The Malvern Hills for Everyone: Accessible Days Out in the Landscape
Credit: Malvern Hills National Landscape
The Malvern Hills are amongst England’s most beautiful landscapes, rising dramatically between Herefordshire and Worcestershire. While many people associate them with strenuous hill walks, there are in fact many ways to enjoy the scenery without tackling steep climbs.
For many visitors the hills are synonymous with long walks and steep climbs. Yet the landscape can be enjoyed in many other ways. Scenic drives, accessible viewpoints, gardens, historic towns and cultural attractions mean that visitors with limited mobility can still experience the character and beauty of the Three Counties.
Barton Court sits on the western slopes of the Malvern Hills in Herefordshire, making it an ideal base from which to explore the area. Here are some ideas.
Scenic Viewpoints Without the Climb
British Camp
British Camp is one of the most famous viewpoints in the Malvern Hills. The car park sits high on the ridge and offers spectacular panoramic views. Even without walking far, visitors can enjoy the dramatic scenery that has inspired artists and composers for generations.
Wyche Cutting
The Wyche Cutting road passes directly through the hills and provides several stopping points with remarkable views across both Herefordshire and Worcestershire. It is one of the easiest ways to experience the landscape without a strenuous walk.
North Hill Car Park
Above the town of Great Malvern, North Hill offers another accessible vantage point with views across the Severn Valley. It is close to cafés, shops and facilities in the town below.
Accessible Walks and Lower-Level Routes
While the ridge paths themselves can be steep, several areas around the lower slopes of the Malvern Hills and surrounding commons offer gentler routes.
Flatter paths around the base of the hills allow visitors to enjoy the landscape, birdsong and open views without tackling the steepest ascents. Local countryside initiatives continue to develop routes that are suitable for mobility scooters and wheelchairs.
These suggested walks curated by the Malvern Hills Trust combine easier routes with spectacular views: https://www.malvernhills.org.uk/visiting/walking/easier-access/
Disabled Ramblers is a non-for-profit organisation whose work focuses on making outdoor expeditions accessible for those in wheelchairs. Their website is a mine of information: https://disabledramblers.co.uk/.
If you are keen to get out and about on a scooter, it would be a good idea to join the society. This link will take you to routes in and around the Malverns and West Midlands which have been tried and tested by the group: https://disabledramblers.co.uk/rambling-routes/. All of these are easily reached from Barton Court.
Exploring the Hills with Mobility Scooters
All-terrain mobility scooters, often called Trampers, allow visitors with reduced mobility to explore countryside paths that might otherwise be inaccessible. These specially designed scooters are built for uneven terrain and gentle hills.
Across the UK, visitor centres and countryside organisations increasingly provide Tramper hire schemes, allowing people to explore landscapes that would otherwise be difficult to reach. These are in somewhat limited supply in the Malvern Hills area but efforts are being made to extend the availabilty.
Visitors planning a stay in the Malvern Hills can hire one to explore the paths at Eastnor Castle and enjoy the views and their attractive gardens: https://eastnorcastle.com/eastnor-deer-park/deer-park-accessibility/ . There is also a teashop on the site called The Woodshed that has a disabled loo. Plans are in motion to provide another that will give access to a different section of Malvern Hills, possibly based at the Elim Centre in West Malvern.
If you want to find out more, a good source of information is David Armitage of the Malvern Hills National Landscape project. He has spearheaded a targeted project: https://www.malvernhills-nl.org.uk/access-for-all-project/
