Worcestershire Beacon

At 425 metres, the Worcestershire Beacon is the top of the Malvern Hills and the highest point in the county. The Database of British and Irish Hills lists it as a Marilyn, a hill that stands well clear of its surroundings, and that is why the summit feels so high above the flat land to the east.

On the summit

The summit is a small rocky top with two things to find. One is an Ordnance Survey trig pillar. The other is the toposcope, a circular view indicator designed by the Malvern architect Arthur Troyte Griffith and put up in 1897 for Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee. Its engraved dial names the landmarks you can see in each direction.

As the name suggests, the hill was used for signal fires. It is recorded as part of the chain of beacons lit in 1588 to warn of the Spanish Armada. There was once a café just below the summit, but it burned down in 1989 and was not rebuilt, so bring your own refreshments.

The easiest way up

The gentlest ascent is the surfaced path from the Beacon Road car park at Upper Wyche. It starts high on the hill, so most of the climbing is done by car. From Great Malvern the classic route climbs past St Ann’s Well. It is steeper, but you can do it straight from the town centre or the station.

Getting there without a car

Great Malvern station is at the foot of the hill. A steady climb through the town and up the hillside paths brings you to the summit. See walks from the station.