Cycle Parking

More security for bikes

The need for visibility and security in cycle parking has increased with the growth of electric bicycles, due to their cost and also possibility of battery theft. Visibility helps with security, also making the racks (or hoop or whatever) easy to find and bike users feel they are welcome rather than ignored. See our blog on ‘Why more bike racks in Malvern?‘ for further background.

The Town Council has installed some extra bike racks around Malvern – these are indicated with (MTC) below. The county council also provided a few to local organisations via ParkThatBike, marked (PTB) here – the scheme has ended.

Do you have suggestions for improvements, new facilities to encourage/improve cycling, etc? Get in touch (contact form) or join the Facebook group.

Racks around Malvern

All known currently available cycle parking, as at summer 2023, grouped roughly by area. We try to update details quickly – new info or amendments welcome.

A photo gallery of bike racks available for public use may help you to decide if they are suitable for your use. A map of current cycle parking in Malvern, based on this list, is available on Transition Malvern Hills website.

The ‘capacity’ shown is a rough assessment for ‘standard’ cycles, and not all will work for cargo bikes or other variations. Sorry, we can’t give an up-to-date view on security, so please check for yourself e.g. for loose bolts or broken fitting.

Info originally collected in 2008 to inform the county council’s local Walking and Cycling Map.

Quick jump to: North Malvern, Barnards Green, Great Malvern, wider area including Colwall and Malvern Hills.

Malvern Link

• Malvern Link train station. On Hereford (ticket office) platform: capacity 18, gutter type, covered, just beyond the foot bridge. Worcester/London platform (ramp access from Osborne Road): Sheffield stand type, covered, next to waiting room, capacity 7 at most. Note: installed far too close together, reducing useability.
• Community Hospital, Worcester Road. Capacity 12, covered, straight ahead from the car park’s lifting barriers. Note: 14 racks but rear row is effectively unusable.
• Worcester Road near pedestrian lights, in between Wool Shack and bookshop. Capacity 2 or 3, Sheffield stand variant. Note: placed too close to planters for full use.
• Next to St Richards Hospice shop, Hampden Road, off Worcester Road. Capacity 2, Sheffield rack. New (MTC) – a now removed phone box had limited the space when planned!

• Corner of Worcester Road/Richmond Road (Platinum estate agents). Capacity 2 or 3, Sheffield stand type. Note: too close to brick planters for full use, often blocked by parked cars.
• SunBeans, 4 Richmond Road. PlantLock stands – green planters, capacity 2. New (PTB) Note: perhaps rather too close to outdoor tables.
• Co-op supermarket, Worcester Road. Capacity 10, Sheffield racks, near store entrance – access via lobby from Worcester Road or via car park at rear (not obvious from Worcester Road). Photo below.
• Lidl supermarket, Worcester Road. Wheel holder type by store entrance. Note: at Oct. 2020 these have either disappeared or been buried under trolleys etc.
• Clarence Park, Worcester Road – Gloucester Close entrance: 3 racks, covered.
• Duke of Edinburgh Way play area. Capacity 10? – 6 non-standard racks.
• Malvern Retail Park – no info on their website. However:
  • Morrisons supermarket. Two sets of Sheffield stands – by bus stop: capacity 10? (a little close together), near entrance: capacity 6.
  • Halfords. Capacity 8, Sheffield racks either side of entrance, covered.
  • Anytime Fitness/side of Just for Pets, 3 wheel holders.
• Aldi, Grovewood Road. Capacity 16, Sheffield racks with basic cover, immediately right of shop exit doors.
• Whiteacres Medical Centre, Maple Road – 5 Sheffield racks, plus 6 more at adjacent Little Oaks Nursery. Note: these are OK but set half a metre further back than ideal (against planting/fence).
• B&Q, Spring Lane. Capacity 12, Sheffield racks, covered but not bolted to the ground.
• Victoria Park, Pickersleigh Road, car park near Victoria Park Road. Capacity 12, Sheffield racks.

North Malvern

Malvern Vale Community Centre. Capacity 6, Sheffield rack variation.

Co-op, Upper Howsell Road. Capacity about 4 (rather close to steps?), Sheffield rack.

West Malvern

Nothing apart from some wall mounted racks at Sugarloaf Cafe, Westminster Bank?

