Wild Camping in the Malvern Hills and a Walk to British Camp

Wild camping on the Malvern Hills

I'd been wanting to camp on the Malvern Hills for quite a while and I picked Midsummer Hill as the best place to start. It's a quiet, historic and scenic hill that is only a short drive from home in Ledbury. A couple of weeks back I had a free night to do it, but the wind was so strong that day I gave up on the idea. At the time I felt like I had bottled it, but when I finally went back to camp with just a gentle breeze on the forecast, I realised I had actually made the sensible choice. Even on a supposedly calm evening, the Malverns were still doing their best to blow me into Worcestershire.

My plan was to camp inside one of the old ramparts on the hill. They looked like they might give some protection, but the ones that were big enough to use were on the southern side, which was exactly where the wind was coming from. Rather than give shelter, they seemed to act like giant wind tunnels. Not exactly ideal for a quiet night and I wanted to enjoy some peace. In the end, I wandered round to the northern side and found a spot next to a tree. It was sheltered and the view was pretty epic. The only issue was the slope. When I lay on my groundsheet it felt absolutely fine, but when the tent was up and I got inside, it suddenly felt like I was bedding down on the deck of a sinking ship.

Me and my Helm Compact 1 tent on Midsummer Hill

Camping on a bit of a slope overlooking the northern Malvern Hills

By this point, with the fading light, I had no other reasonable options for sheltered places to pitch. A dog walked up to me briefly too so I knew there were other people on the hill for sunset. I cracked open a can of dry cider, which made it all feel less of a problem, and sat back to watch the sun drop behind the Eastnor obelisk. The sky was incredible and for a while I forgot about the slope and the wind. Eventually the lights of Malvern and Worcester started to twinkle down below to the east, which was a nice reminder that despite civilisation being close by, it was really easy to escape from it once in a while if you just stroll up a hill with a tent. 

The obelisk, Eastnor, at sunset

The bright lights of Worcestershire from a hill in Herefordshire 

Darkness falls on Midsummer Hill

Sleep was a bit mixed. I woke up a few times having slid down my mat. In the end I shoved my backpack under it to level things out which worked a treat. I was also woken at one point by a noise that can only be described as a cross between a toad and a pig near to my tent. Not exactly relaxing, but then again I was the one camping in its garden so I had to live with it, whatever it was. 

The sunrise the next morning made up for everything. Just as good as the sunset, if not better. I admired the orange glow slowly filling the sky from my tent, then strolled up to the summit for a wider view. I then packed everything away carefully, making sure I left no trace behind. I had a protein bar for breakfast (not quite a fry-up, but it did the job), and set off on the snappily named Hollybush Rough, British Camp and Castlemorton Common Circular Walk.

Sunrise view from my tent in the Malvern Hills

Midsummer Hill at sunrise

A misty Herefordshire from Midsummer Hill

My first stop was British Camp, also called the Herefordshire Beacon. The path took me down through the woods near the obelisk and then back up past Giant's Cave. There were a few dog walkers about, looking at me wondering where I'd come from with a backpack the size of a small fridge. Otherwise it was very quiet and just a glorious plod with the sun rising to the east. A few ups and downs but largely flat and a pure joy to be walking on the Malverns at that time of the day. It didn't take too long to reach the steps up to the highest point of my walk. 

LEAVE NO TRACE

The sun rising behind Swinyard Hill

The path to the Herefordshire Beacon from the south

British Camp (338m) is one of the most famous landmarks in the Malverns. The huge earthworks you see today date back over 2000 years to the Iron Age. The banks and ditches would have made it a strong defensive site with views for miles. Later on, the Normans built a motte-and-bailey castle on the same spot. Standing at the top, looking out over the countryside in all directions, you can see why it was such a good spot for a stronghold. It is also a lovely place to catch your breath after realising you are less fit than the Iron Age warriors who used to run up there daily.

One of the ramparts on the Herefordshire Beacon

The view north from the summit of the Herefordshire Beacon

After enjoying the views, I headed down to the nearby car park and along the lane at the back of it to the British Camp Reservoir. As you'd expect, it is fenced off, but I hadn't been down to it before so it was nice to have a look. From there I carried on along the eastern side of the Malverns through a common towards Gullet Quarry. I climbed the path next to the quarry to get a better view. When I was younger you could swim there, but too many accidents happened from people jumping in from the rocks above and the cold shock of the water caused several deaths. It's sadly, but understandably, now closed to the public.

British Camp Reservoir 

Walking along the common towards Hollybush

Gullet Quarry

From the quarry I looped back along the lane to the Hollybush car park at the bottom of Midsummer Hill where I had started. Then it was time to head home. Even though the tent pitch had been more like a slide, it was still a brilliant trip. Watching the sunset with a drink in hand, waking up to a sunrise, and walking through so much history and glorious scenery the next morning made it another special wild camping adventure. This was my third trip up Midsummer Hill in just six weeks. Before that, I had only climbed it once. A friend had insisted I was missing out on the hill’s legendary sunrise and sunset views. I think they were right, but I have now probably spent more time on that old hillfort than anyone since the Iron Age.

It’s worth pointing out that wild camping on the Malverns is definitely not allowed. The Malvern Hills have their own bylaws which ban camping completely, and unlike in most places where the worst you’ll get is someone asking you to move on, the Malvern Hills Trust can issue fines of up to £500. Midsummer Hill is a bit different though, as it’s owned by the National Trust. They have their own bylaws too, but they are more relaxed in the Lake District where they tolerate wild camping above the highest fell walls. This obviously isn't the Lake District though, so you'd have to pretend you were a bit daft and misunderstood their website. Midsummer Hill is one of the quieter spots in the range, so you are far less likely to be noticed anyway. Still, it’s always a case of being discreet and leaving no trace.