jan 2026

Having done short Worcester walks until now i decided to try a longer One. It was to be a 10 mile walk.

The forecast on Friday was for rain all Saturday. However Saturday arrived and the forecast changed to rain starting at 1230, so I decided to go. Heeding the warning from the leader,  I told Google maps to take me to Temple guiting school, which was just over the wall from the Village Hall
The walk started at Temple Guiting village hall.  Nine walkers arrived, then the car park filled up with those going on a turkey shoot, They were still setting up on site as we walked past the target area. It was here that we encountered three Reeves Pheasants who came across to have a conversation!

The walk progressed through Ward, then Taddington (NOT Toddington!) Then to Stanway, where the avenue of trees, planted over many years by the Stanway Hall estate was impressive

At the end of the trees was the monument, where we stopped for Lunch.  

Unfortunately so did a heavy rainstorm, which soaked us while we walked to Stumps Cross. The climb up Waterloo Larch was a muddy scramble but it dried out on the high ground enabling us to get back to the Village hall by which time the mud was drying!

10.5 miles in 4.25 hours:-