May Hill

May Hill rises near Huntley in Gloucestershire, a wild and open landmark crowned by a clump of pine trees, planted in 1887 to commemorate the golden jubilee of Queen Victoria. The pines themselves are not National Trust land; the Trust cares for May Hill Common, 30 hectares of common land acquired in 1988, a spread of grassland, bracken and gorse still grazed by the commoners' ponies. A small herd of Belted Galloway cattle crops the grass less hard than the sheep that once grazed here, and bluebells, wild daffodils and heath bedstraw have spread as a result. Dogs are welcome but must be kept on leads, under close control whenever livestock is out. Reviewers single out the view from the top, which takes in the Malvern Hills, the Cotswolds, the Forest of Dean and the Black Mountains. Tips from visitors: the way up through the woods is steep in places, and the Trust warns that paths can be rough and muddy after wet weather. The car park is very small, holding only a handful of cars, and facilities are limited.