The Malvern Hills are in the English counties of Worcestershire, Herefordshire and a small area of northern Gloucestershire, dominating the surrounding countryside and the towns and villages of the district of Malvern. The highest summit affords a panorama of the Severn Valley, the hills of Herefordshire and the Welsh mountains, parts of thirteen counties, the Bristol Channel, and the cathedrals of Worcester, Gloucester and Hereford.[1]
The name Malvern is first attested in a charter of around 1030, as Mælfern, and then in the Domesday Book of 1086 as Malferna. The name derives from the Common Brittonic words that survive in modern Welsh as moel ("bare") and bryn ("hill"); thus it once meant "bare hill".[9][10][11][12]:341[13] The name perhaps applied originally to the hill now called Worcester Beacon, after which Great Malvern was then named; Great Malvern in turn then gave its name to the whole range of hills beside which it lies. The name Malvern Hills is first attested in the fourteenth-century poem Piers Plowman.[11]
Geography
The Malvern Hills are part of an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, with scenic views over both Herefordshire and Worcestershire. The Hills run north–south for about 8mi (13 kilometres), in between Great Malvern and the village of Colwall, and overlook the River Severn valley to the east, with the Cotswolds beyond. The highest point of the hills is the Worcestershire Beacon at 425 metres (1,394ft) above sea level (OS Grid reference SO768452). The hills are famous for their natural mineral springs and wells, which were responsible for the development of Great Malvern as a spa in the early 19th century. Malvern water was bottled commercially on a large scale and sold worldwide.[14]
The Malvern Hills are formed of some of the most ancient rocks in England, mostly igneous and metamorphic rocks from the late Precambrian, known as the Uriconian, which are around 680 million years old.[15][16] The Malvern Line or Malvern Lineament is the name applied to a north–south aligned lineament which runs through the Malvern Hills and extends southwards towards Bristol and northwards past Kidderminster. It consists of a series of faults and folds which have the effect of bringing old Malvernian rocks to the surface. Being largely hard igneous rocks, they have resisted erosion better than those of the surrounding countryside and result in a striking line of hills of which the Malvern Hills are the most impressive. This line is considered to mark the edge of two terranes – two once separate fragments of the Earth's crust now joined as one – the Wrekin Terrane to the west and the Charnwood Terrane to the east.
The main face of Gullet Quarry shows a cross-section through the Precambrian rock and exhibits many rock types including diorite, granite, gneiss, schist, pegmatite and dolerite. The evidence of the complex history of earth movements which formed the Hills can be seen by multiple joints, fractures, faults and shears, which make identifying changes in rock types difficult. Mineral deposits such as haematite, calcite and epidote can be seen within these features.[17][18]
There is a tiny, man-made cave near the ridge of the hills called Clutter's Cave (or Giant's Cave or Hermit's Cave or Waum's Cave, after Walm's Well which is located on the boundary of News Wood below).[19][20] The cave has been excavated into pillow lavas. Some of the rounded 'pillow' shapes are still visible around the entrance to the cave.[21]
St. Ann's Well, Great Malvern, a popular café for walkers on the hills. The building on the right houses the spout from which the water surges into a basin.
