Elephant Tracks: The Elmley Castle and Bredon Hill Circular Walk

This weekend we decided to tackle the Elmley Castle and Bredon Hill circular walk. Part of the reason I wanted to do this was to have a look at some rocks that apparently resemble an elephant. Some might call that daft, but I’d honestly call it a pretty good Saturday. Sad.

We parked up in the picturesque village of Elmley Castle. I strapped our one-year-old daughter Molly into the carrier and she gave me a look that said "Not this again". Stace followed with Dottie and Wilf, our two uncontrollable little terriers who were pulling at the leads, absolutely desperate to break free and cause chaos.

Elmley Castle, Worcestershire 

Molly thinking "Here we go again"

It’s been a proper scorcher of a July so far. So dry that this part of Worcestershire looked more like a corner of Kansas than anything near the Cotswolds. Rolling hills usually lush and green were now beige. It was a hot, dusty trail and the first half of the 5.5 mile loop was pretty much all uphill. It was tough going at times. 

A useful waymarker on Bredon Hill. I recommend bringing a map

The Malvern Hills from Bredon Hill

Molly was brilliant again. She only piped up with a few little cries here and there. We had to stop before the summit to change her nappy and shared a few flapjacks while we rested for a bit and enjoyed the scenery.

A break on Bredon Hill

As we continued walking, we passed the old ramparts of Kemerton Camp. This Iron Age hill fort has been sitting up here for over 2,000 years, built by local tribes as a safe place to gather and keep watch over the Vale of Evesham. Its double banks and ditches are still easy to spot and are reminders of a time when hilltops like this were strongholds. Families like ours have been making their way up this hill for thousands of years, although probably with fewer flapjacks back in the day. 

Iron Age ramparts on Bredon Hill

Eventually we reached the top and found our rocky elephant-ish friend. If you squint from the right angle it kind of looks like an elephant at least. We took the obligatory photo and spent a little time taking in the views of Worcestershire spread out below. It's a prominent hill so from the top you can see for miles in all directions. Also on the summit is Parson's Folly, which was built in the mid-18th century as a summer house for MP John Parsons. 

Elephant Rock, Bredon Hill

Parson's Folly, Bredon Hill

The Malvern Hills in the distance from Bredon Hill

We then walked part of the Wychavon Way which is a long distance footpath running from Droitwich (known to locals as Detroitwich), to Broadway. The remainder of the walk was mercifully easier as it was mainly flat followed by a long downhill back towards the car and the promise of a cold pint in the pub. We spotted a deer hopping through one of the fields as we headed back towards Elmley Castle. 

Bredon Hill to Elmley Castle

Molly on Bredon Hill

Spot the deer

We finished up at the Queen Elizabeth Inn where I swapped the weight of Molly for the weight of a well-earned pint of Moretti. There was no one else in the beer garden but we still tucked ourselves into a far corner, just in case anyone turned up with a dog that might send Dottie and Wilf into a barking meltdown. 

A game of cricket in Elmley Castle

Molly in the beer garden of the Queen Elizabeth Inn, Elmley Castle

Refreshments after a long walk (shandy for the designated driver)

The final test was the drive home. Molly’s nap schedule is one we have to try to follow as strictly as possible. Let her sleep in the car and bedtime is doomed. So I sat in the back seat beside her and Stace put a nursery rhyme album on Spotify. I tried to sing along to them all, even though I hadn’t heard half of them before. Some of them were just daft. With the occasional prod I managed to keep young 'un awake for the journey and guarantee us a little bit of down time later when Molly went to sleep at the usual hour. 

It was a difficult walk at times in the heat, but it was definitely worth it for the scenery. If you’re thinking of doing the Elmley Castle and Bredon Hill loop, please pass on my regards to the elephant rock thing. 

https://www.alltrails.com/en-gb/trail/england/worcestershire/elmley-castle-and-bredon-hill--2