Attractions and Places To See around Bredon - Top 20
Best attractions and places to see around Bredon include a variety of historical sites and natural landmarks nestled at the foot of Bredon Hill in Worcestershire, England. The area offers a blend of natural beauty, rich history, and cultural significance. Visitors can explore ancient structures, diverse natural habitats, and charming village settings. This region provides opportunities to discover significant historical features and scenic landscapes.
Best attractions and places to see around Bredon
- The most popular attractions is Parsons Folly on Bredon Hill, a man-made monument that is an 18th-century stone tower offering extensive views of the surrounding countryside, including the Malverns and the Cotswolds. The hill itself is home to Kemerton Camp, an Iron Age hillfort with extensive earthworks, and also features Roman earthworks and ancient standing stones.
- Another must-see spot is Pershore Old Bridge, a historical site. This was a key crossing point for traders between London and Worcester, originally built in the 1400s. The present bridge is a structure of various dates due to its many collapses and rebuilds, with parts dating back to the 14th century.
- Visitors also love St Mary's Church, Elmley Castle, a man-made monument. This church is set in the picturesque Worcestershire village of Elmley Castle and dates from a very early period. Parts of its walling belong to about the end of the 11th century, and it features various architectural styles and monuments.
- Bredon is known for historical sites, religious buildings, and natural viewpoints. The area offers a variety of attractions to see and explore, from ancient monuments to significant natural landscapes.
- The attractions around Bredon are appreciated by the komoot community, with 3 highlights receiving 164 upvotes and featuring 91 photos.
Last updated: May 5, 2026
Parsons Folly on Bredon Hill
Highlight • Monument
The hill was once an Iron Age hillfort, known as Kemerton Camp and it then became an important Roman encampment. In the 18th century, the squire of Kemerton Court erected a small stone tower, Parsons Folly. A number of ancient standing stones also adorn the hill.
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Pershore Old Bridge
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St Mary's Church, Elmley Castle
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Croome Court
Highlight • Historical Site
The mansion house is owned by Croome Heritage Trust and leased to the National Trust, which operates it as a tourist attraction. The National Trust owns the surrounding parkland, which is also open to the public.
The foundations and core of Croome Court, including the central chimney stack structure, date back to the early 1640s. Substantial changes to this early house were made by Gilbert Coventry, 4th Earl of Coventry.
George Coventry, the 6th Earl, inherited the estate in 1751, along with the existing Jacobean house. He commissioned Lancelot "Capability" Brown, with the assistance of Sanderson Miller, to redesign the house and estate. It was Brown's "first flight into the realms of architecture" and a "rare example of his architectural work", and it is an important and seminal work. It was built between 1751 and 1752, and it and Hagley Hall are considered to be the finest examples of Neo-Palladian architecture in Worcestershire. Notable Neo-Palladian features incorporated into Croome Court include the plain exterior and the corner towers with pyramidal roofs (a feature first used by Inigo Jones in the design of Wilton House in Wiltshire). Robert Adam worked on the interior of the building from 1760 onwards. The house was visited by George III, as well as by Queen Victoria during summers when she was a child, and George V (when Duke of York).
A jam factory was built near Pershore railway station by the 9th Earl of Coventry in about 1880, to provide a market for Vale of Evesham fruit growers in times of surplus. Although the Croome connection with jam-making had ceased, the building was leased by the Croome Estate Trust during the First World War to the Huddersfield Fruit Preserving Company as a pulping station. The First World War deeply affected Croome; there were many local casualties, although the house was not requisitioned for the war effort. This is possibly because it was the home of the Lord Lieutenant of the county, who needed a residence for his many official engagements. Croome Court was requisitioned during the Second World War by the Ministry of Works, and leased for a year to the Dutch Government as a possible refuge for Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands to escape the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands. However, evidence shows that they stayed for two weeks at the most, perhaps because of the noise and fear created by the proximity of Defford Aerodrome. They later emigrated to Canada.
The Croome Estate Trust sold the Court in 1948, along with 38 acres (15 ha) of land, to the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Birmingham, and the mansion became St Joseph's Special School, which was run by nuns from 1950 until 1979. In 1979, the hall was taken over by the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON, the Hare Krishna movement) which used it as its UK headquarters and a training college, called Chaitanya College. During their tenure they repainted the Dining Room. ISKCON left the estate in 1984 for financial reasons. It held a festival at the hall in 2011. From 1984 onwards, various owners tried to use the property as a training centre; apartments; a restaurant and conference centre; and a hotel and golf course, before once more becoming a private family home, with outbuildings converted to private houses.