The quality of Malvern water is attributable to its source. The rocks of the Malvern Hills are amongst the oldest and hardest found in England; the geology is responsible for the quality of Malvern's spring water.[9][22] The hills consist of Precambrianigneous and metamorphic rock, the oldest of which are about 670 million years old.[18][23] The rocks are characterised by low porosity and high secondary permeability via fissures.[24][25] Malvern water is rainwater and snow meltwater that percolates through fissures created by the pressures of tectonic movements about 300 million years ago when advancing sedimentary layers of Silurianshale and limestone were pushed into and under older Precambrian rock.[22][25][26] When the fissures are saturated, a water table forms and the water emerges as springs around the fault lines between the strata. Depending on rainfall, the flow can vary from as little as 36 litres (7.9impgal; 9.5USgal) per minute to over 350 litres (77impgal; 92USgal) per minute.[27] The water permeates through the rock which, because of its hardness, leaves little or no mineral traces in the water, while at the same time the very fine cracks act as a filter for other impurities.[25] Rainfall on the Malvern Hills is thought to be sufficient to account for all the water that runs out of the springs, reflected for example in some spring flows six to eight weeks after heavy rainfall, and in reduced flows after a dry period.[28]
Ecology
The Malvern Hills have been designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) by Natural England[3][4] and an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty by the Countryside Agency (now Natural England).[5]
Flint axes, arrowheads, and flakes found in the area are attributed to early Bronze Age settlers,[32] and the 'Shire Ditch', a late Bronze Age boundary earthwork possibly dating from around 1000BC, was constructed along part of the crest of the hills near the site of later settlements.[2] The Wyche Cutting, a mountain pass through the hills was in use in prehistoric times as part of the salt route from Droitwich to South Wales.[32] A 19th-century discovery of over two hundred metal money bars suggests that the area had been inhabited by the La Tène people around 250BC.[32] Ancient folklore has it that the British chieftain Caractacus made his last stand against the Romans at the British Camp,[33] a site of extensive Iron Age earthworks on a summit of the Malvern Hills close to where Malvern was to be later established. The story remains disputed, however, as Roman historian Tacitus implies a site closer to the river Severn.[34] There is therefore no evidence that Roman presence ended the prehistoric settlement at British Camp. However, excavations at nearby Midsummer Hillfort, Bredon Hill and Croft Ambrey all show evidence of violent destruction around the year 48AD. This may suggest that the British Camp was abandoned or destroyed around the same time.[35]
During the medieval period, the hills and surrounding area were part of a royal forest known as Malvern Chase. Riots by commoners and legal challenges from land owners ensued when King Charles I attempted to disafforest the Chase in 1630. Ultimately, only one third was disafforested, and commissioners were appointed to ensure any further encroachments did not leave the common lands as the most meagre in quality. This system lasted until the 1800s.[36]
In 1884, the Malvern Hills Conservators were established through an Act of Parliament to preserve the natural aspect of the hills and protect them from encroachments.[37] However, by this time large-scale quarrying had already begun. Quarry works were set in motion in the 1870s at Tank Quarry and at Little Malvern by Pyx Granite Company. The Hills Conservators lobbied parliament to pass an Act limiting the exploitation, and although a second Act was passed in 1924 its provisions were largely ineffective. Quarrying continued until 1966.[38] The landscape itself was irrevocably changed;[39] but there is some debate whether this has enriched or damaged the ecology of the Hills.[citation needed] Certainly the quarrying has changed the Hills forever, including creating habitats for frogs, toads, newts and other small animals. The new cliffs provide nesting sites for certain birds.[40] The quarries, especially North Quarry and Tank Quarry, have over the years been the sites of several accidents requiring the Emergency Services.[41][42][43]
In 1989, the cafe on Worcestershire Beacon burned down. As the Malvern Hills Acts state that no building should be erected on the Conservators' land or on land under their jurisdiction, the Conservators put a bill through Parliament to get the power to build a new one but the House of Lords opposed it.[44] When the cafe was burned down, the Conservators had plans to replace the building but were advised that they risked prosecution for rebuilding as the original cafe building was an encroachment on common land. The Malvern Hills Bill was in preparation to modernise some of the clauses in previous acts a clause was inserted to gain authority to rebuild the cafe. Five members of the House of Lords Select Committee visited the Malvern Hills and decided that there were enough facilities in the immediate area and that St Ann's Well cafe should be enough provision on the hills, so the application to rebuild was turned down.[45][46][47]
The Holy Well, Malvern. With the aid of a Lottery Heritage grant, production of 1200 bottles per day of Holy Well Spring Water was recommenced.
