Wide views and Wetlands

After the excitement of completing the Wainwrights, we came back to reality. I came off furlough partially and went back to work at the beginning of August, albeit on reduced hours, and we arranged for my elderly aunt to come and stay as she and my Mum hadn’t seen each other in ages due to Covid.

After four days, Bro and I took her back to Worcestershire. As I had some holiday to use up, we decided to make something of the return journey and booked a night’s stay just outside Great Malvern with a view to climbing the Malvern Hills. We know the area pretty well as our grandparents lived there, and it’s only about 15 miles from my Aunt’s house. We climbed most of the Malvern Hills as kids and teenagers, but have no really clear memories of doing them, so this would be a chance to rectify that. After dropping her off and settling her in, we set off, skirting Worcester and winding up through Great Malvern, arriving at a disused quarry car park in Upper Wyche by about 4pm.

We took a very steep but short path up through the woods and came out on the Three Choir’s Way, just before Summer Hill which we climbed easily and stood admiring the magnificent views. We must have been able to see at least 30 miles in every direction; to the Cotswolds in the east and the Welsh hills to the west. It was one of the most stunning 360 degree panorama I think we’ve ever seen in this country. In the Lakes you don’t usually have such far reaching views as there’s usually a mountain the way, so this was stunning. It was warm and as we climbed down and then up to Worcestershire Beacon, the highest point, it became very windy, but it was very exhilarating. We spent some time sitting enjoying the scenery, then came back down and found a shady spot to brew a hot chocolate.

Time was getting on, so we nipped back down to the car then drove to, and down, Wyche Cutting with its hairpins beds, to our lovely hotel in Colwall where we enjoyed dinner and a comfortable night’s sleep.

Beautiful views to the east from the Beacon

..and to the west

The next morning we set off in good time for a timed entry ticket to Slimbridge Wildfowl and Wetlands Centre, which was about 40 miles away, but the journey was easy and pretty traffic free. After queueing for about twenty minutes (it was school holidays), we decided to get a cup of coffee first before everyone started thinking about lunch, and drank it sitting watching some salmon pink Caribbean Flamingos. We then followed a sign that said ‘Summer walking route’ which was lovely because it took us all round the perimeter, away from the crowds. We popped into every bird hide along the route and had wonderful views across the Severn Estuary where there were hundreds of birds.

At the furthermost point, we were almost at the waters edge, walking through the salt marshes and reed beds. A very helpful local gentleman pointed out birds of interest on the marshes and mudflats; Barnacle Geese, a rare Ross's Goose, Shelducks, Herons, Egrets and four huge Crested Storks. It was all so beautiful and quiet.

We retraced our steps, went to the top of the highest hide (about 30 feet high), and walked the rest of the perimeter. Coming back into the middle of the Centre again, families were enjoying picnics surrounded by hundreds of geese, swans and ducks on two huge ponds next to the Visitors Centre, so we took ourselves off to the quieter south lake where we saw Godwits, Shovelers and lots of different geese and ducks. In a brand new covered area, we saw lovely little Avocets, Oystercatchers, Teals and Egrets, marvelled at about four different species of Flamingos, saw otters, harvest mice, dragonflies on their own little pond and spent some time waiting for Kingfishers which sadly didn’t appear.

We wandered literally everywhere in amongst the beautiful grounds bursting with flowers and it really was a fantastic day. We were home after only an hour and a half’s drive, having had a wonderful time in two very different but utterly and equally beautiful places.

The River Severn Estuary mudflats and reed beds

South Lake through the hide window

Pretty Avocets