A New Year's Day Sunrise Walk to Perseverance Hill

Sunrise on the Malvern Hills

Last year we had this lovely idea of getting up early on New Year’s Day and walking up the Malverns to watch the very first sunrise of the year. It was absolutely chucking it down though, so we took one look outside and went straight back to bed. This year, the forecast looked a lot more promising, so we decided to actually make the effort.

I’m not a massive fan of New Year’s Eve television and with an 18-month-old daughter we’re not exactly heading out for a big night on the booze anymore. We were tucked up in bed by about 22:30, feeling very grown up, sensible and boring. 

The morning itself was properly cold and anyone with a toddler will know that getting out of the house always takes at least twice as long as you think it should. My original plan was to walk all the way up to the Worcestershire Beacon for sunrise, but time was ticking on and I wasn’t convinced how happy Molly would be sitting in the carrier with the wind chill. In the end we parked near the Wyche Cutting and headed straight up the hills by the toilet block there.

Walking to Perseverance Hill, Malvern

We made it up to Perseverance Hill in no time at all. Sadly, the sun didn’t really put on much of a show. The low clouds were fairly thick and there wasn’t much to see in terms of an actual sunrise.

A (sort of) sunrise from Perseverance Hill

Dog walking on Perseverance Hill

Cattle on the Malverns

Never mind. Even without the dramatic views, it still felt pretty special to be up on the Malverns welcoming in 2026. There was something nice about starting the year outdoors, wrapped up warm, with hardly anyone else around. And most importantly, Molly was great the whole time, which always feels like a win. Happy New Year. 

With my daughter Molly on the Malverns

The Lovering family welcomes 2026 from the Malverns