Malvern Hills, landscape, water, history – MalvernTrail …

Ads would appear here if your web browser had JavaScript switched on!

Malvern developed massively in the Victorian era around 'taking the waters'. A key date is 1842, when Drs James Wilson and Gully set up their water cure establishments in Belle Vue, at the centre of town. Two famous Victorian era Charles' came to Malvern for the water - both Dickens and Darwin, with their respective wives.

Malvern Water was until recently bottled at Colwall by Schweppes (part of Coca Cola). This plant has closed, but you can still get the water for free from the various springs (take note of any warning signs re quality). The reputation of the water was firmly established by J Schweppe & Co. at the Great Exhibition in 1851. There have been other bottlers, going back to the 17th century and the latest is Holywell, at one of the orignal sites. It is best known for "containing nothing at all" (ie high levels of purity).

Malvern Spa Association has a more comprehensive list of springs etc. plus their location (approx. 70 in the area). Wells of Malvern is a map from Harvey (see Outdoor Links for contact details, or order from Amazon), similar to part of their Hills walking map. Also see under Points of Interest below for our own Google Map/GPX record. Check any notices of water quality if you want to take a drink (and some springs may be 'dry', or at least not running).

Cora Weaver has written a number of related books (which can be obtained via The Spas Research Fellowship): Springs, Spouts, Fountains and Holy Wells of the Malverns; Aquae Malvernensis; A Short Guide to Malvern as a Spa Town; other titles on Malvern history.

Well dressing competition happens the same weekend as the Fringe May Day event (Saturday before 1st May) - see Events. Some pictures of dressed springs (2002, 2003, 2007). Anyone can apply (to Spa Assoc) to dress a site, on a first come first served basis.

Local BBC pages are worth a look.

A review on London Review of Books of Waterlog: A Swimmer's Journey through Britain (paperback pub'd 2000, from Amazon) includes the following: "The hydrotherapy in Malvern cured both Florence Nightingale and, in part, Tennyson, 'who came after a nervous breakdown, and declared he was "half-cured, half-destroyed" by the place'. Charles Darwin 'arrived depressed and unable to write, but was so persuaded by the effects of his treatment that he returned three more times'. (Darwin was to have his own douche-bath fed with Malvern water installed at home.)" Educational web site WebQuest has some material 'The Mystery in the Attic' based around the Malvern water cure but extending somewhat beyond it - the Attic extract from The Story of Malvern (1911) is an idiosyncratic take on the ups and downs of local developments.

This well known ridge runs roughly north/south, to the west of Great Malvern, and stretches for 8 miles or more (depending on what you include). William Cobbett, the author of Rural Rides (available at Amazon), described the Malvern Hills as "those curious bubblings up", when staying at Woollas Hall (quote from Mark Horrell's web site). While the ridge itself is open, and often windy, the lower slopes have a range of woodland and scrub, with quarries to explore (not all are recommended as safe).

Ads would appear here if your web browser had JavaScript switched on!

Go here to see the original:
Malvern Hills, landscape, water, history - MalvernTrail ...