This site uses Cascading Style Sheets (CSS). This line appears where this facility isn't working properly - you may have an old web browser. Jump to Site Navigation menu.
Looking south from Worcester Beacon

Malvern Interest

Also See

Doric pillar box, Worcester Rd

Where

Malvern, its name probably deriving from the Celtic for bare hill (Moel-bryn), is on the borders of Worcestershire, Herefordshire and Gloucestershire. Hence the use of Three Counties in various enterprises' names. There are a number of parts making up the area, some with clearer boundaries than others: Great Malvern, Malvern Link, West Malvern, Malvern Wells, Little Malvern, Barnards Green .....

Things to do

Tourism info, including accommodation and events, on Malvern Hills District Council web site. Great Malvern Tourist Information Centre (TIC) at 21 Church Street, near the Elgar statue/Post Office at the top end of town. Open 10am-5pm every day for most of the year (but closing 4pm Sundays), phone 01684 892289. Their 50p Factsheets (2003) on Malvern Water, Landscape, Walking the Hills, etc are pretty good.

Attractions

Join In

Arts and Crafts

Cultural

Key text, published April 03, is A literary trail around the Malverns from Malvern Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, available in local bookshops/TIC.

Books written/published by Cora Weaver on famous names - see under Malvern Springs. Bygone Malvern, The Malverns, and other local history titles by Pamela Hurle which were published by Phillimore & Co (may be out of print).

Music

Most of our info on the quintessentially English local composer Elgar is on our Elgar Connection page. Info on Elgar Ride Variations cycle ride is on Cycling page.

Another noted British composer, Holst, was born in Cheltenham - not that far away. Check out Holst Birthplace Museum.

Jenny Lind, the Victorian 'Swedish nightingale', lived at Wynds Point (near British Camp).

Poetry

The Visions of Piers Ploughman is set on the Malverns, written by perhaps the best known medieval English poet, William Langland. One source of the text is published by Oxford University Press - buy from Amazon.co.uk. Or try the online version at the (American) Electronic Text Center.

All night from tower to tower they sprang; they sprang from hill to hill: Till the proud Peak unfurled the flag o'er Darwin's rocky dales Till like volcanoes flared to heaven the stormy hills of Wales, Till twelve fair counties saw the blaze on Malvern's lonely height, Till streamed in crimson on the wind the Wrekin's crest of light, Till broad and fierce the star came forth on Ely's stately fane, And tower and hamlet rose in arms o'er all the boundless plain; from The Armada, Lord Macaulay.

The Dymock Poets are connected with the area around that village, and John Masefield (was poet laureate, 1930-1967) with Ledbury (see Events re Poetry Festival). 'Iris by Night' by Robert Frost, one of the Dymock poets, is based on a walk on the Hills with Edward Thomas in summer 1914: One misty evening, one another's guide, We two were groping down a Malvern side The last wet fields and dripping hedges home.

AE Housman's A Shropshire Lad The Bartleby web site has many of the poems, which stray beyond the bounds of that one county. Buy Primrose Hill Press edition from Amazon co.uk. Housman Society.

Elizabeth Barrett Browning lived at Hope End (Ledbury direction) for much of her early life (1806-1829 or possibly 1809 to 1832). Her poem The Lost Bower talks of this area. See West Midlands Literary Heritage for some Browning history.

WH Auden taught at the Downs School in Colwall for a few years - one poem is dedicated to the headmaster. He married Erika Mann in Ledbury.

Literature, drama

George Bernard Shaw was closely involved with the Malvern Drama Festival from its start in 1929. The Apple Cart was written for the first festival, and five of his plays had their premiere at Malvern Theatre in the years from then. Productions by J.M. Barrie are also associated with the theatre.

CS Lewis lived in Malvern as a child, including a spell at Malvern College, 1910-14. He introduced JRR Tolkien to the Head of English, George Sayer and The Lord of the Rings was first put down on tape at his Malvern home.

Roget of Roget's Thesaurus died in West Malvern (1869) and is buried there. Annie Darwin, daughter of Charles Darwin, was brought to Malvern when sick hoping to benefit from the water cure, but she died here aged 10 and is buried in Malvern Priory graveyard.

Evelyn Waugh - see Madresfield Court below.

Other Names

Thomas Attwood, a leader in the campaign for parliamentary reform which led to the Reform Act of 1832, was one of Birmingham's first 2 MPs. He presented the first National Petition of the Chartists to Parliament in 1839. He died in Malvern on 9th March 1859 (Source: schoolnet).

Morgan cars have been made in Malvern for many years. See their web site (under About Morgan) for some history.

Malvern Places

There's more 'noteables' than this. These are ones which have caught our attention for some reason.

Great Malvern rail station. A good place to eat, admire the intricate iron foliage on the roof columns, and maybe catch a train.

Great Malvern Priory. Founded in 1085, with mainly 15th century structure. The amazing collection of stained glassStained glass, Little Malvern ranges from medieval to modern and includes 15th and 19th century, the north transept window being a gift from Henry VII. Also medieval floor and wall tiles. On the dissolution of the monasteries in 1541, locals bought the building for £20 to replace their decaying parish church. Our photo album shows stained glass, misericords (wooden carving on seats, mainly 14th and 15th century) and views. Also see the Priory site (take a virtual tour or check out history); Pilgrims Association page; or Priory organ and choirs web site.

Little Malvern Court. 14th Century Prior's Hall once part of the 12th Century Benedictine Priory. Gardens and accommodation - limited public opening Weds/Thurs, mid April to mid July, phone 01684 892988. The adjacent Little Malvern Priory church (the link is to a history page looking at sculpture) has some interesting stained glass, restored 2004, with part of the east window from 15th century showing the then royal family. See pic above. Also old carvings, similar floor tiles to Great Malvern etc.

Madresfield Court. Visits by appointment only, April to July. The Rock Garden is "commonly regarded as being one of (James) Pulhams' masterpieces", according to the James Pulham web site. Home of the Lygon family and the Earls Beauchamp, Evelyn Waugh was a frequent visitor, and elements were used in Brideshead Revisited (Source: Literay Heritage West Midlands).

Gas lamp on Malvern Common

Web sites about Malvern

Those with a tighter focus will be listed under the relevant heading elsewhere.

Local Links for local people

Worcestershire County Association of Local Councils.

Information on the arms of Malvern Town Council (transferred from the former urban district).

Free Range Vicar Blog from the Agricultural & Rural Chaplain for the diocese of Worcester who ranges over Worcestershire & Dudley, but based at Knightwick/Martley. Some insights into issues he meets. (New Nov 07).

General Web Guides

Also see general tourist info on Further Afield page.

Visit Herefordshire official tourist site.

FatBadgers page on Worcestershire .

Official Worcestershire Tourism web site.

National Trust places to visit include Brockhampton Estate, Hawford Dovecote.

Severn Tales Tales of the River Severn.