Car Park Study
5. RESULTS OF THE SURVEY OF THE EIGHT MHC MAIN CAR PARKS WITH KEY RECOMMENDATIONS
1: North Quarry
Estimated Capacity: 100-120 vehicles if car parking spaces were marked out in herringbone fashion.
On 24 March at 17.35 13 cars were in the car park and 6 on the access road
Free/Charged: £1.50
Ticket Machine available: Yes
Attractions/trails accessed: Access to the main ridge, Worcestershire Way and the Worcestershire Beacon. Close to the townships of Great Malvern and Malvern Link.
A WCC run car park and picnic site, at Tank Top with capacity for around 50 cars, free of charge, is 100 metres away, but is little used because of the perceived security risk.
Information Provision: Virtually no signage from the town centre, and no signs indicating it is a car park at the entrance. Very limited information provision in the car park itself, some footpath signs marking the entrance points to footpaths leading to the ridge and to the Worcestershire Way, but otherwise footpaths are not marked. Although fairly easy to find, the access path to the Beacon is not as well used or as obvious as other paths to and along the top of the ridge. This may also be partially due to the rather steep gradient.
Visual impact: Fairly well screened by the old quarry and tall trees, but not as enclosed as Tank Top, making it less vulnerable to criminal activity.
On-road parking in vicinity: Some parking by local people along the access road. This seems to be residents using a free parking facility which probably continues overnight.
Observations/Recommendations: This could be a good alternative to the Beacon Road/ West of England car parks, as it allows access to the same area of the ridge and the Beacon with opportunities of circular walks, as well as to the Worcestershire Way.
However, the other car parks giving access to the same area are a preferred option for most Sunday walkers, as the climb out of the North Quarry car park is considerably steeper and longer than from the others.
It could, however, be developed into a prime park and ride site if there was a more frequent bus service available at peak times which was also well promoted. This could even include the bus operating into and around the car park. Prominently displayed bus timetable information close to the ticket machine is essential to achieve this.
At the moment the car park is distinctly uninviting and requires resurfacing, and parking bays laid out with rough timber, secured by stakes into the ground - this would reduce joy riders. A couple of picnic tables to replace the worn out benches would help make the areas seem more friendly, also good signing both of the low level and high level routes and available circular walk, as well as the access route along the main ridge from the north of the car park - which are not at all clear at the moment.
This car park does have potential to be developed into a more strategic point for both walking and as an interchange with public transport. Signing from the main road and even the main cross roads near the town centre would be hugely beneficial in terms of increasing use and taking pressure away from the more heavily used car parks. It would also help to have this and other key car parks clearly indicated on both current Landranger and Explorer OS Maps.
2: West of England
Estimated Capacity: 120 spaces in three distinct interlinked areas, corresponding to rock shelves that once formed part of the old quarry access.
(9+15 cars counted on 24 March 2002 at 15.05)
Free/Charged: £1.50
Ticket Machine available: 2 ticket machines at both entrance points
Attractions/trails accessed: The main ridge and the Worcestershire Beacon, the Hayslad Spring on the main road below, accessed by a generally busy lay-bye.
This is, perhaps more than any other of the car parks, a fascinating area in itself, being gently wooded yet with a mixture of geological and industrial archaeological interest.
Information Provision: The existence of this car park is hardly evident for drivers approaching from Malvern, there being no signage on the road, and no information when you arrive, and minimal provision or facilities..
Visual impact: Minimal - well screened by trees.