Great Malvern

• Post Office, Abbey Road. Capacity perhaps 10 at a pinch, a striking bike-style design (won’t suit all types of cycles) to the right of the entrances. New Sep. 2023.
• Waitrose supermarket, Edith Walk, car park side of store. Capacity 12, Sheffield racks under cover.
• Library, Graham Road. Capacity 6, Sheffield racks.
• Great Malvern Hotel, Graham Road. 3 wheelholders, to the right of the entrance. New spring 2023.
• Next to opticians, Broads Bank/Graham Road. Capacity 4, Sheffield racks. New (MTC).

• Rear of public car park, Grange Road (between Connells estate agents and Coach House theatre). Capacity 12, Sheffield racks. Nearest cycle parking to Malvern Theatres. Note – sign claims CCTV coverage but not sure this is accurate.
• Malvern Hills Trust. 2 wheel-holders by rear (ramp) access to offices.
• Great Malvern Priory. Capacity 2, Sheffield toaster rack (too close to car parking spots for full use, also poorly secured?). New 2023.
• Baptist Church, Abbey Road WR14 3HG. 3 Sheffield racks, by meeting room entrance.
• Council House, Avenue Road. Capacity 8, Sheffield racks.
• The Splash leisure centre, Priory Road. Capacity 4, wheel-holders, by entrance.

• Faun, 31-33 Worcester Road, has rings on its large planters for customers to use?
• Sling Lane/Greenhill Drive – Newtown Sports FC playing fields pavilion. Capacity 10, Sheffield racks.
• Malvern Cube, Albert Road North, WR14 2YH. Capacity 6 at a squeeze, small Sheffield racks.
• Manor Park Sports Club, Albert Road North, WR14 2TL. Capacity 2? – rather squashed rack.
• Great Malvern train station, Imperial Road. Capacity 8, Sheffield racks, covered, plus 6 cycle lockers.
• Prospect View Health Centre, Pickersleigh Road. Capacity 16? – Sheffield rack type.
• Malvern Evangelical Church, Pickersleigh Road WR14 2QX. Capacity 8.

Barnards Green area

• Near bus shelter on roundabout. Capacity 4 at a pinch, Sheffield racks. New (MTC). Note: placed rather close to a holly bush!
• Possible locking points (e.g. railings) in car park on corner of Geraldine Road, as per comment below.
• Malvern Active (Malvern College sports centre), Thirlstane Road, WR14 3PL. Capacity 6, Sheffield racks.

Wider area

For cycle racks on Malvern Hills themselves, see MalvernTrail website.

Colwall

Village Hall, Mill Lane. A couple of racks rather tucked away to the side of the entrance nearest the road.

Moreso cafe, Walwyn Road. At the front, a horizontal pole for hanging bikes by their saddles!

Malvern Wells

St Wulstans Nature Reserve, St Wulstans Drive (off Assarts Lane), Malvern Wells. One lonely Sheffield rack.

Three Counties Showground has sets of rack – rather basic? – at both North and South gates.

Also

Some other cycle parking worth mentioning:

• Welland has installed a couple of PlantLock stands (PTB), one by playing fields and one in orchard area across the road.
• Farmers Arms pub at Birtsmorton. ‘Toaster’ Sheffield rack (PTB), capacity 6 depending on location (usually near pub door), not bolted to ground.
• Three Kings pub at Hanley Castle has at least one PlantLock stand out the front (PTB).

We would be happy to receive info on other locations.

Schools, College info

We would be grateful for further information here.

From The Chase School Travel Plan 2008:

• Bike bar at front of school, which holds approximately 60 bicycles.
• Bike shelter next to Astroturf which holds up to 40 bicycles.
• Lockers for helmets.

Work Places

Little knowledge of current facilities around the various business centres – this ought to be part of any review of local provision. Places to consider include (at autumn 2020):

• Enigma Business Park, Sandy’s Road. Existing: Two sets of covered racks at Automated Packaging Systems, capacity up to 8 each.
• Link Business Centre.
• Malvern Hills Science Park Existing: Open Street Map shows cycle parking symbol.
• Spring Lane industrial area.

There are racks at Qinetiq.

ZX Lidar at Willow End Business Park, Blackmore Park Road (new Nov’23) has covered Sheffield racks (about a dozen) and electric charging points.

Wyche Innovation Centre/Geo Centre (near Wyche Cutting) has a set of 6 racks at the cafe entrance, and another 6 tucked away in the corner towards the road.

Also See

Not quite getting there Cycle parking at Worcestershire Parkway.