Rhydd Barn’s immediate locality and recommended places
Rhydd Barn is situated a few miles east of Malvern and the Malvern Hills National Landscape (a National Landscape is the new name for an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty or AONB). Immediately around the barn there is common land to the east and 14 acres of meadow to the west. It is easily accessible by road. Zoom in to the map below (click on ‘+‘) to see the local roads in more detail. The entrance to the barn’s private drive is off the Hanley Swan road, just below (ie. south of) the barn on the map.
DIRECT LINK: Google Maps link to the Rhydd Barn area.
Rhydd (we pronounce it ‘ridd’ although it is more properly pronounced ‘reeth’) is a Welsh word meaning crossing. This is a place where there was once a crossing point over the River Severn. See Severn fords and ferries in Worcestershire which also mentions The Rhydd ferry crossing. Also, we have found a photograph the old Severn ferry crossing at The Rhydd. We are researching the history of The Rhydd farm or, more correctly, ‘farmery’ and we recently discovered that it was an inn, ‘The Oak Inn’, during the 1860s and 1870s. We plan to produce a dedicated page to The Rhydd’s history on this website.
Nearby places of interest include the attractive village of Hanley Swan two miles away with outstanding pub/restaurant The Swan. Barnard’s Green, a convenient and pleasant local shopping area, is less than three miles down the road towards Malvern and has most things you might need: baker, butcher, greengrocer, fishmonger, post office, banks, small supermarket, late opening newsagent/convenience store, café, various take-away food outlets and many specialist shops.
The Three Counties Showground is only three miles away. It hosts the Malvern Spring Gardening Show, the Three Counties Agricultural Show, regular antiques fairs and many other events throughout the year. A little further on is Malvern, its charm and character owing much to the beauty of the Hills rising behind and the Georgian and Victorian houses built as a result of the pure ‘spa water’ found there. Highlights include the attractive Malvern Priory, the Festival Theatre and, of course, the Malvern Hills themselves from which the views are breathtaking: on a clear day you can see 50 miles in any direction.
To the south east of Rhydd Barn is Upton-upon-Severn, a vibrant small town focused on the River Severn with Tudor and Georgian houses and shops. It is host to many festivals including a Folk Festival in May and a Water Festival on August Bank Holiday. There is a wonderful walk along banks of the Severn to beautiful water meadows.
The county town of Worcester is 10 miles to the north with the attractively situated Worcester Cathedral overlooking the River Severn and the famous Royal Worcester porcelain works now the Museum of Royal Worcester.
The Barn makes an ideal centre from which to pursue cultural and walking interests in this beautiful countryside which inspired the music of Sir Edward Elgar.
The famous Three Choirs Festival, is hosted in turn each summer by the three great cathedral cities of Gloucester, Hereford, and Worcester. This year the festival is in nearby Worcester (27 July -3 August 2024).
Note that we have a 2-for-1 offer on The Elgar Birthplace Museum for visitors to Rhydd Barn—vouchers are in the barn. See this item on our news page.
Recommended places
The small attractive shopping centre at Barnards Green (three miles west of Rhydd Barn on the Malvern road) has most amenities you might need, for example two banks (with cashpoints), a post office, Co-op supermarket, baker, butcher, delicatessen, two general stores/newsagents, chemist, and many take-away food outlets. Malvern, a mile or so further west, has two good sized supermarkets (Waitrose and Morrisons) and an excellent range of shops plus a very good tourist information centre. There is a folder in the barn with comprehensive information on all the local amenities.
Here is a list of a few places we particularly like. We will add to this from time to time:
Local shop – Hanley Swan Village Stores, WR8 0DX. 01684 310890 (shop), 01684 311081 (post office). The nearest shop/post office to Rhydd Barn. Shop hours: Mon-Fri 7.30am-5.30pm, Sat 8.00am-12.30pm. Newspapers, milk, bread, range of food, off licence.
Local shop – Just So in Barnard’s Green, Malvern, WR14 3LY. 01684 566866. A great place to buy cards, wrapping and the gifts to go with them. Excellent range of quality items with helpful staff.
Local nursery – Grange Farm Nursery, Rectory Lane, Guarlford, WR13 6NT. Open seven days a week (9.00am-5.30pm or dusk in winter, Sundays 10.00am-5.00pm), a beautiful family owned nursery specialising in RHS Award of Merit plants. Just a few minutes’ drive from the barn. 01684 562544
Local place of interest – Clive’s Fruit Farm, Upper Hook Road, Upton upon Severn, WR8 0SA. 01684 592664. Range of apples, pears, and soft fruit locally grown by the family run business for one hundred years. Shop, 40 acres of land, fun for children.
Restaurant (a very special treat!) – The Cottage in the Wood, Holywell Road, Malvern Wells, WR14 4LG. 01684 588860. A lovely relaxed restaurant on the Malvern Hills with stunning views. It’s where we held our wedding reception!
Café in Malvern – Lyttelton Well Café, Church Street, Malvern, WR14 2AY. 01684 573702. Very pleasant café on the high street next door to Malvern Tourist Information Office. It is staffed by a committed team of volunteers and professional cooks. Open 10am – 3pm with hot food being served until 2pm, Monday – Saturday.