Why are the British so obsessed with the weather ? Worcestershire Beacon.

Steps up from West of England carpark

Today is a bit overcast to say the least. I decided as the views were going to be impeded I would climb the Worcestershire beacon right to the top. I might not be able to see much once I got there, but there would probably be few other walkers out today, and for a moment at least I would be the highest thing in all of Worcestershire. I am only just over 5 foot tall, so it's a nice change to be able to look down on others for a brief moment.

The weather however got me thinking. Why are the British so obsessed by it ?

Approaching the ridge

Tsunami, hurricanes, droughts causing famine and forest fires, monsoons and tornadoes, they just don't happen here. This years winter was one of the longest and most extreme in 100 years, but really it amounted to at most two meters of snow which melted in less than a month. So why does it affect us so ?

With no great extremes foreign travellers think our weather will be monotonous, but a stay of just a few day's on these shores highlight how great the repercussions of minor changes.

Turn left and the summit is in sight

Today is just two degrees cooler that the lovely warm idyllic few days that preceded it. Rather than dense fluffy white clouds floating in skies of blue, the cloud is a uniform thin grey blanket, veiling the sun from sight.

SAD, or Seasonally Affected Disorder is a recognised medical condition which I know causes it's suffers great pain. I am lucky to usually find the beauty in all weather, but today is the rare bland insipid sort of grey that causes my inner emo to resurface and relieve my melancholic teenage angst.

That said I was rather cheered by the poem it has inspired.

Under the weather

Exquisite agony and bliss

The frustrating tender kiss

To be surrounded by beauty

The Beacon

The inscription meaning I am "top" 

On a day so dull.

Without sunshine's blessing,

A hill is just a hill,

The landscape flat and lifeless,

Incline just a challenge to muscle.

The summit becomes the goal.

Its own point limited by pointlessness.

Arriving just to say you arrived,

The plaque

A couple enjoy the natural high

And then descend.

Shrouded in the grey,

Of a dull cloudy day.

Dark moods devour

Fragile spirits tenuous joy.

Unbidden fears encroach

A soul mired by solitude,

Isolated, lonely,

The scream no-one hears.

Just give me sunshine,

A little warmth and light.

Then life will feel worth living

Because and not in spite.

 By Izzy.B.Silver

Today's cloudy view

Black Hill walk, Malvern Hills, Worcestershire.

 At this time of year, especially after such a long cold winter, it is all the more delightful to feel the tender caress of the soft sun on your skin. Enjoying the gentle warmth of this spring day I walked from Black Hill, northward along the ridge path on the western side of the hill.

Looking north along ridge

Looking south towards British Camp

Panoramic shot looking north

Catkins

 White clouds slowly slipped across the pale blue sky. Birds sang and as I stood in awe I watched a majestic kestrel hover in the sky above me.

Catkins illuminated by sunlight

Willow herb flames

Bluebell plants

 As I neared Gardiners Quarry I turned round and took a lower path through the dappled shade of the wood. Catkins like halos seemed to somehow become illuminated by the sunlight. Young willow herb plants peaked from the grass, red as tiny flames, whilst luxuriant green blue bell leaves greedily absorb the sunlight on the light dappled floor, preparing for their display of fine filigreed blooms.

View from the wood looking south

Old Hills, Callow End, Worcestershire, Circular bluebell walk.

The best time to go on a bluebell walk is the first two weeks in May if you get the chance.

The main path with horses.

If you are looking for the perfect bluebell walk, about twenty minutes walk, no real steep sections, then this is the walk for you.  Park in the second car park on the road out from Callow End, ( on the right hand side). Walk along the main path, and about 100 meters on the left in a kissing gate. This will take you across a field with sheep in.

Sheep and lambs in the field.

The fallen tree.

Just follow the yellow arrows, but if you feel a little lost look out for the fallen tree, and the little bridge you are looking for is just behind the log.

The bridge over the stream

Wild garlic, almost in flower

You now walk along the side of the stream, If you are lucky the wild garlic will be in flower. They look to me rather like peace lillies, and although very garlicky, I quite like the smell.

The field with Malvern Hills behind.

As you look across the field you can see the Malvern Hills in the distance.

There is then a metal farm gate, which you go through, and on your right is the gate you then go through into the blue bell wood. The

 blue bells plants are already so thick on the

 floor of the wood, that this years display is

Dense bluebells in the wood.

 guaranteed to be amazing. Remember the 

first two weeks in May is when you want to 

visit. At some time in that fortnight I will do

 the walk again and blog the pictures of these

 delicate beautiful oh-so English flowers.

The wood

It is a very beautiful wood

When you come out of the wood

The dead tree

 you cross a field. Head towards

 the dead tree, and the little gate

 you are looking for is just behind

 it. Once through the gate there is

 another gate just to your right.

 Go through there. Take the main path,

 and then keep to the right and you are

The field with the dead tree

 back on the Old Hills "proper". You 

will pass a sweet bench and a few 100

 yards further on there is a patch of 

gorse. Then you are back on the main

 path that leads back to the car park.

The gorse patch.

Midsummer Hill, Eastnor, Herefordsahire

Eastnor Castle seen from hill

The Malvern Hills extend south from Malvern into Eastnor in Herefordshire. One of the southern most hills is Midsummer hill. The paths to it's summit is quite narrow and steep, and for most of the climb you are surrounded by woodland. At this time of year you can see clearly through them past Eastnor Castle and the obelisk and out across the gently undulating Herefordshire countryside.

 Near the top you leave the trees and find yourself on a shale and grassy mound with great views in 360 degrees. There are buzzards, sparrowhawks and kestrels living around here and you can see the distinctive birds of prey hovering and then swooping down, both over the hills and the surrounding farmland. There is an information post at the top which explains about the different plants and animals you may see.

I was absolutely the only soul on the hill, even though the car park was full. There is an easier walk from the car par to the obelisk and I could see many people had walked there.Being alone on the hill though meant there was no one to disturb the wildlife and I saw many smaller birds including a very inquisitive wren and a pair of nervous pheasants.

The Herefordshire obelisk

View through trees

View from summit

Tree root detail

West Malvern Village, Worcestershire

West Malvern Village Hall

St James Church, West Malvern Road

 West Malvern village is a sleepy little picturesque village.The sleepyness I put down to the fact that being on the west side of the hill it takes the sun about an hour longer to reach the village than the rest of Worcestershire. In the summer however the late arrival of the sun each day is more than made up for the locals by the spectacular subsets.

The village looks lovely all year, and at Christmas the carols by candle light at the local church are enchantingly  festive. In summer there is a local art's festival, and my personal favourite is the summer music festival West-Fest.


There are many footpaths and once you have burnt off the calories you can replace them at the local pub, the Brewers Arm's. This pub has won competitions for its views, and has a very quaint "olde worlde" style.

Sign indicating footpath of West Malvern Road

Brewers Arm's public house

Lower Dingle view

The Quabs footpath

Cyclamen near "The Runnings"

Cyclamen detail

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