With The Manor at Abberley pub in front of you, turn right to walk for 0.25 miles (400m) to a fingerpost on left after the stream at Rodge Cottage’s driveway. Leave this meadow by a stile, onto a track heading straight for One Acre Cottage. Just before its garage there is a signposted path to the left, past the cottage’s garden. Waymarker posts lead past hop bines on left for some 275yds (251m). Veer right after some woodland through a gate, gently up, then down to the left-hand corner gate.
Turn left. Just beyond a private, floodlit tennis court on the left turn right, signposted ‘Worc Way & Malvern 24 miles’. Now go straight for 750yds (686m). Turn left at the road. On a bend, where the road is widened for a quarry entrance, do not take the steep flight of wooden steps, but go 80yds (73m) further, downhill, to follow a Worcestershire Way marker.
Follow this in woodland for 650yds (594m), then slant across one field before climbing Abberley Hill. You may notice that the trees around you – sweet chestnuts – are classically coppiced. In one place this ascent is particularly steep, with views to the adjacent deep quarry.
Having attained the ridge, follow ‘Worcestershire Way’ to the left, keeping on it for about about 1.5 miles (2.4km), until a lane 400yds (366m) beyond the Trig Point.
Walk right on the lane, descending steeply for 180yds (165m). Follow the Abberley Circular Walk fingerpost down many wooden steps. Take a gate out of woods, bear left to another gate and cross meadows continuing down to The Village, Abberley.
Abberley is a village of three distinct parts: The Village, Abberley is the oldest and clusters around the minimal remains of the 12th-century parish church of St Michael. Only the Norman chancel remains fully intact. Abberley’s ‘new’ church is dedicated to St Mary. It lies a couple of minutes’... walk from The Village. Although 13th century in style, it was constructed a mere 150 years ago and largely rebuilt following a fire in 1876. Overlooking The Village, Abberley is The Hill, Abberley with a scattering of farms and cottages on the steep slopes of Abberley Hill. The most recent introduction is The Common, Abberley, which includes newer housing, the primary school and village shop, all congregating around the Cleobury Road. Abberley Hill was at the centre of a protracted standoff between the Welsh and English armies in 1405. The Welsh army of Owain Glyn Dwr took up battle positions on Abberley Hill while King Henry IV’s English army occupied the neighbouring Woodbury Hill, an Iron Age hill fort, clearly seen from the trig point on Abberley Hill. Both armies occupied their positions for days without any major action and they never engaged in battle, merely eyeing one another suspiciously. With supply routes blocked, the Welsh army began to starve and headed home. The distinctive Abberley Clock Tower, seen close to Woodbury Hill, is a Grade II listed building in the grounds of Abberley Hall School. The tower is the setting for the children’s book by Gene Kemp, The Clock Tower Ghost, renamed Addlesbury Tower. Considered a modern classic, written in 1981, the novel is one of the author’s most popular stories. Along the route, you may notice signs for The Geopark Way. Abberley Hill is within the Abberley and Malvern Hills Geopark, an area that covers 482 square miles and one of ten Geoparks in the UK. Within the Geopark there are rocks that span 700 million years of the earth’s history. Abberley Hill, and some of its neighbouring high spots, was formed during the Silurian period around 420 million years ago. At the redundant Shavers End Quarry, seen as you climb Abberley Hill, limestones and shales lie over the top of younger rocks suggesting major mountain building forces when the rocks were uplifted. It is possible that you could find fossils on your walk.
Worcestershire is a county of rolling hills, save for the flat Vale of Evesham in the east and the prominent spine of the Malverns in the west. Nearly all of the land is worked in some way; arable farming predominates – oilseed rape, cereals and potatoes – but there are concentrated areas of specific land uses, such as market gardening and plum growing.
With The Manor at Abberley pub in front of you, turn right to walk for 0.25 miles (400m) to a fingerpost on left after the stream at Rodge Cottage’s driveway. Leave this meadow by a stile, onto a track heading straight for One Acre Cottage. Just before its garage there is a signposted path to the left, past the cottage’s garden. Waymarker posts lead past hop bines on left for some 275yds (251m). Veer right after some woodland through a gate, gently up, then down to the left-hand corner gate.
1 of 5
Turn left. Just beyond a private, floodlit tennis court on the left turn right, signposted ‘Worc Way & Malvern 24 miles’. Now go straight for 750yds (686m). Turn left at the road. On a bend, where the road is widened for a quarry entrance, do not take the steep flight of wooden steps, but go 80yds (73m) further, downhill, to follow a Worcestershire Way marker.
2 of 5
Follow this in woodland for 650yds (594m), then slant across one field before climbing Abberley Hill. You may notice that the trees around you – sweet chestnuts – are classically coppiced. In one place this ascent is particularly steep, with views to the adjacent deep quarry.
3 of 5
Having attained the ridge, follow ‘Worcestershire Way’ to the left, keeping on it for about about 1.5 miles (2.4km), until a lane 400yds (366m) beyond the Trig Point.
4 of 5
Walk right on the lane, descending steeply for 180yds (165m). Follow the Abberley Circular Walk fingerpost down many wooden steps. Take a gate out of woods, bear left to another gate and cross meadows continuing down to The Village, Abberley.
Abberley is a village of three distinct parts: The Village, Abberley is the oldest and clusters around the minimal remains of the 12th-century parish church of St Michael. Only the Norman chancel remains fully intact. Abberley’s ‘new’ church is dedicated to St Mary. It lies a couple of minutes’... walk from The Village. Although 13th century in style, it was constructed a mere 150 years ago and largely rebuilt following a fire in 1876. Overlooking The Village, Abberley is The Hill, Abberley with a scattering of farms and cottages on the steep slopes of Abberley Hill. The most recent introduction is The Common, Abberley, which includes newer housing, the primary school and village shop, all congregating around the Cleobury Road. Abberley Hill was at the centre of a protracted standoff between the Welsh and English armies in 1405. The Welsh army of Owain Glyn Dwr took up battle positions on Abberley Hill while King Henry IV’s English army occupied the neighbouring Woodbury Hill, an Iron Age hill fort, clearly seen from the trig point on Abberley Hill. Both armies occupied their positions for days without any major action and they never engaged in battle, merely eyeing one another suspiciously. With supply routes blocked, the Welsh army began to starve and headed home. The distinctive Abberley Clock Tower, seen close to Woodbury Hill, is a Grade II listed building in the grounds of Abberley Hall School. The tower is the setting for the children’s book by Gene Kemp, The Clock Tower Ghost, renamed Addlesbury Tower. Considered a modern classic, written in 1981, the novel is one of the author’s most popular stories. Along the route, you may notice signs for The Geopark Way. Abberley Hill is within the Abberley and Malvern Hills Geopark, an area that covers 482 square miles and one of ten Geoparks in the UK. Within the Geopark there are rocks that span 700 million years of the earth’s history. Abberley Hill, and some of its neighbouring high spots, was formed during the Silurian period around 420 million years ago. At the redundant Shavers End Quarry, seen as you climb Abberley Hill, limestones and shales lie over the top of younger rocks suggesting major mountain building forces when the rocks were uplifted. It is possible that you could find fossils on your walk.
Worcestershire is a county of rolling hills, save for the flat Vale of Evesham in the east and the prominent spine of the Malverns in the west. Nearly all of the land is worked in some way; arable farming predominates – oilseed rape, cereals and potatoes – but there are concentrated areas of specific land uses, such as market gardening and plum growing.
