Worcester Beacon

"Stay mad, but behave like normal people" 
Paulo Coelho Veronika Decides To Die.

Another walk on the Malvern Hills today, this time from Gardiners Quarry, mainly because the car park at British Camp was full, heading north in the direction of Worcester Beacon. 
It's a short, steep hike up on to the ridge but once there the views of the low-lying Severn plain rolling out eastwards are fantastic, and across to Wales and the Black Mountains in the west. A clear day for my afternoon ramble, an undulating wander along the ridge of hills in the company of plenty of others, mostly keeping a respectable distance and sharing the enjoyment of the open spaces. My ramble was marred only by finding the cafe and visitor centre at Colwall closed, and as I trudged back dejectedly I noticed dark clouds gathering - must have sensed my mood. Fortunately I made it back to the safety of the car before the showers arrived. 
The road back to my bolt-hole was blocked by a tow-truck trying to haul a minibus out of the roadside ditch - I was within about 300 yards of base! Retracing my steps to Bosbury I decided to risk a detour through the surrounding lanes, following my nose as I knew there were other country lanes to the farm - I've been lost in them on several occasions. Sure enough, about 10 minutes later I could see the line of Poplars standing out in the landscape and headed for them, finding my base a few minutes later. This reminded of a walk on Blaen Rhymni several years ago with cousin C, who pointed out a small stand of Scots Pine, distinctive in the landscape rolling moorland landscape. ""The drovers could see them from miles away and they were a signpost on their journey driving the herds across the upland moors". 
They still are, signposts like these are everywhere in the landscape. While on Worcester Beacon and walking back I could see an odd shape to the south of British Camp, looking like a church steeple without a church below it. A signpost in the landscape I thought, must find out what it is.