Bredon Hill, Worcestershire

24 August 2003

A walk on Bredon Hill in Worcestershire. This hill rises in isolation out of the Vale of
Evesham to some 299m/981ft above sea level, and is prominently in view on the A46 and M5.

The path to the top, with the fence snaking up the hillside and out of sight

The dogs resting near the tower at the top of Bredon Hill, with some of the earthworks of the Iron Age fort visible. The tower is known as Parsons' Folly, being built in the 18th century for Mr Parsons of Kemerton. The 981ft natural height of the hill appears to have contributed to the building of the tower, whose top therefore reaches 1000ft, in the same way as the tower on Leith Hill takes it from 968ft to the magic four figures.

It was a hot day, and the dogs got tired much more quickly than on longer walks on cooler days

Shade!

A lone tree on the summit plateau

An oasis in the desert?

The walls and their stone (inferior oolite, I think) clearly show the links of Bredon Hill to the Cotswolds, despite being severed
from the main upland by the Vale of Evesham. Probably they were at one time linked as the western escarpment of the Cotswolds has receded several miles due to erosion over the more than 100 million years since the rock was formed from corals at the bottom of a warm sea.

The day was rather hazy, so the hill's isolated height didn't provide the extensive views it would have done on a clearer day

More shade!

Half way down along the path back to the village of Elmley Castle