On-road parking in vicinity: A parking bay on the road popular with visitors accessing the Malvern Water Spring (7 cars counted on the study day)
Observations/Recommendations: This car park lends itself to quite different treatment. Because of its location requiring a moderately steep climb to the Beacon, for most people it is not a substitute for Beacon Road or even Earnslaw - even though Earnslaw is slightly steeper. It has a rather different function. Potentially it is a small, informal Country Park within the Hills, a place where people can enjoy relative peace and quiet, with attractive woodlands, and good, if steep, access to Worcestershire Beacon. Visitors could also enjoy access to what could be a number of short, circular waymarked trails within this forested, formerly quarried area (but not on the open access land) with a high degree of interpretation. We draw attention to the skilful way this is done in many German Forests and Forests Parks, such as the Bavarian Forest National Park, which achieves the very highest, internationally recognised standards of visitor management and nature protection. To suggest this more formalised approach to visitor management in areas such as this will somehow compromise visitor management ignores examples of best practice from other parts of the world, and indeed within the UK. It development must be seen to balance more restrictive policies in more vulnerable areas such as Castlemorton Common.
The old quarry road through the site could provide excellent disabled access if cars no longer used it as a rat run or short cut.
Our recommendation therefore is to close the southern entrance completely and remove the P&D machine, and have just one entrance, in the north which would have to be improved to ease access from the south along West Malvern Road. This will focus visitor information towards the three main parking areas, reduce the need for two parking machines to one, and allow for better site management, giving visitors of a sense of entering a very special area. Once in the site visitor would be encouraged to park, enjoy good quality interpretation, a choice of easy and less easy trails, including the superb rock exposures at the quarry face, providing barriers keep people at a safe distance. Seats and picnic tables should be provided (and perhaps even removed from less suitable, more intrusive sites elsewhere on MHC land ) to encourage people to stay longer to enjoy the area. This is an area that can absorb relatively high numbers of visitors and their cars relatively easily and has potential therefore to take pressure away from British Camp.
3: Beacon Road
Estimated Capacity: 45 in the upper area, around 20 in the lower. ,
14 in the lower car park, 4 in the upper car park on 14th March between 1-2pm
Free/Charged: £1.50
Ticket Machine available: In the upper car park, but no machine in the lower one
Attractions/trails accessed: The main ridge, Worcestershire Beacon and associated viewpoints, This is the easiest access point to the beacon. Pub/lunch/afternoon tea facilities around Wyche Cutting. Toilets at Wyche Cutting.
Information Provision. Poor. This car park not signed from the main roads. As most of the Conservators car parks, it is used mainly by Sunday walkers, families and dog walkers, who have a good selective knowledge of the area and no need to carry a map. No mention of public transport provision, yet hourly (Sunday) buses stop nearby.
Visual impact: Acceptable - not intrusive
On-road parking in vicinity: On 24th March 02, over twenty cars were parked on roadsides close by, even though there was more than adequate access in the car park available.
Observations/Recommendations: This is a difficult location. Access to the upper car park via a single narrow road may present problems with cars turning or having to reverse out of extremely narrow bays. Bays are so narrow drivers frequently park over the lines, thus sterilising the adjacent place.
There is also some confusion with the lower bays, with only one machine available. Much of the road is public highway with use by local residents as a free parking area.
Issues of local semi-permanent parking, use of the highway for parking and lack of turning space need to be resolved.
Our recommendation would be to give priority at this car park a) to the disabled and b) to local residents, and not to promote the car park except to these groups. This would remove the need to have a second machine available. However there may well be concerns at the potential loss of around £9,000 of revenue (1999 figure), probably from low season users, but this ought to be more than adequately compensated by the increased use of Earnslaw if this was well signed and promoted from Malvern and along the B4218..
The little parking bay by the church on Jubilee Drive (around 20 spaces - 14 in use on 24.3.02) owned by MHC raises some safety concerns. Though primarily initially created for churchgoers, it is in effect a free car park for walkers.
The road at this point - Jubilee Drive - is fairly bendy, and the cars have to go to the middle section of the road to avoid walkers getting out of cars or the cars reversing. This creates a hazard with visibility obscured by the bend, i.e. either walkers, or cars coming from the opposite direction would not be visible to the motorists.
