10 top attractions in the Malverns

#1 British Camp

Park opposite the Malvern Hills Hotel where the B4232 meets the A449 (postcode WR13 6DW).

It’s not the most heroic of names, with its echoes of John Inman, Larry Grayson and Julian Clary, but British Camp is an impressive Iron Age hillfort perched on Herefordshire Beacon in the Malvern Hills.

A walk to the top and the fort’s grassy ramparts lead to spellbinding views in all directions. An English Heritage survey found evidence of 29 huts up here, so you might think of British Camp as a 3,500-year-old campsite! There’s a car park at the foot of the hill to make a walk here a bit easier.

#2 The Firs

Elgar’s Birthplace,
Crown East Lane,
Lower Broadheath,
Worcestershire
WR2 6RH 

“I've got a tune that will knock 'em – knock 'em flat,” said composer, Sir Edward Elgar, when he’d finished adding the final crotchets, quavers and minims to his Pomp & Circumstance March No 1 in D, better known these days as Land of Hope and Glory.

Malvern’s most famous son was born at The Firs, a pretty cottage with a flower garden and a children-pleasing Sound Garden where various giant outdoor instruments let composers of all ages make music.

#3 Berrington Hall

Near Leominster,
Herefordshire
HR6 0DW

Explore the upstairs-downstairs contrasts in this magnificent Georgian stately home, built for the Earl of Oxford and now run by the National Trust.

The house and its interiors were designed by celebrated eighteenth-century architect, Henry Holland, whose father-in-law, ‘Capability’ Brown, laid out the fabulous parkland that surrounds the property. Don’t miss the secondhand bookshop on the way out – a great place to pick up a bargain for evening reading in your caravan, campervan or motorhome.

#4 Morgan Motor Company Visitor Centre

Spring Lane,
Malvern,
Worcestershire
WR14 1AJ

It would be sacrilege to fit a towbar to a Morgan, but it would take a caravanner with a heart of stone not to swoon at these charismatic sports cars with their sweeping, graceful style.

The workshops are light years away from the automated robots of modern production lines, producing just 800 cars per year and serving as guardians of classic craftsmanship. The cars have fine leatherwork and ash woodwork – only the aluminium bodies are a concession to the twenty-first century.

Guided tours are available of the 110-year-old manufacturer from Monday to Thursday, and Friday mornings, as well as the occasional Saturday.

#5 Brockhampton Estate

Brockhampton Estate,
Bringsty,
near Bromyard,
Herefordshire
WR6 5TB

Not all National Trust properties are massive stately home piles, as this modest medieval farmhouse reveals. True, the timber-framed Great Hall is grander than the average dining room, but the rest of the house is rather humble and unmodernised.

There’s nothing understated about the grounds, though, where six dog-friendly waymarked trails lead through the estate’s woods and parkland. It’s a one-mile walk to the little café, so you’ll have certainly earnt your cake when you get there.

#6 Croome Court

Near High Green,
Worcester,
Worcestershire
WR8 9DW

From the family home of the Earls of Coventry to a school, to the international headquarters of the Hare Krishna movement, it’s fair to say that Croome Court has had an unorthodox history for an English stately home.

These days the Palladian-style house is looked after by the National Trust, and boasts a surprisingly contemporary art collection, plus waymarked walks through its handsome parkland, which is peppered with follies and towers.

#7 Severn Leisure Cruises

The Boathouse,
Riverside,
Upton upon Severn,
Worcester WR8 0HG

Go with the flow on a cruise down the Severn, aboard the MV Conway Castle. It’s worth timing your trip to coincide with a themed cruise – a fish & chips lunchtime cruise every other Friday; a jazz and blues cruise on the third Sunday of the month; and afternoon tea cruises on certain Tuesdays and Thursdays.

#8 Little Malvern

Little Malvern Court & Gardens,
Little Malvern
WR14 4JN

Don’t get hung up on names – Great Malvern may be a grand place to visit, but there’s nothing minor about the appeal of Little Malvern for an afternoon out. This small village on the flanks of the Malvern Hills features a gorgeous priory church, whose foundations were sunk sometime around 1125.

Little Malvern Court, a fifteenth century hall nestled in 10 acres of fine grounds, with a chain of lakes, lovely views over the River Severn valley, and mighty cedar trees grown from seeds collected in the Holy Land, is also worth adding that to your schedule.

#9 Sudeley Castle Gardens

The Malverns are within a quick hop of the Cotswolds, where Sudeley Castle offers a captivating day out. The castle itself is luxurious yet liveable, rather than an austere fortress, while outside there are 10 spectacular gardens for green-fingered caravanners to enjoy.

And make sure you allow time to visit St Mary's Church, where Katherine Parr, the last (and surviving) wife of multi-married Henry VIII is buried.

#10 Symonds Yat Rock

Near Coleford,
Gloucestershire
GL16 7NZ

Goshawk, peregrine, kestrel, buzzard... the RSPB sightings board at this 165-metre (500ft) limestone outcrop above the River Wye are exciting for lovers of birds of prey. And if you don’t see a taloned hunter on the wing, content yourself with one of the finest views in Britain – a sweep of the ancient Forest of Dean and a delicious curl of the Wye.

There are waymarked trails and circular walks through the woods, while Symonds Yat village straddles the river, which is traversed aboard two fantastic ancient hand-pull ferries.

Where to stay

Blackmore Camping & Caravanning Club Site

No 2 Hanley Swan,
Worcs
WR8 0EE

Tucked into the peaceful Worcestershire countryside, this Camping & Caravanning Club site, which is open all year, has views to the Malvern Hills and all the facilities you’d expect from a top Club campsite.

Kings Green Caravan Park

Kingsgreen,
Berrow,
Nr Malvern,
Worcestershire
WR13 6AQ

Positioned towards the southern end of the Malvern Hills, this is an ideal basecamp for exploring the Malvern area, open from March to October. The level campsite has two large fishing lakes.

Woodside Country Park

Falcon Lane,
Ledbury
HR8 2JN

Nestling in the western foothills of the Malverns, near Ledbury, this rural, open-all-year campsite has electric hook-ups in two grass fields, and boasts a proud Gold in the ‘Loo of the Year Awards’. There are several fishing pools with rudd, roach, tench, and carp.