Discover Martley

Martley combines varied landscapes with remarkable cultural heritage and geological discoveries. Anyone planning a trip involving exercise, historic sites and nature observation can put together a range of ideas for day trips here. When choosing a holiday apartment in Martley, the key question is therefore which experiences should be the main focus: a signposted circular walk, historic murals, a geological visitor area or landscapes in the surrounding area.

Walking the Martley Circular Walk

The Martley Circular Walk is a 6¼-mile signposted circular route. It is marked with a “Buzzard” symbol and directional arrows. The route starts and ends at the car park of St Peter's Church. Limited parking for the circular walk is available there. If you are arriving by car and plan to complete the circular walk, this restriction is therefore one of the practical points you should take into account when planning your day.

The route passes through traditional orchards, pastureland and ancient woodland. The Martley Circular Walk also includes a section of the Worcestershire Way. This gives the walk several different landscape impressions, without reducing the character of the route to a single type of landscape. The circular walk can be set aside as a day trip in its own right; however, the information available does not allow any specific walking times or a particular level of difficulty to be inferred.

St Peter and Martley's historical traces

St Peter in Martley is not only the starting and finishing point of the Circular Walk. The church has structural elements from the early 12th and early 13th centuries, as well as from around 1315. The nave contains 15th-century wall paintings. The chancel displays wall paintings from the late 13th and 15th centuries, including a 15th-century Annunciation group. On Sundays, St Peter offers both contemporary and traditional services.

History can also be encountered in various forms outside the church. The Old Hall in Martley has a 14th-century core and combines architectural styles ranging from the medieval period to the Victorian era. In the Martley Conservation Area, nine buildings and four architectural features are included on the list of buildings of architectural or historic interest. Berrow Hill Camp is designated as a Scheduled Monument. Despite damage caused by quarrying, partial woodland cover, paths and installed fence posts, the site is comparatively well preserved and has extensive earthworks. Important for your planning: Berrow Hill Camp is not open to the public.

Geology and landscapes around Martley

Martley Rock is an established visitor area with information boards and leaflets explaining the geological exposures. Covering an area of approximately 60 × 15 metres, Martley Rock displays five geological ages. The East Malvern Fault also runs through the site. Anyone who wants to experience nature not just as a backdrop but also from a geological perspective will find an independent focus for their stay here.

Nearby, Ankerdine Common lies away from the B4197 between Knightwick and Martley. The elevated viewpoint offers views across the Teme Valley. The Dormouse Trail at Ankerdine Common Picnic Place passes through hilly, unsurfaced terrain made of compacted ground and includes some steps. The Martley Circular Walk, by contrast, is characterised by its route markings as well as orchards, pastureland and ancient woodland. The two paths therefore differ in terms of landscape and ground conditions.

Another aspect of nature is Penny Hill Bank. This is a remnant of calcareous grassland that benefits flowers, butterflies and other insects. For travellers interested in nature, this habitat adds a botanical and zoological perspective to the geological and landscape impressions.

The right base for planning your trip

A holiday apartment in Martley can serve as a base for a stay whose daily programme alternates between walking, church art, architectural history and nature. When searching, check whether your planned focus for the trip suits your preferred daily rhythm: for the Circular Walk, the starting and finishing point and the limited parking are relevant, while for the nearby landscape experiences, the distinctive terrain features of Ankerdine Common are important. Because it is not publicly accessible, Berrow Hill Camp should not be planned as a regular sightseeing destination.

Further destinations for orientation: Evesham, Harvington, Hollywood, Kempsey, Shrawley, Kidderminster, Barnt Green, Broadway.

For the higher-level travel overview: Worcestershire.