Upton-upon-Severn, Welland & Eldersfield

Upton-upon-Severn is a riverside town on a pronounced bend of the River Severn, historically a crossing point and inland port. Its streets lead down to a large riverside green and a distinctive, solitary church tower, all that remains of its former parish church after a flood. The surrounding flat, often water-meadow landscape is defined by the river's course and the raised earthworks of flood defences, creating a distinct separation between the settlement and the agricultural land.

The villages of Welland and Eldersfield occupy slightly higher ground on the river's eastern flank, where the first gentle folds of the Malvern Hills begin to rise. Welland sits at the foot of the hills, with Eldersfield positioned on a ridge overlooking the Severn valley. This area is characterised by narrow, hedge-lined lanes connecting scattered farms and orchards, with the steep, wooded slopes of the Herefordshire Beacon forming a clear western horizon. The annual Upton Jazz Festival brings a temporary, concentrated energy to the otherwise quiet, working landscape.