Clent Hills

The Clent Hills rise to just over 1,000 feet at Walton Hill between the villages of Clent and Romsley, heath, woodland and open hilltop barely ten miles from central Birmingham that has drawn day-trippers since Victorian times. From the top of Clent Hill the view takes in the Malverns, the Shropshire hills and, on a clear day, the Black Mountains of Wales, with the Four Stones, an 18th-century folly built for Lord Lyttelton of Hagley Hall, on the summit. Four waymarked trails start from Nimmings Wood car park, from the 2.2-mile Buzzard Trail to the 4.3-mile Badger Trail past the Hill Tavern and the Vine, and in May bluebell valley lives up to its name. Reviewers praise the sunset views and the family-run Nimmings cafe for its sandwiches and ice cream. Tips from regulars: take the compacted red sandstone easy access path if you have a pushchair or wheelchair, expect mud after rain, and keep dogs on leads where sheep and cattle graze.