Malvern Hills Mountain Biking

Malvern Hills Mountain Biking

The Malvern Hills are a well loved mountain biking spot straddling Worcestershire, Herefordshire and Gloucestershire, managed by the Malvern Hills Trust across an SSSI landscape with over 56km of bridleways to explore. As part of its Malverns by Mountain Bike project, the Trust has waymarked three circular routes, a Short (5.6km), Medium (8.7km) and Long (19km) loop, and added several permissive cycle paths to close gaps in the bridleway network.

The Trails

All three waymarked routes start from North Quarry car park and follow the Trust's own arrow waymarkers, so download a route or use GPS navigation before you set off if you'd rather not rely on the markers alone.

• Short Route (green waymarkers): 5.6km, 206m of climbing. The easiest of the three, circuiting North Hill and Table Hill on a sweeping path up to Lady Howard de Walden Drive.
• Medium Route (orange waymarkers): 8.7km, 260m of climbing. Passes St Ann's Well before climbing to the Gold Mine, with an optional detour up to Worcestershire Beacon.
• Long Route: nearly 19km, 540m of climbing. The most varied of the three, winding through Berrington Quarry, along the Black Hill ridge and over Pinnacle Hill, with the option of refreshments at British Camp partway round.

Permissive Cycle Paths

Alongside the bridleway network, the Trust has opened several permissive cycle paths to link gaps between bridleways. These widen the loops on offer well beyond the three waymarked routes: riders are free to explore the full 56km bridleway network across the hills and commons.

What You Can and Cannot Ride

Cycling is permitted on bridleways and permissive cycle paths only. It's illegal to cycle on footpaths, and riders should avoid the archaeological monuments at British Camp, Shire Ditch and Midsummer Hill. Jubilee Drive and the Easier Access path from Black Hill car park are reserved for walkers and are clearly signed as such.

The Trust runs a Wild Trails policy: informal or unauthorised lines that damage the SSSI, archaeology or legitimate paths, or that create a safety risk, are closed and signposted. Stick to the marked bridleways and permissive paths rather than cutting a new line. In 2026 the Trust closed an informal trail through Thirds Wood that exited onto Jubilee Drive at a blind bend, both a safety hazard and a source of erosion in this SSSI woodland: closure signage is in place and the route should not be used. Read more about the closure.

Local Organisation

The Malvern Hills Trail Association is the local rider group working with the Trust on the Malverns by Mountain Bike project and on trail maintenance volunteer days.

Facilities

North Quarry car park is pay and display with no facilities on site. On the Long Route, British Camp car park has public toilets across the road and a cafe for refreshments partway round.

Maps and GPX

Route cards and GPX files for all three routes, plus the Trust's full walking and cycling map, are available to download from the Malvern Hills Trust website, or pick up a paper copy from the Trust's office, local Tourist Information Centres, bike shops and cafes.

Getting Here

North Quarry car park (pay and display), 32 North Malvern Road, Malvern, WR14 4LT, is the usual start point for all three routes, sitting right below North Hill.

British Camp car park, on the A449 below the Herefordshire Beacon, is a popular alternative and the halfway point on the Long Route, with toilets and a cafe nearby. Black Hill and Beacon Road car parks are further alternatives further south along the ridge.

Great Malvern railway station has regular services from Worcester, Hereford and Birmingham and is within easy reach of North Quarry car park.

Share

• If you have visited Malvern Hills Mountain Biking, please share your reviews, photos, and videos to this listing.