AONBs, riverside camps, and canal boats await in Worcestershire.
In the West Midlands with Birmingham to its northeast, Stratford-upon-Avon to its east, and Hereford to its west, Worcestershire is fairly rural with rolling hills, historic villages, and the Malvern Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, shared with Herefordshire and Gloucestershire. Despite its proximity to Birmingham—the second-largest city in England—Worcestershire offers the option to stay at riverside camps throughout the county, or to rent live-aboard boats for navigating the rivers and off-shoot canals thanks to two major rivers that run through Worcestershire: the River Severn and the Avon. Camping among hills and farmland is also popular.
Worcestershire’s county town, Worcester is an historic cathedral and university town in which medieval, Tudor, and more modern heritage are all on display. Campers can stay at a variety of campsites, caravan parks, cabins, and glamping sites around town, many of which are dotted along the banks of the River Severn on the city’s outskirts. Some farmhouse stays also provide tent camping on their grounds.
Kidderminster in northern Worcestershire is sometimes considered an outer suburb of Birmingham, to its northeast. It’s home to a popular safari park, which is a good option for camping families with animal-loving kids, plus caravan parks and Scouts campsites. More options sit in the pretty riverside town of Stourport-on-Severn, a short distance from Kidderminster.Stay in riverside camps in Stourport, or hire a canal boat for navigating its waterways.
This small reserve in southern Worcestershire is a northern extension of the Cotswolds, an idyllic Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty that largely sits within Gloucestershire and Oxfordshire. Home to old trees, grasslands, and hundreds of species of rare invertebrates, the area is a highlight for campers who can stay nearby around the town of Evesham, where there are a few caravan parks.
In Worcestershire’s southwest, this natural area is a popular outdoor recreation area that combines dramatic hills and pastoral countryside. The highest point of Malvern Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is the 1,394-foot (425-metre) Worcestershire Beacon, from which you can see across to the Cotswolds and into Wales on a clear day. You can stay in farm cottages, campsites, caravan parks, and glamping sites throughout the AONB.