Despite these problems (which may have to be resolved by some traffic calming measures), it would be impossible to remove or close this parking area. Compromise might be to give users of the church free parking at times of church services, (banning non church parking at times of services) but charge visitors, and walkers in particular, the standard rates. It might also be useful to make it a short stay car park only, directing longer stay users some 400 metres away to Earnslaw Quarry
4: Earnslaw Quarry
Estimated Capacity: 130 over on 2 levels,
Just 4 cars there on 25 March 2002 at 14.35 - all on the upper level.
Free/Charged: £1.50
Ticket Machine available: Yes
Attractions/trails accessed: The main ridge and Worcestershire Beacon from the alternative access road to the Malvern Hills.
Information Provision: Signed (damaged) indicates access from the B4218 road.
Visual impact: Well screened from the hills and the road, but a rather bleak and forbidding appearance despite some attempts at softening with a wooden barrier, and some signage. A high capacity alternative to the Beacon Road/West of England car parks, but with a steep climb up to the main ridge.
On-road parking in vicinity: None as the main road is narrow and dangerous at this point
Observations/Recommendations: This is a large, probably very underused car park which could easily take pressure of other car parks in the area, especially if its internal appearance was improved and it was well promoted. This might include timber parking bays (also to reduce joy riders), some planting and creation of picnic facilities, perhaps even stone benches at the edge of the upper car park to facilitate enjoyment of the open views, better signing (including walking routes to the main ridge and Wyche Cutting) and interpretive facilities.
The smaller quarry at Lower Wyche immediately to the south of Earnslaw is also a storage/workshop area used by MHC staff (and the only car park currently well signed off the highway). There are no facilities and it is not a very welcoming area. Given the very large, underused capacity of Earnslaw Quarry close by, it is suggested that this car park is closed. This would also reduce security risk at the workshops.
5: Gardiners Quarry
Estimated Capacity: 60 plus, divided between the main quarry area (up to 40) and the shelf above the main road (20). 18 cars parked on 24 March 2002 at 12.21
However, also a large, informal overflow area, well screened, below Jubilee Drive and around the café. This is closed during the winter months but could hold around 60+ vehicles.
Free/Charged: £1.50
Ticket Machine available: Yes for the top section, but not for the large overflow area. It is difficult to believe that substantial revenue is not lost when this area is open, as it is a long walk back uphill for anyone honest enough to pay. A P&D machine is required here which could be removed at the end of the season.
Attractions/trails accessed: To the main ridge up a steep trail, but also other local walks westwards into the AONB including the Worcestershire Way. However the main use of the car park is probably drivers stopping to rest and admire the view.
Information Provision: Not signed, but clearly visible from the road. No interpretation boards, but footpath to the main ridge is obvious.
Visual impact: The parking outside the quarry is visible from the main ridge path, and is likely to have a quite significant impact in the main season, especially if cars stray southwards along the rocky shelf.
On-road parking in vicinity: None observed but tyre marks on verges especially around the junction to Brand Green where there is a well, suggests seasonal problems, which are severe where Jubilee Drive meets the A449 near British Camp.
Observations/Recommendations: This is far from being an ideal location, as the most attractive areas to park are outside the old quarry in most exposed areas. More than most other car parks this probably relies on passing trade.
No information about bus services was available, although buses call there every hour on Sundays. Some refreshments, with their own parking facilities, are available a little further down the road.
6. Black Hill
Estimated Capacity: 45 in the main area, up to 50+ in the overflow areas of hillside.
28 cars counted on 24 March 2002, at 11.30
Free/Charged: £1.50 Ticket Machine available: Yes, but not well situated for the large overflow areas above Wynds Point.
Attractions/trails accessed: British Camp (a well used walkway parallels the B4243) and up to the main ridge. There is also a short disabled trail close by.
Information Provision: The car park is not signed from the road. A high quality information board is situated close to trails and ticket machine.
Visual impact: When the car park is functioning within capacity, this is acceptable. At busy times when the overflow areas are in use, this will have a significant impact on the landscape.