The house was purchased by the Croome Heritage Trust, a registered charity, in October 2007, and it is now managed by the National Trust as a tourist attraction. It opened to the public in September 2009, at which point six of the rooms had been restored, costing £400,000, including the Saloon. It was estimated that another £4 million to £4.8 million would be needed to restore the entire building. Fundraising activities for the restoration included a 2011 raffle for a Morgan sports car organised by Lord and Lady Flight. After the restoration is complete, a 999-year lease on the building will be granted to the National Trust. An oral history project to record recollections about Croome was funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund. As of 2009, the service wing was empty and in need of substantial repair. The house was listed on 11 August 1952; it is currently Grade I listed.
The mansion is faced with Bath stone, limestone ashlar, and has both north and south facing fronts. It has a basement and two stories, with three stories in the end pavilions. A slate roof, with pyramid roofs over the corner towers, tops the building, along with three pair-linked chimneys along the axis of the house.
Both fronts have 11 bays, split into three central sets of three each, and one additional bay each side. The north face has a pedimented centre, with two balustraded staircases leading to a Roman Doric doorcase. The south face has a projecting Ionic tetrastyle portico and Venetian windows. It has a broad staircase, with Coade stone sphinxes on each side, leading to a south door topped with a cornice on consoles. The wings have modillion cornice and balustrade.
A two-story L-shaped service wing is attached to the east side of the mansion. It is made of red brick and stone, with slate roofs. It was designed by Capability Brown in 1751–1752. On the far side of the service wing, a wall connects it to a stable court.
The interior of the house was designed partially by Capability Brown, with plasterwork by G. Vassalli, and partially by Robert Adam, with plasterwork by Joseph Rose, Jr. It has a central spine corridor. A stone staircase, with iron balusters, is at the east end.
The entrance hall is on the north side of the building, and has four fluted Doric columns, along with moulded doorcases. To the east of the entrance hall is the dining room, which has a plaster ceiling and cornice, while to the west is a billiard room, featuring fielded panelling, a plaster cornice, and a rococo fireplace. The three rooms were probably decorated around 1758–1759 by Capability Brown. The dining room was vibrantly repainted by the Hare Krishnas in the 1970s-80s.
The central room on the south side is a saloon, probably by Brown and Vassalli. It has an elaborate ceiling, with three panels, deep coving, and a cornice, along with two Ionic fireplaces, and Palladian doorcases. King George III was entertained by George Coventry, the 6th Earl, in the house's Saloon. A drawing room is to the west of the saloon, and features rococo plasterwork and a marble fireplace.
To the east of the saloon is the Tapestry Room. This was designed in 1763–1771, based on a design by Robert Adam, and contained tapestries and furniture covers possibly designed by François Boucher and Maurice Jacques, and made by Manufacture Nationale des Gobelins. Around 1902 the ninth Earl sold the tapestries and seating to a Parisian dealer. The Samuel H. Kress Foundation purchased the ceiling, floor, mantlepiece, chair rails, doors and door surrounds in 1949; they were donated to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, in 1958. In 1959, the Kress Foundation also helped the Metropolitan Museum acquire the chair and sofa frames, which they recovered using the original tapestry seats. A copy of the ceiling was installed in place of the original. As of 2016, the room is displayed as it would have looked after the tapestries had been sold, with a jug and ewer on display as the only original decoration of the room that remains in it. The adjacent library room is used to explain what happened to the tapestry room; the former library was designed by Adam, and was dismantled except for the marble fireplace.
At the west side of the building is a Long Gallery[10] which was designed by Robert Adam and installed between 1761 and 1766. It is the best preserved of the original interior (little of the rest has survived in situ). It has an octagonal panelled ceiling, and plaster reliefs of griffins. A half-hexagonal bay faces the garden. The room also contains a marble caryatid fireplace designed by J Wilton. As of 2016, modern sculptures are displayed in empty niches along the Long Gallery.
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Church of St Peter, Little Comberton
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Tips from the Community
Beautiful medieval bridge over river Avon. Incredibly well preserved given its age.
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Pleasant views of Malvern and the surrounding areas from up there. The folly is ugly as sin but then it IS a folly so... yeah. Not a particularly difficult climb to get up there from either direction.
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A worthy addition to the National Trust. Wonderful house, set in Capability Brown's first landscape park.
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The old bridge is picturesque, and its also a great place to while away an hour or two by the river.
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The folly itself actually looks like it really is an industrial tower housing mobile phone equipment, but the views are very good. Nearby is the Elephant Stone - it looks like an Elephant kneeing down. Not far from the Cotswold Stone drystone wall is the circular stone that marks the very top of Bredon Hill.
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Good parking, half a dozen spaces on Woollas Hill, near Deer Park centre. Views on way up to Folly are spectacular. Good to get the climb out the way early with gentle, long descent in to Broadway.
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Great church on the descent in Pershore direction. Beautiful mosaics inside
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Frequently Asked Questions
What are the main historical attractions to explore around Bredon?
