The details of this walk were checked against published sources on 15 Sept 2026. Distance and climb measured along mapped paths; time estimated at 4 km/h plus 1 minute per 10 m of climb, without stops. Things change, so check before you travel.
Route overview
The end-to-end is the classic Malvern challenge: the whole ridge in a day, from Chase End Hill on the Gloucestershire border to North Hill above Great Malvern. Along the way you cross every major summit, including Ragged Stone Hill, Midsummer Hill, the British Camp hillfort, Pinnacle Hill and the Worcestershire Beacon.
Most people walk it south to north. That puts the biggest views and the highest summit near the end, and finishes in Great Malvern, where you will find a station, pubs and places to stay. The ridge runs for about 13 km (8 miles) as the crow flies. The walking route is longer, with a great deal of up and down, so treat it as a full day.
Logistics
Getting to the start is the main puzzle, as there is no bus to the southern end. Most walkers get a lift or a taxi to the start near Whiteleaved Oak, or leave a car at Hollybush and come back for it. Staying in Great Malvern the night before and after makes it much easier: you walk back to your bed.
Want more?
UKHillwalking publishes a longer “Grand Traverse” from Ledbury station to Great Malvern station via Eastnor, at 22.5 km with 1,158 metres of ascent. See the Grand Traverse.
Route map
Route line follows mapped paths (OpenStreetMap). Use it to plan, and follow the paths and signs on the ground. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Route points as a list
- Start: Below Chase End Hill, near Whiteleaved Oak
- Chase End Hill
- Ragged Stone Hill
- Midsummer Hill
- Swinyard Hill
- Hangman's Hill
- Giant’s Cave
- Millennium Hill
- British Camp
- Black Hill
- Pinnacle Hill
- Jubilee Hill
- Perseverance Hill
- Summer Hill
- Worcestershire Beacon
- Worcestershire Beacon toposcope
- Sugarloaf Hill
- North Hill
- Finish: Great Malvern
After your walk
Where to eat, where to stay and how to get back, worked out from where this walk finishes.
Where to eat after this walk
-
On Church Street in the town centre, a few minutes from Belle Vue Terrace and the start of the walk up to St Ann’s Well.
- By a walk start
- Near a station
Website for The Lyttelton Well Café (opens in a new tab) Call The Lyttelton Well Café Directions to The Lyttelton Well Café (Google Maps, opens in a new tab)
-
A large hotel beside the Priory in the centre of Great Malvern, convenient for the station and the walks up from the town.
- Walk from the door
- Dogs in rooms
- Near a station
- Parking
- Breakfast
- Packed lunches
Book direct (opens in a new tab) Website for The Abbey Hotel (opens in a new tab) Directions to The Abbey Hotel (Google Maps, opens in a new tab)
-
A coffee stop on Abbey Road by the Priory, close to the start of walks from the town centre. It posts opening changes on Facebook.
- By a walk start
- Near a station
Website for Abbey Road Coffee (opens in a new tab) Directions to Abbey Road Coffee (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 overnight?
The most practical base for this walk is Great Malvern: town base with a station, shops and places to eat, right at the foot of the Worcestershire Beacon.
- Great Malvern station
- Car-free trips
- First visits
- Food and drink
Our picks nearby
-
Two-bedroom holiday lodge at Malvern Holiday Park, let mainly by the week, near Castlemorton Common. Season: Priced for November to March and April to October, i.e. available year-round. Sleeps: 3 (one double and one single bedroom).
- Dogs in rooms
- Lodge
- Self-catering
Website for Broad Down Luxury Holiday Lodge (Malvern Holiday Park) (opens in a new tab) Directions to Broad Down Luxury Holiday Lodge (Malvern Holiday Park) (Google Maps, opens in a new tab)
-
Small park at the southern end of the hills offering several types of shepherd's hut, vintage caravans, a converted ploughing van and a holiday lodge, plus seasonal caravan pitches.
- Dogs welcome
- Glamping
Website for Malvern Holiday Park (opens in a new tab) Directions to Malvern Holiday Park (Google Maps, opens in a new tab)
-
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)
Also close: British Camp or Malvern Wells. Compare all areas.
Getting back
This is a one-way walk finishing at Great Malvern. Great Malvern station is 10 m from the finish.
- Great Malvern station · 10 m from the finish. Station details · Train times
- Bus 675 (First Worcestershire): Crossing the hills at the Wyche. Good for linear walks: Upper Wyche and the Beacon Road car parks, West Malvern and Colwall. Monday to Saturday (no Sunday service found). Timetable
- Bus 44 / X44 (First Worcestershire): Reaching Great Malvern from Worcester for St Ann’s Well, North Hill and the Worcestershire Beacon. Daily, including Sundays. Timetable
- Bus 42 / S42 (LMS Travel): Getting from the town up towards the Wyche. Monday to Saturday. Timetable
- Access Taxis (taxi, Great Malvern) · 07749 621594 · website
- Pittstop Travel (taxi, Malvern) · 07894 630458 · website
- Smith Taxis (taxi, Malvern) · 01684 568686 · website
We don’t copy timetables because they change. Check times on the day, especially on Sundays. The hills without a car
Making a weekend of it?
- Tomorrow: Ragged Stone Hill and Chase End Hill · 5.6 km, 2 hr 30 min
- A big walking weekend
- Build a trip plan around this walk
Step-by-step directions
The route overview and map above show the way. We add turn-by-turn directions once we have walked a route ourselves, so they’re right on the ground.
