The Malvern Hills and Commons are important green spaces where people can exercise to stay physically and mentally well during this difficult time.
To help everyone stay safe, we are asking people to take extra care when walking or cycling and ensure that they're observing the minimum 2m social distancing guidelines.
We're really pleased to see that people have been careful and considerate when out on the hills and commons, although there have been some areas which have given us cause for concern.
We would like to take this opportunity to remind people that cycling is not permitted on the path above Jubilee Drive between the Wyche Free Church and Gardiner's Quarry car park. Although the path is signposted for walkers only, we have seen a small number of people riding bikes here. During the outbreak of Covid-19 it is even more important for those cycling to use alternative, legitimate cycling routes as this path is too narrow for walkers and cyclists to pass safely.
The Jubilee Drive path is relatively flat and offers an easier route for local walkers on the Hills so please keep it free for walkers only.
Additional signage has been posted near the path with more information on alternative routes and a link to a map for cyclists to find access. Thank you to everyone for making changes to keep themselves and others safe in the Malvern community.
Staying safe
Please do your bit to keep people safe and healthy and to stop the spread of the virus. We’ve provided some further information on how you can keep yourself and others safe when exercising on the Malvern Hills and Commons in line with official Government advice.
Walking
- Walk alone or with members of your household. Do not walk with friends, family or in any other groups.
- Explore some of the lesser known paths and avoid the more popular areas to minimise contact with others. As a walker you have a right of access over land under our care so you have lots of opportunities to find your own space.
- Stay at least 2 metres away from others. Please be generous with space when passing people on paths.
- Be polite and considerate to others. If you’re more mobile and able to, please step aside to allow cyclists or wheelchair users through where space is limited, to make sure everyone is at a safe distance from each other
- If walking with your dog please keep it under effective control and do not let your pet run up to other visitors. Please keep your dog on a lead near livestock as there are lambs around the countryside and it is important that you keep the sheep safe.
- Look out for ground-nesting bird signs and keep yourself and your dog to the paths in these areas to avoid disturbing these vulnerable birds.
Cycling
- Cycle alone or with members of your household. Do not cycle with friends, family or in any other groups.
- Use a bell or call out in plenty of time to alert other visitors to your approach.
- Stay at least 2 metres away from others to keep yourself and other safe.
- Be polite and considerate to others. You may need to stop and dismount or wait when passing other visitors in order to maintain a safe distance.
- Please keep your speed down and consider your abilities so you don't take risks that might cause you to require assistance from an already overstretched NHS.
- The byelaws still apply so please keep to bridleways and permissive paths (map)
Running
- Run alone or with members of your household. Do not run with friends, family or in any other groups.
- Explore some of the lesser known paths and avoid the more popular areas to minimise contact with others.
- As you're more likely to be breathing hard and sweating, please take extra care to keep your distance.
- Be polite and considerate to others. You may need to slow down or stop to keep your distance to allow others the time to move aside to maintain a safe distance of 2 metres.
Please follow these tips to keep yourself and the local community safe during this difficult time.
West Mercia Police continue their patrols around the local area and are engaging with the public to provide information and advice.
Further updates relating to how the COVID-19 virus is affecting the Malvern Hills and Commons can be found here.
