To understand why the Malvern Hills stand up so proud of the surrounding countryside you have to go far back into pre-history.
The surface of the earth was very different, and the land that is now Great Britain was somewhere south of the equator.
Rock strata at Gullet Quarry
The ancient core of the Malvern Hills is more than 600 million years old, and was thrust through the sedimentary rocks that lay above them in a huge earth movement known to geologists as the Cheltenham Drive.
This core of rock is very very hard and the rocks on either side are much softer.
This leads to a phenomenon called 'differential erosion', where the softer rocks are worn away much quicker than the harder ones, forming the distinctive ridge of the Malverns.
The best place to see the various rock strata is Gullet Quarry, just off Castlemorton Common at the southern end of the hills.
Here the quarrying work has exposed the rock strata, showing how the sedimentary rocks, which were laid down horizontally on the sea bed, were pushed up nearly vertically by the Cheltenham Drive.
Geologist from all over the world come to the quarry to look at these unusual rock strata, but if you're planning to take a look yourself be warned - it's quite a stiff climb!
