Finally a weekend when a walk on the hills first thing was a real possibility and strangely after temperatures all week of -5-2C this morning the temperature was 12C, how very strange. Since my last walk I have wanted to tick Perseverance Hill off my list as I was annoyed that I hadn’t pushed myself that little bit more last time. So back to the Quarry car park and arriving at 8:45 it was hardly surprising that the car park was empty. I find the starkness of the granite stone fascinating. I am sure someone who knows about geology would be able to tell me lots about these stones but I really just love the colours and forms.
It’s a gentle walk from the car park along broad pathways. Despite the car park being empty there was no shortage of runners, walkers and cyclists. I passed by Jubilee Hill along the lower path (above) and continued onwards from where I left off last time.
Perseverance Hill ahead and as you can see plenty of people around for first thing on a January morning. One lady who you can just spot in the distance, motored past me at a fair rate of walking and was positively euphoric at being able to get out on the hills after all the wintery weather we have had. I did stop and take some photos which is why she is so far ahead but given her likely age she really was inspiring.
Perseverance Hill is 1,066ft (325m) above sea level and slightly shorter than Pinnacle and Jubilee Hills. From the top you can look across the edge of Malvern and beyond. My house is down there. I tried to put an arrow on the photo but haven’t got the patience to do it. If you follow the railway line from the hill, and look for the two red garage doors near the railway then my house is sort of diagonally between the two red garage doors.
Moving to your right across the golf course you come to the Three Counties Showground where the RHS Spring Festival will be held in May.
From the top of Perseverance Hill you look across to the Beacon, in the dip before the Beacon is the Wyche Cutting with car parking, a cafe and a pub. The walk from the Wyche Cutting, along Perseverance, Jubilee and Pinnacle Hills to the Malvern Hills Hotel, just before British Camp is one of the most popular. Probably because the walk is pretty easy going with just enough small peaks to make you feel you have achieved something and of course there is a pub at both ends. It is definitely a walk I can see I will be doing once I have finished this challenge.
It is one of the benefits of this challenge that I have discovered parts of the hills completely new to me and I really like this area partly because it isn’t too arduous to get to the top of the peaks but also for the trees. I have had a fascination with tree skeletons since I was a child and I still have some drawing pads with ink outlined trees drawn probably when I was in my early teens.
I really love the textures and lines of the bare trunks and branches, I can see how this image could easily translate into a drawing.
So that 7 of the 16 named hills completed and ticked off my list. I think the next ones will be those beyond British Camp going towards Eastnor. Coming out of the car park I was trying to decide whether to go left or right, it didn’t matter as I have to go round the hills either way, when a posse of some 30 road cyclists appeared all out for their Sunday morning cycle – decision made I went the opposite way!