In 2000, a £1.3 million project to reintroduce grazing animals to the Malvern Hills and restore part of its historic network of water spouts was given significant backing of National Lottery funds. The Malverns Heritage Project aimed to reintroduce grazing animals as a natural means of scrub management and restore several water features. The project was spearheaded by the Malvern Hills AONB Service, in partnership with Worcestershire County Council, Herefordshire Council, Malvern Hills Conservators, Malvern Spa Association, English Nature, Countryside Agency, National Trust and English Heritage.[48] Members of the public were concerned that by erecting temporary fences on the Malvern Hills the Conservators would be straying from their core duty of keeping the Malvern Hills unenclosed as open spaces for the recreation and enjoyment of the public. Although the conservation officer said any enclosures would be small and temporary there were worries that leisure activities that could be affected and that "the feeling of freedom associated with 'just being' on the Malvern Hills" could be lost.[49][50][51]
In 2001, the Malvern Hills were officially closed to the public for the first time in history. Walkers were told to avoid the area as part of the effort to prevent the spread of foot and mouth disease.[52] As a result of the closure the economy of the Malvern Hills faced serious damage.[53] In 2002 the Malvern Hills were named the most popular free tourist attraction in the West Midlands in a survey commissioned by the Countryside Agency to take the temperature of rural tourism in the wake of the crisis.[54]
In 2006, Worcestershire County Council was awarded £770,000 by the Heritage Lottery Fund for restoration work and preservation of the area by fitting cattle grids to roads across the Hills and encouraging local landowners to allow sheep to wander across their land. As part of the Malvern Heritage Project nine water features within the AONB were also renovated.[55]
The Malvern Hills Trust is the working name for the Malvern Hills Conservators and manages most parts of the Hills and the surrounding Commons, some other parcels of land and many roadside verges. They were established in 1884 and are governed by five Acts of Parliament, the Malvern Hills Acts 1884, 1909, 1924, 1930 and 1995.[56] They are a voluntary body of twenty-nine members. Eleven are directly elected under the Local Elections (Principal areas) Rules by the residents of the wards who contribute to the Conservators' funds through a levy in their Council Tax, seventeen are appointed by local authorities and one by the Church Commissioners.[8] The total area under their jurisdiction is over 1,200 hectares (3,000 acres).[57]
The Malvern Hills were designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) in 1959. The designation covers 105 square kilometres (41sqmi) and includes parts of Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire.[58] The Malvern Hills Conservators played a key role in ensuring that the area of the AONB is larger than that originally proposed.[59]
The AONB Partnership work together to conserve and enhance the Malvern Hills AONB. The Partnership has a formal structure including representatives from private and public enterprises, officers from local authorities, the Countryside Agency and the Malvern Hills Conservators.[60]
Sport, leisure, and tourism
Walkers on the Malvern Hills
The Malvern Hills are home to a wide range of outdoor sports and leisure activities, including walking, mountain biking, horse riding, orienteering, hang-gliding, paragliding, model aircraft flying, fishing, climbing and diving.[61]
The Geopark Way is a 175km (109 miles) long-distance trail which runs from Bridgnorth to Gloucester and passes through the Abberley and Malvern Hills Geopark.[64] The route was devised to highlight geology, landscape and associated heritage.[65] The Malvern Hills Geocentre is located halfway along the Geopark Way, at the Wyche.[66] This official visitor centre gives more information on interactive iPads about the geology, nature and history of the Geopark and the Malvern hills and Malvern in particular, as well as large wall maps of the area.[67][68]
Abberley and Malvern Hills Geopark
The Abberley and Malvern Hills Geopark was launched in 2004.[69] It falls within the counties of Herefordshire, Gloucestershire, Shropshire and Worcestershire and covers 3,240km2 (1,250 square miles). The geological and geomorphological significance of the area has been recognised for many years with 13 Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and 179 Local Geological Sites (LGS) present.[70]
Transport
The A449 road runs through the centre of Malvern, connecting it to Worcester and Ledbury. The M5 motorway to the east of Malvern is accessible at junctions 7 and 8. The M50 (also known as the Ross Spur) to the south can be accessed at junction 1 on the A38 road between Tewkesbury and Malvern.
Several local bus services connect Malvern with the surrounding area.[72] Long-distance direct bus services connect Malvern with other cities in the country, including the National Express route 321 through eleven counties from Aberdare, South Wales, via Birmingham and other major cities to Bradford, West Yorkshire,[73] and route 444 from Worcester to London (Victoria).[73]
Malvern Hills in cultural life
Music
Sir Edward Elgar, Belle Vue Island, Great Malvern
English composer Edward Elgar, who was from the area, often walked, cycled, and reportedly flew kites on these hills. He wrote a cantata in 1898 entitled Caractacus, which alludes to the popular legend of his last stand at British Camp.[74][75] In 1934, during the composer's final illness, he told a friend: "If ever after I'm dead you hear someone whistling this tune [from his Cello Concerto] on the Malvern Hills, don't be alarmed, it's only me."[76]
Composers Herbert Howells and Ivor Gurney used to take long walks together through the nearby Cotswold Hills and the natural beauty of the area, including the magnificent views of the Malverns, was a profound inspiration for their music. Howells dedicated his first major work, the Piano Quartet in A minor (1916), to "the hill at Chosen (Churchdown) and Ivor Gurney who knew it".[77]
The Swedish singer Jenny Lind spent the last years of her life living at Wynd's Point near the British Camp. She is buried in Great Malvern cemetery.[78]
Literature
The Malvern Hills were the inspiration and setting for the famous 14th-century poem The Visions of Piers Plowman (1362) by William Langland, who was possibly educated at the priory of Great Malvern.[79] The earliest poetical allusion to the Malvern Hills occurs in the poem: "And on a Maye mornynge on Malverne hylles".[80][81]
The poet W. H. Auden taught for three years at The Downs School, Colwall, in the Malvern Hills. He spent three years at the school in the 1930s and wrote some of his finest early love poems there, including: "This Lunar Beauty"; "Lay Your Sleeping Head, My Love" ('Lullaby'); "My Love, Fish in the Unruffled Lakes"; and "Out on the Lawn I Lie in Bed". He also wrote a long poem about the hills and their views, called simply The Malverns.
