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| 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 10:30pm, feeling grown up, sensible and properly boring.
The morning itself was really 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. The original plan was to walk 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. It's a quick wander to spine of the Malvern Hills from there so if you want to catch sunrise, but don't want to walk too far, it's a decent option. I can't think of an easier route to the top of any of the Malverns.
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| Walking to Perseverance Hill, Malvern |
We made it up to Perseverance Hill fairly quickly, even if it was a bit of a slog with Molly on my back. Sadly, the sun didn’t really put on much of a show. The low clouds were quite thick and there wasn’t much to see in terms of an actual sunrise. It was frosty underfoot with a biting wind from the west. We waited a while in the hope of seeing the sun emerge through the clouds, but there is only so much time a kid will tolerate being sat in one place with the same view. Molly made her feelings known so we walked back along the hills to the car.
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| A (sort of) sunrise from Perseverance Hill |
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| Dog walking on Perseverance Hill |
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| Cattle on the Malverns |
Never mind. Even without the dramatic sunrise 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.
Perseverance Hill is a good spot for both sunrise and sunset on a clear day. This middle section of the Malverns doesn't quite get the same footfall as the routes to the Worcestershire or Herefordshire Beacons, but with good pubs at both ends and a nice return path through woodland and past bluebells in Spring on the western side, you can enjoy pretty decent circular walk. Happy New Year.
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| With my daughter Molly on the Malverns |
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| The Lovering family welcomes 2026 from the Malverns |
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