What to do, where to visit

Welcome to South Worcestershire

We are located in a wonderful, picturesque area within easy reach of Birmingham and the West Midlands, Cheltenham, Stratford-upon-Avon, Malvern, the Cotswolds (Broadway), Tewkesbury, Upton-upon-Severn and Worcester.

The area hosts many annual events which attracts people from across the country. We are in an ideal location for visiting the RHS Malvern Spring and Autumn Festival, Cheltenham Racing and Gold Cup, Three Choirs Festival and the Worcester Christmas Fayre to name but a few.

Pershore town (10-minute walk)

Pershore is a delightful Georgian town on the banks of the River Avon. The town attracts many visitors throughout the year to its its various carnivals and events, such as the Plum Festival, Midsummer Brass and Jazz Festival.

It boasts plenty of charming, eating establishments and pubs, the nearest being a riverside pub that is an 8-minute walk from the site.

We are located a short walk (0.3m) from Pershore Bridge, picnic area and moorings, a popular place for locals to park and walk along the River Avon. Take in the river and its flood meadow as you walk over the bridge into town (0.8m) before enjoying a gentle stroll around the town. Visiting our majestic Pershore Abbey is a must and dog walkers may also enjoy venturing to Pershore Wetlands to see the ducks.

For more information on what's on, visit Pershore Tourist Information Centre.

Bredon Hill and surrounding villages

Adventurous hikers can follow the cross-country Millennium Way trail to Tiddesley Wood and beyond. See the 6 or 8-mile circular route that returns through the town via Pershore Abbey.

The 45-mile-long Wychavon Way goes past our northern boundary and goes over Bredon Hill en-route to its final destination of Broadway. It offers a picturesque walk along Pensham fields and the River Avon into Great Comberton village before ascending up Bredon Hill.

If you like to walk for your lunch, there are plenty of options for walks to one of the many pubs in the surrounding villages, as well as into Pershore.

The Wychavon Way will take you past Ashton-under-Hill's Star Inn at the other side of the hill. Or go up Bredon to descend into Elmley Castle and lunch at the village's Queen Elizabeth Inn.

One of our favourites is via Great Comberton and Nafford Lock to the pictureque village of Birlingham and the Swan Inn for its super fish board, and/or a little further to The Bell at Eckington.

For walks to surrounding villages why not walk into Pershore and along the Avon to Wyre Piddle's Anchor Inn with its terrace on the banks of the river (3m)? Or follow the Millennium Way through Tiddesley Wood to Wadborough's Mason Arms or Drakes Broughton's Plough and Harrow?

You could even take the x50 bus to Stoulton and walk the remaining 6-miles of the Millennium Way back to Pershore and Goodleigh Hill.

Cycling

Cyclists will love the 19-mile loop through the beautiful villages at the foot of Bredon Hill. Just 100m from our gates is the apex of the Little and Great Combertons road. Choose one and return via the other. Confident cyclists can continue onto Broadway and the Cotswolds.

Take in the views of the Malverns on the 5-mile cycle to NT Croome at Croome D'Abitot via Holloway Road (caution a steep hill). Confident cyclists will enjoy continuing onto Upton-upon-Severn or Worcester.

The National Cycling Route offers a cycle to Worcester to the north or Evesham to the South via minor roads.

Pershore's Benedictine Abbey. Credit Mark Everett

Pershore High and Bridge Street. Credit Picfair

Pershore walks

There are many, lovely circular walks immediately from Goodleigh Hill CL. Explore Pershore College and the village of Wick (confetti fields in the summer), take in the sunset over the Malverns through Pensham fields for a gentle evening stroll, or follow the River Avon along the floodmeadow and up to Tiddesley Wood before returning via Pershore Abbey and the town.

You can also walk to a pub such as to the Anchor Inn at Wyre Piddle via the Avon, taking in the town's wetlands and boardwalk en-route. You can follow the Wychavon Way over Bredon Hill to Ashton-under-Hill's Star Inn, or walk to Eckington's Bell Inn or Birlingham's Swan Inn via the Shakespeare Way until Nafford Lock.

Pershore is the final destination on the 100-mile Millennium Way from Northampton. Follow the MW's 6 or 8-mile Pershore circular loop walk that takes you from Pershore Bridge (0.3m) along the River Avon to Tiddesley Wood on the edge of the town and the delightful hamlet of Besford before returning via the Abbey and the town to the Bridge. Alternatively, take the X50 bus to Stoulton to follow the last 6miles of the trail.

Pensham Hill, at the northern boundary of Goodleigh Hill CL site, lies along the Wychavon Way, a 45-mile trail from Droitwich to Broadway. Follow the WW along Pensham fields to Great Comberton and to ascend Bredon Hill for fabulous views over the county and to Birmingham, the Beacons and beyond.

SHORT STROLLS

Pershore College is situated opposite Goodleigh Hill and its campus offers a delightful walk for visitors to its plant nursery. Continue through the campus to cross the Evesham Road and to descend into the village of Wick.

Take in its historic manor house and church and enjoy a loop of the village and its surrounding delphinium confetti fields (July/August) before returning to Goodleigh Hill via Pershore Bridge.

View of Bredon Hill from Pershore. Credit: Christopher Ludlow

Dragon boat racing on the River Avon, Pershore. Credit Christopher Ludlow

Pershore Abbey in Winter. Credit Mark Everett

Surrounding villages

Within a 15-minute drive are the beautiful villages of Little Comberton, Great Comberton, Elmley Castle, Fladbury, Bredon, Broadway and the picturesque Cotswold-stone villages of Overbury, Kemerton, Beckford and Overbury. All of which are a delight to explore by car, bike and by foot.

Bell’s Castle, Overbury. Credit: Sky Power

Overbury Court. Credit: Overbury Estate

VILLAGE & BREDON HILL WALK IDEAS: Elmley Castle village, including the Queen Elizabeth pub. Credit: Christopher Ludlow

COTSWOLD VILLAGE VISIT: The famous Lygon Arms Hotel, Broadway. Credit: Cotswold Life

RIVER WALK IDEAS: Fladbury Mill and Weir. Credit: Christopher Ludlow

LOCAL VILLAGE WALK & PUB VISIT: Fladbury Mill and Weir. Credit: Air Frame Photography

Bredon Hill

The site has a lovely view of Bredon Hill (an AONB), immortalised by the poets A.E. Housman and John Betjeman (In Summer Time on Bredon). which is within walking (10-mile return) and cycling distance from the site.

View of Pershore from the top of Bredon Hill. Credit Christopher Ludlow

Mountain biking: at the Bredon Hill Tower looking north.

Local wildlife

There is diverse wildlife in the local area. We have many different visitors to our garden including deer, fox, badger, buzzard, woodpecker and ducks. Let us know what you spot when here!

Swan on the River Avon. Credit Jayne Winter

Deer on Bredon Hill. Credit: Deer Park Hall

Kingfisher on the River Avon. Credit: Mark Everett

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