On-road parking in vicinity: Even on are relatively quiet Sunday in March, (24th) with ample space in the car park, 9 cars chose to park on B4232, around the bus stop - a loss of MHC income of £13.50. At peak times this can be a major problem with severe congestion posing a real danger to other road users and loss of access for emergency services which could cost lives. Traffic Regulation is clearly essential here, reducing roadside parking perhaps with a rural clearway, which must be seen to be enforced.
Observations/Recommendations: This is an attractive car park because of its location, and clearly draws local people for some very short stays, including several dog walkers. There is a gentle climb to the lower part of the ridge, but not much opportunity for circular walks.
There must be some concern about the visual impact of the overflow car park which is very exposed, and the on road parking. This is the second most popular of the eight MHC car parks and clearly is considerable under pressure at peak times, acting as an overflow for British Camp.
7. British Camp
Estimated Capacity: 175
70 cars and 6 motorcycles counted on 24 March 2002, at 11.15 am.
Free/Charged: £1.50
Ticket Machine available: Yes
Attractions/trails accessed: The main honey pot site of the Malverns. British Camp attracts a huge number of casual visitors even those with little interest in the remarkable archaeological features of the site, but who enjoy the extensive views from the summit. The remains are accessed via a series of hard surfaced paths. There is popular route down to the British Camp Reservoir. There is also a natural access point to the main ridge both southwards towards Castlemorton Common and The Gullet, and northwards via Herefordshire Beacon. Even when visited on a relatively quiet Sunday in March, this area was very busy with visitors.
There is a popular hotel close by providing refreshments and there are public toilets across the main road.
Information Provision: The car park is not signed, but is perhaps all-too-obvious from the main road. An interpretation board and a bus timetable available, but no information on where the bus stops.Visual impact: Significant, although the car park is screened from British Camp by surrounding woodland.
On-road parking in vicinity: On March 24th 9 cars were parked outside the hotel and near the bus stop on the B4232.
Observations/Recommendations: British Camp, with its expanse of blacktop and painted parking bays is something of an aesthetic disaster, which is hardly acceptable at the entrance to one of the finest ancient monuments in the English Midlands. Measures to reduce its visual impact might include wooden or stone clad planting areas to divide up the main bays, (even at the cost of the loss of some car parking space) and to direct traffic in a circular flow, and landscaping of other features. Removal of the toilets from the far side of the A449 to the car park side would also reduce some pedestrian -vehicle conflict. British Camp merits a full landscaping study in its own right.
8. Hollybush
Estimated Capacity: 20 + but difficult to estimate as at busy times visitors clearly spread all over the common land.
Free/Charged: Officially £1.50 but if fees are not collected users do not pay.
Ticket Machine available: None
Attractions/trails accessed: Part of the Hollybush/Castlemorton The Commons are an area of informal access.
Information Provision: None
Visual impact: Could be quite alarming at the busiest times
On-road parking in vicinity: None noticeable as the Common offers extensive opportunity for informal, off road parking
Observations/Recommendations: The issues at Hollybush are identical to those of Castlemorton and are dealt with in detail in that section of the report. The Hollybush site itself is a triangle of land above Golden Valley where motorists stop to admire the view and enjoy a picnic. It is a very exposed site and any formalisation of the parking runs the risk of unacceptable visual impact. Nevertheless this is something that needs to be tackled with skill and care, and overflow parking discouraged so that the area retains its special qualities and is not urbanised, even temporarily, by the sheer number of visitors and their cars. What happens at Hollybush is therefore best dealt with as part of the overall management plan for the Hollybush/Castlemorton area referred to in the previous section.
The small car parking area to the west, at the end of the Worcestershire Way near Midsummer Hill is privately owned and not in control of the MHC. There are only a handful of spaces here, ten at most, and once the Worcester Way is diverted as has been recommended, its significance is likely to decline. Its future will have little impact on what happens at Hollybush or on Castlemorton Common.
Car park study index
