Beneath the northeastern slopes of the Malvern Hills, Great Malvern is known for its porcelain, its annual music and drama festivals, Malvern water and Morgan cars. Though invaded by tourists for much of the year, Great Malvern has retained its dignity and elegance, with open spaces, leafy avenues and handsome houses. Close to the start of the Malvern walking trail, on a path leading up from the town, is a Regency cottage
housing one source of the famous water – St Anne’s Well – where one can enjoy a sample and take in the views. Great Malvern was for many centuries a quiet, little-known place with a priory at its heart, and even when the curative properties of its spring waters were discovered, it took a long time for it to become a fashionable spa resort. Hotels, baths and a pump room were built in the early 19th- century, and the arrival of the railway provided easy access from the middle of the century. The station is one of many charming Victorian buildings, and with its cast-iron pillars, stone ornaments and beautifully painted floral designs, is a tourist attraction in its own right.
The Priory Church of St Mary and St Michael is a dominant feature in the centre of the town. Its windows, the west a gift from Richard III, the east from Henry VII, contain a wonderful collection of 15th-century stained glass. Another unique feature is a collection of more than 1,200 wall tiles on the chancel screens, which also date from the 15th century. The Victorian bell-frame on which the bells are hung has recently been the subject of much discussion: English heritage insist that the frame is of special historic interest and
therefore must be restored and not replaced. Among many interesting graves in the cemetery is that of Jenny Lind, The Swedish Nightingale, who was born in Stockholm in 1820 and died at Wynd’s Point, Malvern, which she used as a summer retreat, in 1887. In the churchyard at West Malvern Peter Mark Roget (the Thesaurus man) is buried - “interred, entombed, coffined, laid to rest, consigned to earth”. The 14thcentury Abbey Gateway, whose huge wooden gateposts can be seen in the archway, houses the Malvern Museum. Open Easter to
October, its displays include the geology of the Malvern Hills, the history of Malvern spring water and the development of Morgan cars. In Tanhouse Lane stands the factory of Boehm of Malvern, where the remarkable American, Edward Marshall Boehm (call it ‘Beam’), founded the centre that has become known worldwide for the quality of its porcelain. Great Malvern has a distinguished tradition of arts and culture, much of it the legacy of Sir Edward Elgar and George Bernard Shaw, and The Malvern Theatres are an exciting setting for performances of music and drama including pre-West End runs. Malvern is the home of the excellent English Symphony Orchestra, formed in 1980 by William Boughton. In addition, The Malvern Theatres host many superb performances by notable singers, actors and speakers. Great Malvern is the largest of six settlements that make up the Malverns: to the
south are Malvern Wells and Little Malvern, to the north North Malvern, and to the northeast Malvern Link. The Worcestershire Way is a 31-mile walking trail that links Great Malvern with Bewdley, through Abberley, Knightley and Markwick and the valleys of the Teme and Severn
