[1] From the church car park enter the church yard and go past the church to reach a minor road by the 16th Century Ale House. (A) The half timbered ale house to the east of the church was used after the services in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Instead of sober collections to maintain the church, ale would be sold and the profits would go towards the upkeep of the church. The ale house has been restored and is used for village meetings.
Turn right and follow road for about 200 metres before turning left over stile by gate. Go diagonally right across field to stile in centre of far hedge and in next field continue forward along a line of trees in centre of field to stile in far corner. Continue with hedge on your right to stile, cross and turn left to follow hedge/fence on your left, past stile and farm gate, to stile at end of field. Cross centre of field to stile in railway embankment and cross railway with great care. Follow path through wood and in next field go forward across centre of field to gateway next to wood. Now bear diagonally right across centre of field to stile in far corner near railway embankment, Go through small copse to reach minor road and turn right to go under railway bridge. At T junction turn left to follow minor road past Cummins Farm and in about 800 metres reach another T junction.
[2] Cross road and continue forward through farm gate to the left of the driveway access to Hope End Lodge to your right. In 20 yards go over stile and continue forward with fence and stream to your right to a stile next to gate into wood. Go straight ahead through the wood to another stile and into a large field. Follow the RH fence to reach track with stiles on each side. Over a track continue forward steeply up the hillside, now with wood on your left, to a stile by a gate and onto the road. Turn right for 200 metres, going past Tattershalls on your left, and where road bends to the left turn right into the drive that leads to Hope End House. Do not go up the driveway but cross the stile on its left and continue forward gently climbing to the right of two oaks across the field whilst slowly diverging from the driveway. Soon a walled garden will be seen. (B) The walled garden is part of Hope End House and predates the time when the poet, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, lived there as a youngster. Her father built a large house in Islamic style in 1815 complete with concrete minarets. There are still many fine trees that he planted which can be seen beyond the walled garden. Later, Mary Sumner, founder of the Mother’s Union, also spent her childhood here and it was her father who replaced Barrett’s building with one of his own. Most of the building burnt down in 1910. The remains, with their distinctive gables, can be glimpsed through the trees after the walled garden.
The right of way passes midway between this and the wood. Continue upward to wood and then forward to a pedestrian gate on the right. Keep to the left of the barbed wire fence to reach a farm gate and then, in field continue forward towards wooden seat and trig point. This is Oyster Hill with its wonderful all-round views. (C) Oyster Hill is an unusual name and the most likely explanation is that it is named after the Roman General Ostorius, who was active in the area. An alternative is that it is named after Easter whose name is derived from the pre-christian Goddess of the rising sun, Oestrus, whose festival was at the vernal equinox. The trig point is not on the top for alignment reasons. There are great views in all directions and most people consider the views superior to those from the Malvern ridge. .
[3] From the trig point bear diagonally left downhill to a track and gate in the far left hand corner. Continue forward through gate and down the track to reach a minor road. Turn right and, in about 400 metres, turn right at T junction. Follow this very narrow road for 200 metres and, at Pithouse Farm on your left, turn right over stile by farm gate. Now loosely follow hedge on your left for about 500 metres crossing four or five stiles, to reach a stile and plank bridge in the hedge on your left. Cross and turn right to follow hedge on your right to stile onto minor road. Turn left along road and in 100 metres turn right over stile by farm gate. Cross the centre of this long field to trees in far distance and stile, quickly followed by footbridge. Over footbridge bear diagonally right to cut corner of field to reach stile in right hand hedge. Almost immediately there is a second stile and then bear diagonally left to cut corner of this field to stile by farm gate in left hand hedge. Over stile, bear diagonally right to reach another stile, just past the right hand corner of a brick barn. Now go round the corner of the fence on your left, admire Park Farm to your left. (D) Park Farm is on the site where the Bishops of Hereford had a hunting lodge in mediaeval times. The earliest part of the present building dates from the sixteenth century, but there are later additions and adaptations. The main house was recently restored, starting in 2004. The park was extensive, covering the western side of the Malvern Hills from the Wyche Cutting to Chase End Hill and then back to Colwall. Cut across the corner of the field towards Colwall Church in the middle distance and a stile onto the road. Turn left along the road and return to the church car park and your cars.
The Church, St James the Great, is just over a mile south west of the present village centre, the village having grown away from the church as a result of the arrival in the area of the railway in 1860. A church has been on this site since Saxon times and the first Rector listed was Gerard de Eugines in 1275 Entry to the existing church is through a late Norman south doorway. The south aisle is 13th century and the tower was begun in the 14th century with a 15th century top.The handsome nave roof was significantly repaired around 1675. There are two interesting memorials. One, a stone coat of arms dated 1587 on east wall to the parents of Humphry Walwyn, a member of the Worshipful Company of Grocers in London. In 1614 he left a legacy to fund a free Grammar School in the village and it has survived though now known as the Elms School, an independent preparatory school. The second memorial is an engraved brass tablet on the south wall to Elizabeth Harford who died in 1590, mourned by her husband, six sons and four daughters.The chancel is Victorian having been rebuilt and enlarged in 1865 by Woodyear in Early English style. The Nicholson organ, church plate and chancel furnishings also date from this period. The pulpit is Jacobean with blank arches and preserved back panel and tester. The tower is an active bell tower which, notably for a village parish, has a ring of 10 bells following a major renovation project as part of the Millennium celebrations.