Keeping local

For nearly twenty years at the start of most rides I’ve had a view of a hill not far away. As the crow flys about 3 miles. I’ve never been there, only viewed it from a distance.

It’s the high point between the Cotswolds and the Malvern Hills.

The approach is through narrow lanes abundant in wild flowers and the sound of birds and bleeting sheep in the fields. All this is within 5 miles of the city centre yet feels like the middle of nowhere.

A place within a few minutes ride from home.

The lane twists and turns, never loosing sight of the cathedral.

The Mighty Malvern Hills rise in the distance, looking like a giant dinosaur. Behind is the Cotswold scarp, forming a natural boundary from the flatter Severn Vale.

From the flatter land rises Sandhurst Hill keeping a watchful eye on the mighty River Severn below as it gently flows towards the estuary.

The tarmac soon gives way to the crunching of gravel under the tyres, as an added bonus even a short stretch of GUTM.

The track rises the gradient increases yet traction is not affected, it’s very loose yet all rideable.

Eventually the track levels and the summit comes into view.

The sound of a skylark and the wind in the trees keeps me company.

Being with nature, enjoying the panoramic views is all you need sometimes, little did I realise it was so close to home.

Words and pictures - Pete Gosnell