Walton Hill

Walton Hill is a hill located in Worcestershire, England. It stands at 316 metres (1,037 feet) above sea level and is the highest point in the Clent Hills range. Because it is the highest point for 21 miles in every direction, it offers amazing views of the surrounding area.

Nearby hills include Clent Hill, Wychbury Hill, Calcot Hill, and Romsley Hill. The top of Walton Hill is covered in open grassland and heath. This land used to be commonland for the manor of Clent but became regulated commonland in 1935. In 1959, it was given to the National Trust for protection.

Woodlands on the side of the hill were purchased by Worcestershire County Council in 1957 and also given to the National Trust in 1959. Today, Walton Hill remains an important natural area for visitors to enjoy.

Views

From the top of Walton Hill, you can see many beautiful places. Looking to the southwest, you might spot the closer peaks of the Clee Hills, The Wrekin, Malvern, and Abberley hills.

On very clear days, the view stretches far. You can see up to 30 miles (48 km) south to the Cotswolds, 25 miles (40 km) southwest to the Malvern Hills, 35 miles (56 km) northeast to Charnwood Forest, 40 miles (64 km) north to the Peak District, 20 miles (32 km) west to the Shropshire Hills, the Bromyard Downs in Herefordshire, and even 55 miles (89 km) southwest to the Black Mountains. This wide view is possible because Walton Hill is in the middle of England, far from other hills but still close enough to see them.

Ascents

Walton Hill can be climbed from many directions on foot. The most common way starts from a car park northeast of the top of the hill. You can reach this car park from the A456 road by using Hagley Wood Lane (between Hagley and Hayley Green) or Uffmoor Lane (just east of Hayley Green). Both lanes lead to a junction near High Harcourt Farm. From there, a lane runs past Walton Hill and ends at another junction with the A491 road at the Hollybush, which is a public house. For more details on paths, check the Ordnance Survey map.

You can also reach the hill from Walton Hill Farm through a long paved driveway. Near Calcot Hill Farm, there is a path called Sling Common that leads to the top of Walton Hill along a ridge through farm land. This path goes into National Trust land at the summit.

A path called a bridle path starts at Calcot Hill Farm and runs along the south side of Walton Hill to a small village called Walton Pool. From Walton Pool, two paths run along ridges and meet near the top of the hill. There are also paths starting from Belbroughton, St. Leonards church, and the Parish church in Clent, as well as from a place called Clatterbach near the Vine Inn in Clent village.

The main car park in the north is at 260 metres above sea level. Other paths start from points a little lower, around 250 metres. The path from the northern car park is the steepest and shortest, but there is also an easier trail that goes around the end of the hill. The path from Calcot Hill is a little over a mile long, while the other paths are about a mile to the top.

SOTA

Walton Hill has a Summits On The Air (SOTA) reference of G/CE-002.