Just under four hours from London, the Malvern Hills offer a weekend that mixes tradition with indulgence. In the span of two days, you can watch craftsmen shape a hand-built sports car, sit down to an afternoon tea some say rivals the Ritz and taste sparkling wine that vintners pour in the very vineyard where they grow it. It’s countryside England with a modern edge.
I wanted a change of pace from London, and the Malvern Hills delivered. The area stretches along the border of Worcestershire and Herefordshire, and locals know it for rolling ridges, historic estates and small villages. People have long celebrated the hills for its natural springs, walking trails, sweeping views and a slower pace far removed from the capital. For travelers looking to go beyond London, this area provides a compact and authentic slice of the English countryside.
Following Visit The Malverns’ self-guided Mystery Foodie Tour itinerary allowed me to explore the region through its food, drink and hospitality. From family-run kitchens to award-winning restaurants, the tour connected each stop, making 48 hours feel like a complete journey.
A rural retreat
I stayed at The Barn at Hop Pickers Rural Retreats, a 17th-century barn converted into a spacious self-catering cottage on Pigeon House Farm, which hosted hop picking from the 1930s to the 1960s. The cottage keeps its original beams, overlooks the fields and has a private hot tub just outside, a feature that turned evenings into a real escape.
Louise and her daughter Rebecca run the retreat, and their personal approach feels more like staying with friends than booking a rental.
Behind-the-scenes tours
I began the day at the Morgan Experience Centre in Malvern Link, where expert guides lead the factory tours. Nick, who showed us around, spoke with infectious passion as he led the group through more than a century of car-building history. I watched craftsmen fit ash-wood frames, stitch leather interiors and finish bodywork by hand; those details made the process feel closer to a workshop than a production line. Even as someone who doesn’t follow cars closely, I left with new respect for the skill that goes into building them.
Eating among the classics
At Faun, the cafe inside the Morgan Experience Centre, I ordered a confit mushroom sandwich and sat beside a Morgan Plus Four, the company’s vintage-style British roadster that still turns heads. With enthusiasts chatting at nearby tables, Faun felt more like a clubhouse than a showroom. Here, the cars join the conversation rather than fade into the background.
Driving the hills
In the afternoon, I slid behind the wheel of a Morgan Plus Four on an Experience Drive, a hand-built British roadster with styling that feels as if it came straight from the golden age of motoring. I drove through the Malvern Hills with the roof down, past rolling ridges, stone cottages and pubs with flower baskets; the kind of scenery that defines the English countryside. People stopped to watch as the car rumbled past, a reminder that driving a Morgan here is more than transport and still part of a tradition that draws admiration.
Dinner on the estate
Dinner took me to Tenbury Wells and a seat inside Sow, chef Andrew Sheridan’s restaurant on the Netherwood Estate. During my visit, the tasting menu opened with tomato foam, then moved through dishes that showcased local ingredients prepared with a focus on sustainability. The building, a 16th-century structure on the estate, added the feel of dining inside history. Even the hot towels carried the scent of roses grown in the garden, a small touch that showed how every part of the evening was considered.
Morning with the locals
The next morning, I drove the Morgan to The Apple Tree Kitchen, a cafe that Jo and her daughter Charlotte run on a nearby farm. I ordered a full English breakfast and watched locals stop to greet each other while the room buzzed like a neighborhood hub. After eating, I walked the short path down to the farm’s lake, and in late summer, the nearby dahlia garden bursts into color.
History among the ruins
Later, I toured Witley Court, an English Heritage site where one of Britain’s grand country houses now stands in ruins after a fire in the 1930s. The Perseus and Andromeda fountain shoots water high into the air, often on the hour, drawing visitors to gather in the gardens to watch. I spent almost two hours walking the grounds, from the formal terraces to the wooded paths, which gave a sense of the scale the estate once held.
Afternoon tea at the Secret Garden
At the Secret Garden Tearooms, I had a full afternoon tea served on vintage china in a glass conservatory surrounded by greenery. Tiered trays came stacked with sandwiches, scones and cakes, all presented with a warmth that felt anything but formal. Some guests have said the experience rivals the Ritz in London, and after tasting it, I could see why.
Sparkling wine at Marlbank Vineyard
At Marlbank Vineyard, I joined owner Jeremy Macklin for a tour that felt more like a personal conversation than a scripted visit. He walked me between the rows of vines while explaining how English growers adapt to the short growing season and unpredictable weather. His pride appeared as he poured glasses of his award-winning sparkling wine, which had won gold at London tastings.
Marlbank is part of the new Malvern Hills Vineyards collaboration, a group of six independent vineyards working together to showcase how the region’s winemaking is gaining international recognition. Tasting his sparkling wine on site underscored how English vineyards are carving out a reputation that surprises many visitors.
A final dinner
Dinner at The Inn at Welland closed the trip in style. The award-winning restaurant, run by David and Gilly, holds a Michelin Bib Gourmand and two AA Rosette Awards for Culinary Excellence. The kitchen seared my scallops perfectly, the cheese souffle ranked among the best I’ve tasted, and the stone floors and soft lighting kept the atmosphere relaxed.
The front-of-house team was friendly and knowledgeable without being intrusive, and they seemed genuinely pleased to see me. Their philosophy, “Behind every excellent dish and service are the people,” came through clearly, making it fine dining that felt special without ever feeling formal.
A lasting impression
The Malvern Hills stood out to me for the way they combined family-run hospitality, heritage craft and a slower way of life. In two days, I stayed in a 17th-century barn with its own private hot tub, drove a hand-built Morgan roadster through countryside lanes, walked the ruins of a once-grand estate and sat down to an afternoon tea some compare to the Ritz. I sampled acclaimed English sparkling wine and ended the trip at an award-winning inn where the service felt as genuine as the cuisine.
For a destination only a few hours from London, the Malvern Hills felt like another side of England, and I left knowing it was the kind of place I would come back to.
Mandy is a luxury travel, fine dining and bucket list adventure journalist with expert insight from 46 countries. She uncovers unforgettable experiences around the world and brings them to life through immersive storytelling that blends indulgence, culture and discovery, and shares it all with a global audience as co-founder of Food Drink Life. Her articles appear on MSN and through the Associated Press Wire in major U.S. outlets, including NBC, the Daily News, Boston Herald, Chicago Sun-Times and many more.
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