Ancient Ridge Walk, West Malvern

Gate at Croft Farm onto Ridge walk

 I decided to try and do the ridge walk again, that was what I had been trying to do when I got lost in West Malvern wood last week. I have walked the ridge walk about 16 times, but often wasted quite a lot of time lost in the wood by the park before finding the path to Croft Farm

Had a fantastic idea, I thought, start at the farm end because the gate to the path is easier to find.

View of West Malvern from ridge

View westward across Herefordshire countryside

Tree canopy detail

Muddy Path

Unfortunately this is not a totally me proof plan. There were a few places where the path divided in to several, and so I stuck to the what looked like the main path. When I saw the yew three below I remember thinking, "I never noticed that before." Well that was because I had g\one to far along the wrong path. Not a huge disaster, as the tree with the bracket fungi and the scary looking quarry I had never seen before and were both very beautiful.\

Yew Tree

The woods here are very ancient, as the walk I went on was mentioned in the Domesday book. In particular they were mentioned as there are Service  Trees, which were used in ancient times to make alcohol planted here. Apparently they are still here, though I don't know what they look like so couldn't take a picture,

Tree with bracket fungi

Most dangerous bit of pathway

Quarry sign

A road tree detail

Earl Beauchamps's Fountain

British Camp, Malvern Hills

Photo 1

Photo2

Yesterday was very foggy, which doesn't really show up on my camera. To try and show you how foggy I stood on the common at Link Top in Malvern. One of these pictures shows the hills behind the common, but which one?

Today it was beautiful, clear skies and sunshine. The views from British Camp were spectacular. British Camp is so named as various armies have had forts there and have dug moats and ridges in to the hillside. The views are spectacular across both the Severn valley flood plain in Worcestershire and the rolling hills of Herefordshire.

View looking north from British Camp

View looking west from British Camp

View looking north of earthworks on top pf British Camp

View looking east

Panoramic view looking east

Tree detail

Yellow lichen growing on trees

Bracing walk on Malvern hill.

Tree detail

View from top of Joyner's meadow

Very bent tree trunk

Today is incredibly windy so my walk was very bracing. I walked around the Joyner's meadow area above West Malvern. If you look at the trunk of the fir tree you can see just how shaped by the strong winds they have become. 

It was also quite overcast today. It was only 2 pm when I went past the gas lamp above St James's, but as you can see it was so dark it was already lit.

Entrance to Joyner's meadow

Hill near St James

Narnia gas lamp, actually lit

Moody skies over Malvern

View of Colwall from Gardiners Quarry

View of hills in the north

 The snow has virtually all gone now. Set off from Gardiner's Quarry car park. The skies are heavy with clouds, and look so moody. The wind is incredibly stiff and biting. It is beautiful though.

Views to the North

Silver birch trees

Silver birch detail

Last days of snow, (hopefully).

West Malvern as viewed from park

View towards the North West from park

 The broadband went down yesterday so couldn't post blog. It has rained over night and everything now is looking rather sad and melted.

These pictures were taken yesterday in and around West Malvern park and woods. It was a warm crisp snowy morning. Everything was white and I got rather lost in the wood, as all the paths and streams looked the same. Luckily the wood isn't that large so if you walk in any direction for about thirty minutes you will be out and have your bearings again.

Igloo made by local children

In the community wood

Panoramic view inside wood

Saint Ann's Well, Malvern Hills.

View across Great Malvern from Rose Garden

One of the "Narnia" gas lamps

Saint Ann's well and  restraunt

 Today I set off from Great Malvern, and via the rose g\arden walk'ed up past Saint Ann's well and up to the top of the Malvern Hill. It snowed again last night and in areas the snow was over my knees, so quite deep. Again I past some of the gas lamps which so inspired C.S.Lewis when writing, "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.

The well 

View from path above Saint Ann's well

View from top of Malvern Hill

West Malvern Community Wood

West Malvern Community Wood, new section.

 A fresh layer of snow has fallen today. It is incredibly beautiful. Went for a walk around West Malvern community woods and park. It is amazing how different a place can look. Fabulous.

The swings and slides did look rather spooky though.

Oak Tree.

West Malvern Park, "avenue"

West Malvern Play Park