For those who stay on the lower levels, it is a pleasant two-mile walk from the village to the Blackmore Ready Camp site. One of the real attractions here are the newly erected safari tents, ensconced in their own quiet corner of the site and kitted out with a fistful of furnishings that mean you can turn up with nothing but the bed-sheets. Sofas, dining furniture, double beds and a well-equipped kitchen make camping a seriously comfortable affair; an agreeable base for those travelling light.
In the immediate vicinity it’s the hills that dominate. The band of protected hummocks dip and climb, punctuated by over 20 peaks, most of which are around 1000ft. They have long been a source for artistic inspiration from the likes or composer Edward Elgar, to the fabled mountain landscapes of J.R.R Tolkein’s the Lord of the Rings. The various local villages, though, are also a delight (and some of the most prosperous in the West Midlands). Try starting off at the local priory church in Great Malvern – a leading example of Perpendicular Gothic architecture, encrusted with late medieval stained glass windows – before moving on to the famous cathedrals in Hereford and Worcester. The two historic county towns are less than half an hours drive away, making this campsite a hotspot for culture vultures as well as those peering out their tent-flaps to the hills and another day's walking conquest.
