Ledbury has always been a major hub for buses and as a regular visitor I welcome the fact that they stop right bang in the centre of town, southbound services adjacent to the Market House and northbound from the Memorial on the opposite side of a very wide road. There are seats, plenty going on, cafes and a historic grade II listed public toilet within a couple of minutes so all in all that fits the bill just right.
But there’s one little point about which we get many complaints, the lack of timetable information at such a main interchange location. Yes, that’s a real downside especially if you are a visitor to the town. It would be good to see a timetable case somewhere by the Market House and despite the constant damage by mindless vandals, a robust display near to the Memorial shelter would be a boon. And on final note: it would be good to see more enforcement of parking restrictions at Ledbury bus stops as a number of selfish SUVs seem to think it is OK to ignore double yellow lines.
Despite these minor inconveniences it is great to get out of the house and to take a trip to somewhere else for a change and on this occasion the suggestion is to travel on the Daff up to Ledbury then catch the First bus 675 from Ledbury through to Great Malvern. Buses leave Ledbury Memorial at 0910, 1110, 1310 and also call at Ledbury Railway Station stop (just across the road from the 232 stop) which is the best place to interchange from the Daff arrival on your outward journey. The bus takes just under 40 minutes to get to Great Malvern and both companies operate the fare cap scheme. The roads are not in good condition so expect some rattling for part of the journey but don’t let that put you off.
Back Lanes
It is such an engaging route whatever time of the year, rising up through Wellington Heath to Hope End, an idyllic pocket of countryside which was at one time home to the writer Elizabeth Barrett Browning. From these wooded slopes the bus runs through back lanes to Colwall Green and Colwall village, with superb views of the Malvern Hills at every turn. We’ll be making another visit to Colwall before too long so stay on board, rising again to the Wyche Cutting but turning left here to trundle through the leafy lanes of West Malvern and into Great Malvern.
Great Malvern became a popular inland resort even before the arrival of the railways in the mid 19th century. Despite the doubts about the curative powers of the water rich folk came here in their droves to improve their health by following a range of cures some of which were draconian. It was certainly the place to be seen and many would promenade for much of the day after their early morning dousing and for the hardy another round before dinner. There are walks up to St Ann’s Well and café which captures the heyday of Victorian visitation and you might even venture up to Worcestershire Beacon if the weather permits, but be warned this requires walking boots, outdoor clothing and a good deal of stamina!
Independent Shops
The bus drops you at Belle Vue Terrace and this allows time to visit the range of independent shops nearby as well as time to explore the historic central core. If you enjoy browsing old bookshops then Malvern is the place. It has four bookshops-Amnesty Bookshop, Malvern Book Co-operative , Rossiter Books and best of all, the Malvern Bookshop on Abbey Road which has a considerable collection of second hand books housed in five different rooms.
The Priory Gardens remain a favourite place for local people to walk and a visit to Malvern Priory enables you to see a fine collection of stained glass windows, some of which date back to the 15th century as well as an amazing collection of wall and floor tiles from different centuries. There are also 35 mediaeval misericords with curious carvings depicting each month of the year. The Malvern Museum in the old Gatehouse is closed for the winter months, but it is worth bearing in mind if you visit next year.
Time to Stroll
Most of all there’s time to enjoy a stroll amid the grand houses and old hotels which grew up in Malvern during the 19th and early 20th century as the town gained in reputation as a place for healthy living. The 675 bus returns from Rose Bank Gardens at 1200, 1400, and 1625 for Ledbury with plenty of time in Ledbury before Daffodil Line departures from the Market House at 1305,1510 (1525 Sats) and 1715.
Connections work on Mondays-Saturdays.
Tourist Information Centre: Church Street Tel: 01684 892289
