Higher profile for Hills

Even from much further afield they're often an integral part of the view: look south from the Wrekin, east from Hay Bluff, north from May Hill or west from Larkstoke and there are the distant Malverns, their jagged outline instantly recognisable.

The importance of the Malverns as a landscape feature is matched by their geological significance, and now the Herefordshire and Worcestershire Earth Heritage Trust is seeking recognition of that fact.

The Trust has mounted a bid to gain European Geopark status for our region. If that's an unfamiliar term, it's probably because no geopark has yet been designated in England. If granted, geopark status would prompt welcome funding for geo-conservation and help to raise awareness of earth heritage both locally and nationally.

It should also help to promote tourism, providing an economic boost.

To qualify as a geopark, a region must contain sites of significant importance, which may be of geological, archaeological, ecological or cultural value.

Geological sites should have particular importance in terms of scientific interest, rarity, aesthetic appeal or educational value. The Trust is confident that the Herefordshire/ Worcestershire region meets the requirements, with five designated Sites of Special Scientific Interest for geology and over 40 Regionally Important Geological Sites.

The Malvern Hills are particularly important, along with the Wigmore Basin and our share of both the Black Mountains and the Cotswold escarpment.

It's often said that the Malverns are composed of the oldest rocks in England. This is open to debate, but they're certainly among the oldest, and include a complex mix of pre-Cambrian granites and diorites.

This walk starts at Tank Quarry, where a long-established geology trail seeks to explain something of that diversity, with information panels beside named examples of different types of rock.

It's worth a walk around the trail before you set off on the actual walk itself, which provides the opportunity to enjoy the Malverns purely in the landscape sense.

The footpaths are good too - for once, no struggling through crops or over blocked stiles or barbed wire is necessary.

DIRECTIONS

Take a path signed "To Worcs Way" which climbs up a bank between the picnic place and the road.

Don't turn left, however, to find the Worcestershire Way. Instead, turn right past point six on the Geology Trail. Walk along the bank then descend to the road.

Go past a substation then immediately turn right on a path which climbs through woodland.

When you reach a junction there are two flights of steps to choose from.

Take the right-hand flight and climb to a clearing. Walk to the far side to find more steps.

These soon come to an end but a path continues uphill to reach a junction.

Turn right, still climbing and soon swapping the woods for an open landscape of bracken, gorse, scrub and quarry debris.

Keep straight on uphill at two junctions, the first marked by a fire-damaged ash tree and the second by an old wooden bench.

As you reach the top of a saddle Worcestershire Beacon comes into view, along with Herefordshire, Gloucestershire and Powys.

Keep straight on, then turn left at a T-junction, and soon right to another junction marked by a wooden bench.

Continue past the bench to join a terraced path around the western side of Table Hill. Fork right at a junction, contouring round Sugarloaf Hill to reach the round, stone route indicator on the saddle below the Beacon.

Turn right, signed "West Malvern", and again contour round Sugarloaf, at a lower level this time, ignoring paths branching left.

Go straight on towards West Malvern at a cross-paths.

Cross the B4232 and walk down Croft Bank. Take the second right, Croft Farm Drive, then turn right on a bridleway next to a house called Wellcove.

Cross three fields towards Birches Farm. At the farm gate two bridleways are waymarked - take the one which runs left of the farmhouse and then across two fields to the far left corner of the second one.

Cross Whippets Brook and walk up the right-hand edge of a field.

Go through a gate in the top corner and turn right on to a footpath (yellow arrow).

Keep straight on at a junction, cross a stile and continue through a long, narrow meadow to the far right corner where you join a bridleway which passes Cowleigh Gate Farm to meet the B4219.

Turn right for 100m to reach High Wood, then right again on a footpath.

The path descends slightly to ford Whippets Brook then climbs gently through the wood to eventually join a track.

Continue in the same direction until you come to a waymarked cross-paths. Turn left here, joining the Worcestershire Way. Follow it through the wood then across a field to a road.

Leave the Worcestershire Way, crossing the road to a flight of steps opposite. At the top of the steps turn left to Tank Quarry.

PLEASE NOTE: This walk has been carefully checked and the directions are believed to be correct at the time of publication. No responsibility is accepted by either the author or publisher for errors or omissions, or for any loss or injury, however caused.

FACTFILE

Start: Tank Quarry Picnic Place, North Malvern Road, North Malvern, grid reference SO770470.

Length: 4 miles/6.5km.

Maps: OS Explorer 190, OS Landranger 150, Harvey Superwalker Malvern Hills.

Terrain: Mostly gentle, but with a few steep slopes, including two steep flights of steps; excellent stony paths on the hills, with good paths through woodland and pasture elsewhere, possibly muddy in High Wood.

Stiles: Four.

Parking: Tank Quarry.

Public transport: By frequent bus or train to Great Malvern then Newbury Coaches 675 on weekdays or Jones Bros Coaches 244 (Malvern Hills Hopper) on Sundays/bank holidays (until 26 October); alternatively, it's only a very short walk from Link Top (buses) or Malvern Link (buses/trains); Traveline 0870 608 2608.

Refreshments: West Malvern or North Malvern, but not actually en route.