30/03/14 - BST

Distance - 4 Miles
Geocaches - 1
Inspiration - July 2009 Country Walking Malvern at EveryTrail

My favourite weekend of the year.  It's like coming out of hibernation, knowing that after 6 months of dark evenings, I can increase my outdoor activities by taking in mid week adventures.  There is only one way to celebrate and that is to pick another County Top 10 pub walk.

The pub is easy to choose.  The Nag's Head in Malvern is a ten real ale classic of a pub.  A suitable walk is found from a five year old Country Walking Magazine. 

We park up at the pub and head for the hills.

And its all uphill.  We skirt our way around the back of the clock tower and have the steep climb at the back of the quarries and resevoirs.  Sonia leaves me for dead.  The winter spent eating pork pies everytime I make a cup of tea has left me hill unfit.  Sonia shouts diet plans from her elevated position.  The dog looks confused, wondering whether to keep up with her mistress or "stop to check the map" with her master.

As with all hill climbs, the views of worth it when we make it to North Hill.

Hazy views from a welcome bench

That's all the heavy work completed as we make our way past Table hill towards Sugarloaf.  There is the one cache I need to find up there, so I leave Sonia on a bench as I go and retrieve.  She spends her free time fighting off the attentions of gentlemen ramblers whose tongues are as silver as their hair. 

Only a man of a certain age would even attempt to address a woman with the line "Do you come here often?".

One of them doesn't give up his wooing on my return and for a time we think he will follow us to Beacon Hill.  However, the lure of St Anne's Well cafe means we go our separate ways.

We pick up the track with a sulky looking teenager whose dad has made him come for a mother's day ramble.  At least they got him out.  Ours is at home "revising".

Highest Point In Worcestershire

We drop down looking for the excellent paths on the Eastern side of the hills.  There is another micro to look for but not knowing the difference between a Bilbury and a Gorse Bush, I have little chance of making a find.

Sonia has no 3G, so our botany research cannot go on line

The walk back has everything going for it.  Good paths, great views and importantly, all down hill.  We soon make our way to one of the best 10 pubs in the County - The Nag's Head.

Nestling in the Shadow of the Hills

Sign

Beer Garden

It is a superb pub.  The only problem is knowing what to have.  They are doing a roaring trade in Mother's day Sunday Lunches but a meal of that size seems a bit heavy.  Especially for an out of condition hill walker.  So how about a compromise of a Hot Beef Sandwich, with two roast potatoes and a little pot of gravy?

Next choice is even harder - which of the ten real ales to pick?

I promise to be back to celebrate the end of BST and try one of the remaining 9.