Walking my way through lockdown 3.0

Firstly, Ledbury is very fortunate to have access to three surrounding woods which you can walk to straight from the town centre. Dog Wood, Conegree Wood and Thrift Wood are all beautiful woods each with amazing walks. Whether you're wanting a short walk for 30 mins or a 3hour hike these woods are for you.

In pervious years Dog Hill Wood, specifically on Bradlow Knoll (hill at the top of the wood), bonfires were lit in celebration of big events. For example, in 1977 the Queens jubilee was celebrated with a big bonfire for the whole town to enjoy. Dog wood has a special connection to me, it is where I spent a lot of my childhood making dens, having Easter egg hunts and making bonfires. 

I will often walk through Dog Wood, into Thrift wood and back through Conegree Wood. What I love about these woods is you can make your walk as short or as long as you want. After a long walk, nothing beats a good cup of coffee and a big slice of cake. Ledbury has some amazing eateries, including the Malthouse Cafe, The Ledbury Market Cafe and The Severn Stars. Whilst in Ledbury you can browse the windows of beautiful independent boutiques such as Tusk, Juice and Hus and Hem. I cannot wait for these businesses to be open, but for now window shopping will have to do.

If you follow the Conegree wood upwards, you can walk out onto the Land-rover Experience and through to Eastnor. Eastnor is known for its 19th-century mock castle built for the 1st Earl Somers between 1811-1820. Usually you can walk around its grounds, unfortunately it has been shut due to covid. However, you can walk into Deer Park which gives you an amazing view of the castle. 

From Deer Park you can walk up to the obelisk and onto the Malvern Hills. Alternatively, a short ten minuet drive brings you to the base of British Camp, one of the Malvern Hills. The Malvern Hills are a range of hills which expand through Worcestershire, Herefordshire and a small area of Gloucestershire. The Hills run north-south for about 13k, The highest point of the hills is the Worcester Beacon at 425 meters which is 1,394ft above sea level.

British Camp is one of the most popular hills due to its amazing views after only a few minuets climb. You can either take the stairs straight to the top or take a slightly easier climb around the side taking in views of the reservoir and obelisk. This is a great walk for a morning sunrise, with often low cloud hovering over the reservoir. British camp is named after its hill fort, which is thought to have been first constructed in the 2nd century bc, and is protected as a scheduled ancient monument. At the base of British Camp is a little hut which serves teas, coffees, light bites, ice creams and many cakes. It is the perfect place to refresh after a loop of the camp. As well as this on the other side of the road is The Malvern Hills Hotel, a very popular destination for a pint or glass of wine. It Also serves great pub food and has rooms to stay and an outdoor terrace. Unfortunately these are both closed currently but I cannot wait for them to open soon. 

From British Camp you can continue your walk to the obelisk and on to midsummer hill and down to the north Quarry. Alternatively, if you cross over the road at British camp you can walk onto the Wyche Cutting and follow it to the Worcester Beacon. A personal favourite is walking from Ledbury through Eastnor Deer Park, up past the Obelisk and onto British Camp then crossing the road and following the hills along to the Beacon and down into Great Malvern. This walk, depending on pace and pit stops can take about 5-6 hours but is well worth the sore legs!

The Malverns are known for their spring water, initially made famous by the regions many holy wells, which you can stop to refill your bottles as you go. Once in Great Malvern you could plan to have dinner at The Red Lion, a family run Thai style pub. The food is amazing!! Or quite often I will walk down to The Nags Head, a quaint walkers pub perfect for a few drinks after a long walk and only a five minuet walk from the train station to get the train back to Ledbury. 

Whilst doing any physical activity it is so important to support your bust. My go to sports bra is Triumph Extreme Lite N (first pink bra pictured), it is non-wired but extremely comfortable and supportive. This non moulded bra is made from breathable material with moisture regulating inserts, its shaping cups wrap firmly around the bust whilst also giving a unique freedom of movement. I find I forget I'm wearing it which is perfect when walking for hours on end.

Another favourite is, Anitas Air Control Deltapad non-wired padded sports bra (black bra pictured). The delta pad design ensures maximum support while the ultra-light mesh fabric allows for optimal air circulation. Again this is a non-wired sports bra but is extremely supportive for all types of activity.

For the larger bust I recommend Freyas Sonic Moulded Sports Bra (pink and grey bra pictured). This bra has a breathable moulded cup with an underwire which gives great coverage and support from a firm band that can be altered to a racer back. I find this bra especially good for our larger busted ladies wanting that extra bit of support. 

You can find all of these bras on our website shop. We recommend a fitting but due to current circumstances we understand this isn't possible. If you have shopped with us before and want some advise please feel free to message us and we can advise what we think would be appropriate based on your previous purchases. If you're a new customer then please also get in touch, we are more than happy to help! 

My most favourite walking is done on the Malvern Hills, it is my happy place. I strongly believe that being in the outdoors, specifically with an amazing view can cure any mood. If you're finding yourself with lots of time and nothing to do, grab your boots and head to the hills. I promise you won't regret it. I have only touched on some of the amazing walks this area has to offer.

I hope this inspires some of you to get out and explore. Happy Walking. 

Annie