{"id":397,"date":"2011-08-06T05:12:12","date_gmt":"2011-08-06T05:12:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.christophersomerville.co.uk\/?p=397"},"modified":"2011-08-06T08:54:58","modified_gmt":"2011-08-06T08:54:58","slug":"bredon-hill-worcestershire","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.christophersomerville.co.uk\/?p=397","title":{"rendered":"Bredon Hill, Worcestershire"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>A E Housman was probably sublimating when he wrote in &#8216;A Shropshire Lad&#8217; of lying with a girl in summertime on Bredon Hill.<br \/>\n<script type=\"text\/javascript\">window.onload = setupZoom; function popwalk(walk) {var url = \"\/Walks\/amap.php?f=\"+walk;\nvar walkwindow=window.open(url,\"walkwin\",\"height=700,width=800,resizable=yes,scrollbars=yes\"); if (window.focus) {walkwindow.focus()}}<\/script>First published in: The Times <a href=\"javascript:popwalk('BredonHill.gpx');\" rel=\"nozoom\" title=\"Click here to view a map for this walk in a new window\">Click here to view a map for this walk in a new window<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/farm7.static.flickr.com\/6133\/5945675930_1ee33e7ecf.jpg\" title='Herringbone Saxon wall, Elmley Castle church'><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/farm7.static.flickr.com\/6133\/5945675930_1ee33e7ecf_s.jpg\" alt=\"picture\" \/><\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/farm7.static.flickr.com\/6131\/5945677092_c7025c83eb.jpg\" title='Musk thistle'><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/farm7.static.flickr.com\/6131\/5945677092_c7025c83eb_s.jpg\" alt=\"picture\" \/><\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/farm7.static.flickr.com\/6030\/5945120803_4b0f2fe1d9.jpg\" title='looking down towards Comberton'><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/farm7.static.flickr.com\/6030\/5945120803_4b0f2fe1d9_s.jpg\" alt=\"picture\" \/><\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/farm7.static.flickr.com\/6124\/5945122785_65c980d95b.jpg\" title='Parson&#039;s Folly, Bredon Hill'><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/farm7.static.flickr.com\/6124\/5945122785_65c980d95b_s.jpg\" alt=\"picture\" \/><\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/farm7.static.flickr.com\/6139\/5945682778_06edeb8f1b.jpg\" title='Beautiful cattle herd near Woollas Hall'><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/farm7.static.flickr.com\/6139\/5945682778_06edeb8f1b_s.jpg\" alt=\"picture\" \/><\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/farm7.static.flickr.com\/6010\/5945125567_4aa724a051.jpg\" title='orchid growing on hill fort ramparts'><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/farm7.static.flickr.com\/6010\/5945125567_4aa724a051_s.jpg\" alt=\"picture\" \/><\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/farm7.static.flickr.com\/6018\/5945685550_c85769cf9b.jpg\" title='Elephant Rock'><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/farm7.static.flickr.com\/6018\/5945685550_c85769cf9b_s.jpg\" alt=\"picture\" \/><\/a><br \/>\nFacebook Link: <script src=\"http:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/all.js#xfbml=1\"><\/script><fb:like href=\"http:\/\/www.christophersomerville.co.uk\/wordpress\/?p=397\" layout=\"button_count\" show_faces=\"true\" width=\"200\" colorscheme=\"dark\"><\/fb:like><br \/>\nHe wasn\u2019t really that sort of chap, by all accounts. Jane and I would have got pretty wet if we\u2019d tried it under the troubled sky that the weather forecaster was glooming over today, with rain showers scudding in from the Bristol Channel. But you just can\u2019t abandon an expedition up Bredon, however ominous the forecast. The hill tugs at you like an impatient companion \u2013 Housman got that right. And everything turned out bright and breezy anyway, as it happened.<\/p>\n<p>Above the village of Elmley Castle we climbed smooth parkland fields past tremendous storm-shattered old oaks. Up the back slope of the hill past the high, bracken-smothered earthworks of Elmley Castle itself \u2013 the Norman castle\u2019s stones were recycled to mend Pershore Bridge in Tudor times. Up through ancient woods full of the tall spikes of pungent woundwort and lace-like enchanter\u2019s nightshade (fabulous name). Up to the ridge that curls round the edge of Bredon Hill\u2019s 900-ft escarpment, and along to the flowery ramparts of a sprawling Iron Age hill fort.<\/p>\n<p>There\u2019s no exhilaration on earth like striding the walls of a hill fort with the wind bashing you and a 50-mile view to stun you speechless. Cotswolds in the east, Malverns in the west. South to Oxenton Knoll, down which they used to roll a fiery wheel to see if the new year would bring good luck. North-west to the Clents and the far-off Clee Hills that so enchanted Housman \u2013 a Worcestershire lad, in unromantic fact. The larks he wrote about were up on Bredon Hill today, and so were masses of wild flowers: yellow and white lady\u2019s bedstraw, mats of wild thyme, rockroses with papery yellow petals; harebells, scabious, a single pyramidal orchid in the ditch between the ancient fort\u2019s ramparts.