Wagga Wagga to Worcestershire & back again
For many visitors to the U.K., a trip to the Cotswolds is a must. It’s quintessential England – rolling green hills, small villages made up of stone buildings, and bucolic pubs full of ales, sleeping dogs and pork scratchings.
The very far eastern reaches of Worcestershire lie within the Cotswolds, so a few months ago Adam and I decided to hold off day-tripping to the area until my family arrived so we could all go together…
The other evening I was laying in bed reading when the colour of the sky outside of my bedroom window caught my eye.
I glanced up towards the Malvern Hills and saw the most beautiful pastel coloured sky…
For the entire time Adam and I have been together we’ve existed in these two separate worlds. Our life in Australia and our life in England – distinct from one another, but each containing family and friends whom we love. The arrival of my family in Malvern has been a little surreal for Adam and I. Our two existences are suddenly colliding and it feels a little strange to be walking around Malvern with so many Aussies in tow!
We spent our first full day together taking it easy around town…
In a few hours time my mum, dad and brother will land in England. Fairly soon after Adam and I announced we were moving to Worcestershire, my family decided they would come and visit us in the English summer. After so many months of talking about the trip, I can’t quite believe it’s almost here!
It’s been around 10 months since I’ve seen my parents and closer to 11 months, my brother. Although we call and text on a regular basis, it’s still not quite the same as being able to talk face to face.
They’re splitting their time between Malvern and travelling around the U.K. so to help them get over their very long journey and to welcome them to our little part of Worcestershire, I’ve made up a small hamper…
The old saying goes ‘Never judge a book by its cover’, but I’ll admit I’m occasionally guilty of that. The Malvern Common sits between the township of Great Malvern and the suburb of Malvern Wells, in an area called the Lower Wych. It’s a big tract of open land, that’s hugely popular with dog owners and I drive/walk past it on an almost daily basis. I’ve avoided heading to the common for months because it always looks so busy and generally I prefer solitude on my walks, but the other day I decided to go and explore it for myself.
I was pleasantly surprised…
Love him or hate him, King Henry the VIII, certainly played a huge part in English history. I knew of him, but it wasn’t until my first trip to the United Kingdom in 2010 that I learnt more about him, his wives and his legacy. That holiday sparked an interest in the Tudor era that I still retain (and a bit of a crush on Jonathon Rhys Meyers and his depiction of Henry in The Tudors television show :)) and I’m always keen to learn a little more.
So the other day I made the short train journey north to Worcester to Greyfriars’ House, a Tudor era National Trust property, in the city centre…
My enthusiasm for walking/exploring was reignited last week after a visit to St Wulstan’s Nature Reserve, so much so that I’m trying to get out a few times a week while the weather’s warm for a wander and a nose around.
If you’ll allow me to indulge myself, I was thinking I might start up a bit of a series over the next few weeks detailing my roams across the countryside.
Today we’ll take a walk along a disused rail line…
I love going for a walk but sometimes I forget how much I enjoy it, and days turn into weeks and suddenly it’s been far too long since I went for a proper solo ramble.
I love that exhilaration you get when you’re walking with no particular path in mind, the joy of discovering new sights, the sweetness of being alone with your own thoughts and that pink cheeked endorphin rush you get after a good paced, athletic walk.
The other day I was up early so decided to get outdoors and go for a walk rather than having a slow morning lazing/working in bed over multiple cups of coffee (a decadent treat I’m too regularly giving myself on non ‘gotta get out the house’ mornings).
I found myself at St Wulstan’s Nature Reserve…
Adam and I had the pleasure of attending a wedding this weekend just past. It was for a lovely couple who are quite dear to Adam, and whom I’ve gotten to know well since moving to England.
The marriage ceremony was held at Malvern College, a prestigious local school. The school was established in 1865 when Malvern was at the height of its ‘spa town’ popularity, so its buildings reflect that .
To me, it almost felt like walking into Hogwarts, the fictional school from the Harry Potter series…
Malvern may be famous for its hills but there are also a couple of lovely commons at the base of the slopes.
Commons are like huge open plan parks. They often have livestock grazing on them and you’re allowed to walk, picnic and play on the land. In Australia, I think a reserve would be the closest equivalent.
Last weekend Adam and I found ourselves at Castlemorton Common, which is just south of the village of Welland. It’s famous for being the site of England’s biggest illegal rave, but these days is just a nice place for a Sunday walk!
Wattle and Ash 