BLS Summer Meeting 2026 Worcestershire
Date: Monday July 27th to Sunday August 2nd 2026
Local Organiser: Eluned Smith
Meeting Base
Raven Hotel WR3 7SR situated between Worcester and Droitwich.
Drive or arrive by public transport around 3pm on Monday 27th July and explore an interesting range of lichen habitats over the following five days or so. The starting day on a Monday avoids the heavier holiday traffic on summer weekends.
Plenty of parking is available and there is good food to dine on in the public areas of the bistro-restaurant.
There'll be a Welcome Buffet Party at a nearby home and then a list of sites to consider visiting. These include the Malvern Hills, Eastnor Castle Park, National Trust wood pastures and statuary at Dudmaston Hall and Croome Court. There are over 75 Nature Reserves in the County which are managed by the Worcester Wildlife Trust. There is an old church within a walking distance of 15 minutes of the Raven and it boasts a pub within the churchyard walls.
We do hope that you can join a friendly group to spend a pleasant week helping to record an under recorded area of the British Isles.
Locations to visit: Worcester Cemetery, Eastnor Castle Parkland, Malvern Hills, Claines Church and Mug House Pub, Chaddesley Corbett Woods, Hartlebury Common, Wyre Forest and St Michael's Church Evesham.
Accommodation and cost
The BLS have reserved all 13 rooms, there are 10 doubles, 2 twins and 1 family room. All rooms are charge at £95 per night, hence shared rooms are £47.50 per night.
Booking
Attendees should book their rooms with the field meeting secretary, Graham Boswell, email togooutdoors@hotmail.com or by post to Base Lodge 16 The Parks, Minehead TA24 8BS. And pay a deposit of £50 in to the BLS Bank Account, CAF Bank sort code 40-52-40 Account No. 00012363 and SUM26 followed by your surname (e.g., SUM26Jones).
Microscope Work
A microscope room is available. BLS microscopes are available for use, there are 2 compound and 2 stereo microscopes.
Maps
Landranger map 150 Worcester and the Malverns