West Malvern and beyond

West Malvern
Ryecroft House is right at the heart of the village of West Malvern, perched high on the upper western slopes of the Malvern Hills with its famously creative community and panoramic views of unspoilt undulating Herefordshire countryside. There are many amenities and attractions in and around the village with a shop, cafe, music club, brewery, two churches and several great pubs all within easy walking distance, as outlined below.

Walking up West Malvern Road (south)
Turn right out of the garden gate to walk up the road and in 2 minutes you'll reach West Malvern Social Club with its weekly open mic night (Thursday) and folk night (Sunday). Just 2 minutes further up the road, the red postbox marks the start of a public footpath that leads you up onto the main ridge of the Malvern Hills or continue straight on past the postbox for 5 minutes to reach both the Sugar Loaf Cafe & Shop and St James's church that houses the grave of Peter Mark Roget, the author of Roget's Thesaurus. Another 5 minutes further brings you to the award-winning village pub The Brewers Arms with good food and local real ales & ciders. Continue south for another 30 minutes to reach two more great hillside pubs, The Wyche Inn and The Chase Inn.

Walking down West Malvern Road (north/east)
Turn left from Ryecroft House and left again down Old Hollow and in 5 minutes you'll reach Boundless Outdoors, offering outdoor experiences including high ropes, zip wires, abseiling, climbing, orienteering and kayaking and the 31-mile long Worcestershire Way that runs through the woods behind the centre. A 10-minute walk straight down West Malvern Rd and round the Redan bend takes you to Malvern Hills Brewery, Tank Quarry (once used as a film location in Doctor Who) and North Malvern Clock Tower, where West Malvern Rd becomes North Malvern Rd. Either turn left down Belvoir Bank to find pub/chinese restaurant/takeaway The Star on your right or continue on down North Malvern Rd past Wheel of Life complementary therapy centre, Back on Track mountain bike shop and Holy Trinity Church to the junction with Worcester Rd where a quick left/right turn takes you down Lygon Bank to another award-winning pub The Nags Head.

The Malvern Hills
A designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, The Malvern Hills have been described as a mountain range in miniature. The glorious eight-mile ridge contains some of the oldest rocks in Britain and their craggy outline is reminiscent of the uplands further west into Wales. Over 100 years ago mountain climber George Mallory walked here in preparation for his ascent of Everest and today you can enjoy over 3000 acres of open countryside climbing to the highest point at Worcestershire Beacon or relax whilst rambling along the 100 miles of footpaths and bridleways with natural springs and long distance views in all directions.

Great Malvern
Just 30 minutes walk over the Hills from Ryecroft House takes you down past the Edward Elgar statue to the traditional town centre of Great Malvern that dates back to the Bronze Age. The town holds antiques fairs, markets and auctions throughout the year and there are plenty of shops, cafes, art galleries and restaurants as well as Malvern Theatres with regular West End and Royal Shakespeare Company productions. The town is also the home of the Morgan Motor Company and the Three Counties Showground is just a couple of miles outside the town.

Further afield
A 20-minute drive takes you to Worcester, a beautiful Cathedral and University City with a fascinating history of industry, a wealth of interesting architecture, top class sports teams and venues, a selection of high street names and independent boutiques and a vibrant programme of events. Other cities and towns within a short drive away include Ledbury, Hereford and Gloucester. The picturesque Forest of Dean, with its mountain bike centre and range of attractions, is only 30 miles away.

And relax...
Whatever you choose to do and wherever you choose to go, Ryecroft House Garden Apartment is the perfect place to relax at the end of the day, so what are you waiting for?