Bredon Hill
Location and Access Information
Grid Reference: SO 957402
The large mass of Bredon Hill rises out of the Severn Vale in south-east Worcestershire, 4km south-east of Evesham. Public rights of way from the villages situated around the base of the Hill provide access to the slopes and summit. Limited car parking is available in the villages. From the main plateau area of the summit there are excellent views of the Malverns and the Severn Vale to the west and the Vale of Evesham and the Cotswolds to the east.
View the site map on Nature on the Map
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Geological Interest
Bredon Hill is effectively an outlying part of the Cotswold escarpment, which lies close to the east, and is formed of the same Jurassic (205-142 million years ago) rocks. The main mass of Bredon Hill is formed by clays and silts deposited in shallow sea, which are overlain by the iron-rich sandy limestone of the Marlstone Rock. The top of the hill is formed by the shallow marine sands and limestones of the Middle Jurassic Inferior Oolite. A zone of large, fossil landslips can be seen on the southern slope of Bredon Hill, north of Kemerton. These have occurred at the junction between the Inferior Oolite and the underlying clays of the Lias. The clays form an impenetrable barrier to water, which seeps naturally through the porous limestone above, forming a natural spring-line around the southern flanks of Bredon Hill.
For information about geological trails in this region go to www.earthheritagetrust.org