Terrain and elevation
- Total ascent
- 882 m (2894 ft)
- Highest point
- 425 m (1394 ft)
- Route type
- Linear (one way)
- Grass paths
- Rocky in places
- Steep sections
- Exposed ridge
- Muddy when wet
Parking and getting there
Car park on Hollybush, on the A438, close to Ragged Stone Hill and Midsummer Hill.
Charges: check operator’s website
Bus: No bus serves the southern end of the hills. Most people arrange a lift or taxi to the start and finish in Great Malvern, where there is a station. Bus information.
Safety and walking conditions
On this route
- This is a long day on an exposed ridge with little shelter and nowhere to buy food. Carry water, food and waterproofs, and check the forecast and daylight first.
- Plan your finish: from Great Malvern there are trains, but not from the southern end.
- The ridge is exposed. Wind and cold are often much stronger on the tops than in the town. Low cloud can reduce visibility quickly.
- Steep ground and old quarries. Some slopes are steep and loose, and quarry edges can be sheer. Stay on the paths and keep children close.
- Livestock. Cattle and sheep graze parts of the hills. Keep dogs under close control and on a lead near animals.
- Daylight. Allow time to finish in daylight, especially in autumn and winter. Check sunset and conditions for today.
- In an emergency call 999 and ask for the Police, then Mountain Rescue. Give your location as precisely as you can.
This information is general guidance, not a guarantee of safety. Conditions change, and you are responsible for deciding whether a route is right for you on the day.
Hills and viewpoints on this walk
Hill
Chase End Hill
The southernmost hill of the range, with a trig point on top: the start or finish of the Malvern Hills end-to-end walk.
Hill · Raggedstone Hill
Ragged Stone Hill
A steep, twin-topped hill above the Hollybush pass, close to the point where Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire meet.
Hill
Midsummer Hill
A quieter southern summit whose Iron Age ramparts enclose both Midsummer Hill and neighbouring Hollybush Hill.
Hill
Swinyard Hill
A southern summit with a quartzite outcrop, above the Swinyard car park and Gullet Quarry.
Hill · Hangmans Hill
Hangman's Hill
A southern summit between Broad Down and Swinyard Hill, above Giant’s Cave.
Hill
Millennium Hill
The summit just south of British Camp, on the route from Giant’s Cave up to the hillfort.
Hill · Herefordshire Beacon
British Camp
Herefordshire Beacon, crowned by British Camp: one of the best-preserved Iron Age hillforts in Britain, with huge views from its ramparts.
Hill · Black Hill (north top)
Black Hill
A two-topped hill above Jubilee Drive, with a short surfaced easier-access trail from the Black Hill car park.
Hill
Pinnacle Hill
A central summit above Jubilee Drive with possible Bronze Age burial mounds, and a surfaced easier-access trail on its western slopes.
Hill
Jubilee Hill
A central summit named in 2002 for Queen Elizabeth II’s Golden Jubilee, between Perseverance and Pinnacle hills.
Hill · Worcester Beacon
Worcestershire Beacon
The highest point of the Malvern Hills and of Worcestershire, with a toposcope and trig pillar on its rocky summit.
Hill · Sugar Loaf Hill
Sugarloaf Hill
The shapely summit between North Hill and the Worcestershire Beacon, crossed by most walkers linking the two.
Hill
North Hill
The second-highest of the Malverns, rising straight above Great Malvern and the highest point on the Worcestershire Way.
Landmark
Giant’s Cave
A tiny man-made cave cut into pillow lava on the ridge south of British Camp, and a favourite target on family walks.
Landmark
Shire Ditch
An ancient bank and ditch along the crest of the hills, long linked to a 13th-century boundary dispute but now thought to be partly much older.
Viewpoint
Worcestershire Beacon toposcope
The 1897 view indicator on the highest point of the Malverns, naming the landmarks you can see across the surrounding counties on a clear day.
What to take on this walk
- Shoes or boots with good grip Grass slopes get slippery after rain and some paths are loose and rocky.
- A waterproof jacket Showers arrive quickly from the west, and there is little shelter on the tops.
- Water and a snack There is nowhere to buy food or drink on the ridge itself.
- A map, and a phone with the route saved offline Paths criss-cross the hills and cloud can come down quickly. Phone signal is patchy on the western slopes.
- A head torch Useful on winter afternoons and essential for sunrise or sunset walks.
Nearby walks
Ragged Stone Hill and Chase End Hill
- Distance: 5.6 km · 3.5 mi
- Time: 2 hr 30 min
- Route type: Circular
The quiet southern end of the Malverns: a steep pull up Ragged Stone Hill, then on to the trig point on Chase End Hill, the last summit in the range.
Midsummer Hill hillfort from Hollybush
- Distance: 2.8 km · 1.7 mi
- Time: 55 min
- Route type: Out and back
A short climb from Hollybush to the ramparts of the Midsummer Hill fort, where more than 400 hut platforms have been found.
British Camp and reservoir circular
- Distance: 4.8 km · 3.0 mi
- Time: 2 hrs
- Route type: Circular
A gentle loop around the lower slopes of British Camp and the old reservoir, from the car park at Wynds Point. Add the summit if you have the energy.
More walks like this
Last checked 15 Sept 2026. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.