The area around Bredon is rich in history. You can visit Pershore Old Bridge, a historical crossing point with parts dating back to the 14th century. Another significant site is St Mary's Church, Elmley Castle, which dates from the late 11th century and features various architectural styles. Also, explore Croome Court, a mid-18th-century Neo-Palladian mansion with extensive landscaped parkland designed by Capability Brown, now cared for by the National Trust. Don't miss Church of St Peter, Little Comberton, a 12th-century church with historical significance.
What natural features and viewpoints can I find on Bredon Hill?
Bredon Hill offers stunning natural beauty and panoramic views. At its summit, you'll find Parsons Folly, an 18th-century stone tower providing extensive vistas of the Malverns and the Cotswolds. The hill itself is home to diverse habitats, including ancient woodland and calcareous grassland, and is recognized for its rare wildlife, such as dead-wood beetles. You can also discover ancient standing stones like the Banbury Stone and the King and Queen Stones.
Are there family-friendly activities or attractions in the Bredon area?
Yes, several attractions are suitable for families. Pershore Old Bridge has a popular picnic spot nearby, perfect for a family outing. The extensive parkland surrounding Croome Court, managed by the National Trust, offers plenty of space for children to explore. Additionally, the walks on Bredon Hill can be enjoyed by families, with various paths and trails to suit different abilities.
What outdoor activities are available near Bredon's attractions?
The area around Bredon is excellent for outdoor enthusiasts. You can find numerous hiking trails, including moderate routes like the 'Bredon's Norton to Bredon Hill loop' or 'Parsons Folly on Bredon Hill – Elmley Castle village loop'. For cyclists, there are easy to moderate touring bicycle routes, such as the 'Kemerton Coffee House loop'. Gravel biking is also popular, with challenging routes like the 'Cleeve Hill Climb and Descent'. You can explore more options on the dedicated guides for hiking, cycling, and gravel biking around Bredon.
Where can I experience the local wildlife and natural habitats?
Bredon and its surroundings are internationally important for wildlife. Bredon Hill itself is a Special Area of Conservation, home to rare fauna and diverse habitats. You can also visit the Kemerton Lake Nature Reserve, partially within the parish, which is a crucial site for dragonflies (22 species recorded) and over 170 bird species. The River Avon, forming the western boundary of the parish, also offers opportunities to enjoy nature along its banks.
Are there any ancient or Iron Age sites near Bredon?
Yes, Bredon Hill is home to significant ancient sites. You can explore Kemerton Camp, an Iron Age hillfort with extensive earthworks. The hill also features Roman earthworks and ancient standing stones, offering a glimpse into the region's distant past.
What is the best time of year to visit Bredon Hill for walking?
Bredon Hill is enjoyable year-round, but the best time for walking is typically during spring, summer, and early autumn when the weather is milder and the views are clearest. Spring brings wildflowers, while autumn offers beautiful foliage. Always check the local weather forecast before heading out, especially during winter, and dress appropriately for the conditions.
Can I find dog-friendly walking routes around Bredon?
Many of the walking routes around Bredon Hill are dog-friendly, allowing you and your canine companion to enjoy the scenic landscapes. It's always recommended to keep dogs on a lead, especially near livestock or in areas with sensitive wildlife, and to follow local signage regarding dog access. Always carry water for your dog and dispose of waste responsibly.
What architectural styles can be seen in Bredon village and its churches?
Bredon village itself showcases a delightful mix of traditional architecture, often featuring Cotswold limestone and timber-frame elements. St Giles's Church in Bredon is a prime example, displaying Norman, Early English, and Decorated architectural styles, with parts dating back to the 12th century and a distinctive 14th-century octagonal spire. St Mary's Church, Elmley Castle, also exhibits various architectural periods from the 11th century onwards.
What do visitors enjoy most about the attractions around Bredon?
Visitors particularly appreciate the blend of natural beauty and rich history. The panoramic views from Parsons Folly on Bredon Hill are highly praised. The historical significance of sites like Pershore Old Bridge and the architectural charm of churches like St Mary's Church, Elmley Castle, are also frequently highlighted. The opportunity to explore ancient structures within scenic landscapes is a major draw for the komoot community.
Is Bredon Barn open to the public, and what is its historical significance?
Yes, Bredon Barn is in the care of the National Trust and is open to the public as a heritage site. This late 14th-century threshing barn is a Grade I listed building and a Scheduled Ancient Monument. It's notable for its construction from local Cotswold stone, steep-pitched limestone tiled roof, and unique interior with oak posts and an open timber roof. It was restored after a fire in 1980.
Are there any specific viewpoints that offer exceptional scenery?
The most prominent viewpoint is from the summit of Bredon Hill, specifically from Parsons Folly. From here, you can enjoy extensive, panoramic views of the surrounding countryside, including the Malvern Hills, the Cotswold escarpment, the Vale of Evesham, and the Severn Valley. Many visitors note that the views are particularly spectacular at sunset.
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