Safety: Swimming in Gullet Quarry is prohibited, and crossing the safety fence breaks the Malvern Hills Trust’s byelaws. The water is deep and very cold, and the quarry face is unstable with rock falls. Two young men drowned here in 2013. Staff and police patrol the site.
- Quarry lake
- Exposed Precambrian rocks
- Last worked in the 1970s
Gullet Quarry is a disused quarry in the southern Malverns, near Swinyard Hill. It was last worked in the 1970s. Today a lake fills the quarry floor beneath a tall rock face, and it is a striking place to see from a safe distance.
Geology
The main face is a cross-section through some of the oldest rocks in the region. Diorite, granite, gneiss, schist, pegmatite and dolerite are all exposed. Garnet-bearing gneisses occur in the crags and quarries around Swinyard Hill and the Gullet.
Safety
The lake looks inviting on a hot day, but it is deep and very cold, and the rock face above it is unstable. After two young men drowned in 2013, the Malvern Hills Trust put up barriers and warning signs. Swimming and crossing the fence both breach the Trust’s byelaws, and staff and police patrol in summer.
Getting there: In the southern hills near Swinyard Hill. The nearest Malvern Hills Trust car park is Swinyard car park on Gullet Road.
Nearest parking
Pay-and-display car park on Gullet Road, close to Swinyard Hill and Midsummer Hill.
Charges: £6.50 per day (valid in any Malvern Hills Trust car park that day), or £3.75 after 6pm. Blue Badge holders free. (checked Sept 2026)
Food and drink near Gullet Quarry
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In Castlemorton, about 3.5 km south-east of British Camp, below the southern end of the ridge. It posts news on Facebook rather than a website.
Website for The Robin Hood (opens in a new tab) Call The Robin Hood Directions to The Robin Hood (Google Maps, opens in a new tab)
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On the edge of Castlemorton Common, about 3 km south-east of British Camp: a stop for walks at the southern end of the hills.
- Garden
Website for Plume of Feathers (opens in a new tab) Call Plume of Feathers Directions to Plume of Feathers (Google Maps, opens in a new tab)
Our picks are chosen for their position near the route; partners are paid placements. Check opening times before you go. More food and drink
Staying nearby?
The most practical base for this walk is British Camp: right at the hills, below the Iron Age hillfort, with the southern ridge on the doorstep.
- Walking from the door
- Southern hills
- Dog walks
Our picks nearby
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Directly across the road from the British Camp car park, so it is the obvious stop before or after the hillfort. The hotel says walking maps are available from reception.
- Walk from the door
- Dogs welcome
- Breakfast
- Food on site
Book direct (opens in a new tab) Website for Malvern Hills Hotel (opens in a new tab) Directions to Malvern Hills Hotel (Google Maps, opens in a new tab)
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A single hand-built timber cabin on a farm near Birtsmorton, with a wood-fired hot tub, private sauna and cold shower, log burner and outdoor pizza oven. Sleeps: 4 (own website).
- Lodge
- Hot tub
- Self-catering
Website for Malvern Hills Lodge (opens in a new tab) Directions to Malvern Hills Lodge (Google Maps, opens in a new tab)
The facts on this page were checked against the main source on 14 Sept 2026. Things change, so check before you travel.