2021 Update

The 2021 Festival programme is complete. Thanks to the tremendous support of our growing team of walks leaders, there’s a choice of 57 walks over the 9 days of the Festival, Sat 29th May to Sun 6th June. The programme includes a number of exciting new walks, as well as many that were due to feature in 2020.

A summary will soon be posted on the website www.malvernwalking.uk, and the website will open for bookings on 31st January.

We don’t know what the Covid 19 situation will be at the time, but please rest assured that the walks will be risk assessed, and sensible steps will be put in place to ensure your safety, in line with rules and guidance at the time.

For example, with a few exceptions, we will not be running walks that have a public transport or indoor visiting element. Sadly, this includes the much anticipated Benedictine Way, which again we have had to postpone. We may have to re-plan the details of walks involving pubs, cafés etc., but this should not be a problem.

In addition, there will be a limit for the time being of 15 walkers per walk, to aid control and social distancing. Please keep an eye on the website for updates and changes, which will be kept to the essential minimum.

After 4 years at £4 per walk, we have reluctantly decided to raise the walk fee to £5. Please book your walks with the assurance that we will provide a full refund should that walk not proceed.

In addition to our website, www.malvernwalking.uk , you may book in person or by phone at the Malvern Tourist Information Centre. Their phone number is 01684 892289; their address is: The Lyttelton Well Courtyard, 6 Church St, Malvern WR14 2AY. For opening hours please visit their website: https://www.visitthemalverns.org

Finally we hope you will agree that we are planning an exciting, attractive and varied programme, with sensible precautions to reflect the current situation.

Welcome

Welcome to our website.
Subject to what Corvid-19 throws at us, the website will re-open its doors on January 1st to the 2021 programme of walks. It will feature

the full list of walks, anything from an evening stroll to a 65-mile hike over 6 days;

a search option, letting you search by length of walk, difficulty of walk and date;

a booking facility, complete with email confirmation of your booking;

the ability to contact us with questions, suggestions or comments;

links to local information, including accommodation; and

PDFs of our brochure and of a summary on one page of all our walks.

The Festival will start on Saturday 29th May 2021 and end on Sunday 6th June.

Summary of 2021 Walks Programme

A summary of all the walks on a single page (just)

Click HERE for a pdf

Other Walking Festivals

Other Walking Festivals take place throughout the year. Here's a list of some of them together with contact details.

Crickhowell Walking Festival CANCELLED

Saturday 6th to Sunday 14th March 2021

www.crickhowellfestival.com

Chepstow Walking Festival

Wednesday 7^th April – Sunday 11^th April 2021

www.walksinchepstow.co.uk

Kington Walks

Spring Walking Weekend - Friday 16^th to 18^th April 2021

www.kingtonwalks.org

Talgarth Walking Festival

Thursday 30th April - Sunday 3rd May 2021.

www.talgarthwalkingfestival.org

Llangollen Walking Festival

Friday 1st – Sunday 3rd May 2021

www.llangollenwalkingfestival.co.uk

Bishop’s Castle Walking Festival

Thursday 13th – Sunday 16th May 2021

www.bishopscastlewalkingfestival.co.uk

Winchcombe Festival

Friday 21st – Sunday 23rd May 2021

www.winchcombewelcomeswalkers.com

Kington Walks Festival

Friday 16th – Sunday 19th September 2021

www.kingtonwalks.org

Ross Walking Festival

Friday 24th – Sunday 26th September 2021

www.walkinginross.co.uk

How to find your walk

EITHER: click on "WALKS" to look at all walks except the Challenge trails and hikes.

To look at the 5 Challenge walks, hover over "WALKS" and select "CHALLENGE" from the drop-down list.

OR: to save trawling through all of our 50+ walks to find the walk or walks that suit you, hover over "WALKS" and select "SEARCH". You can then use the "Search Walks" box to define the Length, Difficulty and Dates you would prefer. The result will be a shortlist, from which you can make your booking, or, we hope, bookings!

You can make multiple bookings on the one form.

Our Supporters

ROBIN ELT SHOES

Wide range of footwear at shops in Abergavenny, Great Malvern, Hereford, Leominster, Ludlow, Pershore and Worcester

https://www.robineltshoes.co.uk

MALVERN HILLS HOTEL

Food, drink and boutique hotel rooms

http://malvernhillshotel.co.uk

THE GLASSHOUSE CAFÉ, HOLLOWAYS, LOWER COURT, SUCKLEY

Award-winning Cafe

https://www.holloways.co.uk

SALLY'S PLACE

British Camp pit stop!

https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restaurant_Review-g186423-d9709954-Reviews-Sally_s_Place-Great_Malvern_Malvern_Hills_Worcestershire_England.html

THE HOP SHED

The brewery on a hop farm

www.thehopshed.co.uk

MALVERN HILLS TRUST

Protecting and managing Malvern's Hills and Commons

http://www.malvernhills.org.uk

NEPETA

Business, website and IT support

https://nepeta.co.uk

MALVERN HILLS DISTRICT COUNCIL

https://www.malvernhills.gov.uk/

Booking Notes

PLEASE NOTE

There is a non-refundable fee of £4 per walk per person. Where transport is provided (multi-day and certain other walks) the cost is included in the fee and noted in the description of the walk.

If the booking includes transport we will try to re-sell your place on the walk if notified at least 3 weeks before the walk. We cannot guarantee that it can be re-sold.

Bookings for the multi-day walks can only be taken for the complete walk.

We will confirm bookings via email, giving you options for payment. Fees are payable on receipt of our confirmation of your booking.

You can make multiple bookings on the same form.

If you are booking a walk or walks for more than one person, please use the comments box below to tell us their names and where possible their email addresses, in case we need to contact them.

Be aware that the postcodes provided will take you to the general area, and not normally exactly to the meeting point. The OS map grid reference provided is more definitive.

Finishing times given are approximate, depending as they do on the size and speed of the group, the number of stiles, weather, etc.

Walk numbers: when bookings for a walk reach reach a maximum (usually 15 - 25) we will show the walk as fully booked. If you'd like to be added to a waiting list, please make a booking: you will receive confirmation that you have been added to the waiting list for that walk.

Footwear and clothing should be suitable for the prevailing weather and the type of walk. Walking boots and waterproofs (worn or carried) are normally advisable.

Exceptional weather: walk leaders will be at the start point whatever the conditions. Decisions will then be made whether to re-route the walk or to cancel should walkers’ safety be in any doubt.

Refreshments: please take drink and a light snack if you wish, or more substantial refreshments where requested. Check the walk description regarding tea shops etc. en route and the pub lunch option at the end of the walk

Dogs: we are very sorry, but dogs are not allowed on any walk unless stated otherwise.

Walks Grading

Leisurely / Gentle: suitable for all levels of fitness; gentle pace; few or no stiles.

Easy: suitable for most levels of fitness; ; some stiles; some ascents/descents.

Moderate: some steep and/or difficult sections; a quantity of stiles.

Hard: long, and steep in places; a good level of fitness is needed

You will asked when making your booking to confirm that you are fit to undertake your walk. Please bear in mind the grading of the walk and your level of fitness. Dropping out of a walk is rarely possible and you should be able to complete the walk without holding your fellow walkers up.

Maps of Start Points

For the first time in 2019 we included a link at the end of the walk descriptions to a map with the walk's start point. Clicking on the link opens a new tab in your browser giving an aerial map with the start point marked on it. At the bottom of the page you can select "Show points on OpenStreetMap" or "Show points on OS Map" to give different maps.

We hope that it works, and that it is useful - let us know!