Our Sundays are usually earmarked for some fresh air and some tired legs, but this one came with a bit of clock-watching too. We didn’t have time for one of our longer rambles because we had a family birthday meal lined up in Hereford for my sister-in-law Tam. So we settled on a short but scenic loop right on our doorstep, up Midsummer Hill and across to the Eastnor obelisk. Just enough to stretch the legs, tire out the dogs and remind ourselves why we love living so close to the Malverns.
It was a warm, dry afternoon when we set off from the car park near Hollybush. Molly was strapped into the baby carrier on my back, babbling happily in my ear and occasionally trying to slap the back of my head for reasons unknown. Stace kept a tight hold on Dottie and Wilf, our two terriers. Dottie walked along sensibly while Wilf dragged at the lead the entire way as if he had somewhere far more important to be.
The climb up Midsummer Hill is relatively short, but definitely sharp enough to get the legs burning and the heart pumping. It's pretty brutal with a kid on your back, but it's nice to get some proper exercise. It does deceive you in a way because the start is steep going into some woodland, and it looks like it will become more gentle as you walk through the trees. If anything it gets more steep though. The summit has an elevation of 284m. It's not the largest of the Malvern Hills, but it's one of the quietest.
This hill is entirely within the county of Herefordshire. It's a common misconception that the Malvern Hills are all in Worcestershire, because they are named after the Worcestershire town on it's eastern banks. The Herefordshire border runs down the middle of a lot of the Malverns though and Chase End Hill at the southern end also shares a border with Gloucestershire. So the Malverns are actually in three counties, not just the one.
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Wilf leading the way up to Midsummer Hill
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| Steep woodland walking to the summit |
Midsummer Hill the only hill in the Malverns that isn't owned by the Malvern Hills Trust. It is National Trust property and is a site of historical significance. A survey by English Heritage in 1999 recorded as many as 483 hut platforms and it is estimated that up to 1500 people used to live on this Iron Age hill fort. Back in the day, a hut on this hill was prime real estate. From the top you get a great view of the spine of the Malverns, across to Eastnor Castle and down to May Hill.
This was our second visit to a local Iron Age hill fort in 8 days. Sundays spent groaning on the sofa with a hangover when I had a social life now seem like a distant memory. What a time to be barely alive.
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| Molly and I on Midsummer Hill |
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| A National Trust shelter on Midsummer Hill |
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| Eastnor Castle from Midsummer Hill |
Continuing the walk north west, we didn’t see another soul until we reached the Eastnor obelisk. I've been there many times, usually out of breath from the deceptively knackering walk up the hill from Eastnor Deer Park. You usually find a number of people sat on the grass near to it recovering. The obelisk was built in 1812 by John Somers Cocks, the 2nd Earl Somers of Eastnor Castle, as a memorial to his father. It’s a grand, stone needle rising from the foothills of the Malverns, dramatically marking the family’s estate.
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| The Herefordshire Beacon (left) and Worcestershire Beacon (centre) |
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| Eastnor obelisk |
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| Eastnor obelisk |
We stopped for a quick water break there, passing the bottle between us while the dogs wolfed theirs down from the travel bowl. Molly was content to people-watch now there were finally people to watch, and I could see British Camp across the way looking really busy, reminding me how lucky we were to have had Midsummer Hill to ourselves.
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| The Herefordshire Beacon (British Camp) from Eastnor obelisk |
From the obelisk back to the car park, we walked along a country lane around the western side of Midsummer Hill, with views of the obelisk we'd just departed and Ragged Stone Hill. Back at the car, we bundled the dogs in and Molly screamed at the idea of being moved from the baby carrier to a car seat. Thankfully the journey home was only 5 minutes or so.
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| A country lane near Midsummer Hill, Herefordshire |
The birthday meal at Beefy Boys was superb as usual. Herefordshire burgers washed down with Herefordshire lager. I had a Biscoff Sundae for dessert. I'm pretty sure Biscoff biscuits are from Belgium, but let's just pretend they are from Bromyard. We got home just in time to catch the Lionesses winning the Euro 2025 trophy on TV. A glorious end to a day of local walking, local food and international success. Proof that even when time’s tight, you can pack a lot into a Sunday.
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