<\/p>\n<p>Up at the summit of the hill we found the Banbury Stone, shaped like a crusty old elephant couchant, and the grim little tower called Parson\u2019s Folly that a local squire built for himself. One more gaze round the best view in the Three Counties, and we were bowling back down the slopes to Elmley Castle and the neat parlour of the Queen Elizabeth inn, everyone\u2019s dream of a proper country pub.<\/p>\n<p>Start &#038; finish: Queen Elizabeth PH, Elmley Castle, Worcs WR10 3HS (OS ref SO 982411)<\/p>\n<p>Getting there: Bus service 565 Evesham-Worcester. Road &#8211; M5, Jct 9; A46 (\u2018Evesham); just after junction with B4078, left to Elmley Castle.<\/p>\n<p>WALK (7 miles, moderate grade, OS Explorer 190):<br \/>\nFrom Queen Elizabeth PH into churchyard. Keeping church on right, follow wattle fence to cross foot of pond (982410). Cross stile (yellow arrow\/YA), follow field edge round 3 angles. In 500 m, just before corner, turn right over plank bridge and stile (985405). Aim for far left corner of parkland field (985402). Left over stile and footbridge; right (blue arrow\/BA) through metal gate and up grassy track. In 100 m, right across footbridge (984401). Don\u2019t fork left up bank, but keep ahead on clear dirt track. In 400 m cross footbridge (981400); bear left (BA) uphill. Keep fence on right, up through woods to T-junction of tracks at top of hill (974395). Right beside wood; keep to ridge track, ignoring side tracks. At end of wood, keep ahead with fence on left (967403, BA) for \u00be mile to pass Elephant Stone and Parson\u2019s Folly (957402). Continue beside wall to enter trees. In 100 m, on right bend with BAs, turn even sharper right (952398, YA) down through trees, over gate stile and on down slope. Follow YAs on posts for \u00bc mile to gravel drive (952405); left downhill for 2 fields, then right (949408; \u2018Private Estate \u2013 footpath\u2019) along stony track (YAs) for \u00bd mile. At water trough, left (957411, YA) downhill with fence on left. At kissing gate (954415) leave fence and fork a little right; follow hedge on right down to road (953418); right into Great Comberton.<br \/>\nAt top of hill by \u2018Pershore, Bredon\u2019 road sign (954420), ahead along footpath (fingerpost) to enter churchyard. Right along wall to road; right for 50 m past Bredon House; left (955420; \u2018Elmley Castle 1\u00bd\u2019) on footpath through fields (YAs). After nearly a mile, ignoring all side tracks, reach a bridleway (970418; BAs left and right). Right for 30 m; left through kissing gate (YA) and on. After 3 more fields, pass through kissing gate (976416); in 4th field, keep to right hedge; in 100 m, right over stile (YA). Follow YAs for 3 more fields and through farmyard. Through 2 gates to left of barn; right behind barn to road (980413); left to Queen Elizabeth PH.<\/p>\n<p>Conditions: Many stiles, some tall and awkward<\/p>\n<p>LUNCH: Queen Elizabeth PH (01386-710419) &#8211; proper country pub<\/p>\n<p>INFO: Evesham TIC (01386-446944); <a href=\"http:\/\/www.visitworcestershire.org\">www.visitworcestershire.org<\/a><br \/>\n<FONT COLOR=\"#0000ff\"><U><A HREF=\"http:\/\/www.ramblers.org.uk\/\">www.ramblers.org.uk<\/A><\/U><\/FONT> <FONT COLOR=\"#0000ff\"><U><A HREF=\"http:\/\/www.satmap.com\/\">www.satmap.com<\/A><\/U><\/FONT> <FONT COLOR=\"#0000ff\"><U><A HREF=\"http:\/\/www.LogMyTrip.co.uk\/\">www.LogMyTrip.co.uk<\/A><\/U><\/FONT><br \/>\nClick on Facebook &#8220;Like&#8221; link to share this walk with Facebook friends.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A E Housman was probably sublimating when he wrote in &#8216;A Shropshire Lad&#8217; of lying with a girl in summertime on Bredon Hill.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-397","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-walks","category-3-id","post-seq-1","post-parity-odd","meta-position-corners","fix"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.christophersomerville.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/397","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.christophersomerville.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.christophersomerville.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.christophersomerville.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.christophersomerville.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=397"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.christophersomerville.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/397\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.christophersomerville.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=397"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.christophersomerville.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=397"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.christophersomerville.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=397"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}