J.R.R. Tolkien found inspiration in the Malvern landscape[82] which he had viewed from his childhood home in Birmingham and his brother Hilary's home near Evesham.[83] He was introduced to the area by C. S. Lewis, who had brought him here to meet George Sayer, the Head of English at Malvern College. Sayer had been a student of Lewis, and became his biographer, and together with them Tolkien would walk the Malvern Hills. Recordings of Tolkien reading excerpts from The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings were made in Malvern in 1952, at the home of George Sayer. The recordings were later issued on long-playing gramophone records.[84] In the liner notes for J.R.R. Tolkien Reads and Sings his The Hobbit & The Fellowship of the Ring, George Sayer wrote that Tolkien would relive the book as they walked and compared parts of the Malvern Hills to the White Mountains of Gondor.[83]
In Early British TrackwaysAlfred Watkins theorised that a ley line passed along the Malvern Hills through several wells including St Ann's Well, Holy Well, Walms Well and St. Pewtress Well. Interest in Watkin's theories subsided in the 1930s but saw a revival in the late 1960s.[85] In The Ley Hunter's Companion (1979) Paul Devereux theorised that a 10-mile alignment he called the "Malvern Ley" passed through St Ann's Well, the Wyche Cutting, a section of the Shire Ditch, Midsummer Hill, Whiteleaved Oak, Redmarley D'Abitot and Pauntley.[86] In City of Revelation (1973) British author John Michell theorised that Whiteleaved Oak is the centre of a circular alignment he called the "Circle of Perpetual Choirs" and is equidistant from Glastonbury, Stonehenge, Goring-on-Thames and Llantwit Major. The theory was investigated by the British Society of Dowsers and used as background material by Phil Rickman in his novel The Remains of an Altar (2006).[87][88] "Malvern Hills" is the third short story in Japanese-English author Kazuo Ishiguro's collection Nocturnes (2009).
The legend of the Shadow of the Ragged Stone, a shadow appearing to arise from the hilltop under particular meteorological conditions said to bring ill-fortune to those on whom it falls, features in many literary sources. It is the subject of the novel "The Shadow of the Ragged Stone" by Charles F. Grindrod, which tells the story of a monk who in punishment for breaking his vow of chastity was compelled to crawl up the hill every day on his hands and knees, and died cursing the hill and all on whom its shadow should fall.[89]
Art
Paintings of the Malvern Hills include Henry Harris Lines's The British Camp and Herefordshire Beacon (1872), now in the Worcester City Museums.[90]
Dame Laura Knight painted in a studio near Wynds Point below British Camp.
Television
The opening scene in Elgar, a drama documentary made in 1962 by the British director Ken Russell, depicts a young Elgar riding a white pony over the Malvern Hills.[95] Made for BBC Television's long-running Monitor programme, it dramatised the life of the composer Edward Elgar. The film significantly raised the public profile of the composer.[96]
The Malvern Hills are the backdrop for Penda's Fen, a 1974 British television play written by David Rudkin and directed by Alan Clarke for the BBC's Play for Today series. It tells the story of Stephen, a pastor's son who has visions of angels, Edward Elgar, and King Penda, the last pagan ruler of England.[100][101] The final scene of the play, where the protagonist has an apparitional experience of King Penda and the "mother and father of England", is set on the Malvern Hills.[102]
Architecture
A famous historic Virginia Landmark, Malvern Hill was a house built in the 17th century by an English settler, Thomas Cocke, later the site of an American Civil War battle. Cocke named his home after Malvern Hills in England.
The hills
Location within England
A list of the hills in their order from north to south is shown below:[103]
A good panorama of the length of the hills can be seen from the M5 motorway, particularly between Junction 7 at Worcester (south) and Junction 9 at Tewkesbury.
Panorama of the Malvern Hills (AONB) with Little Malvern Priory taking centre stage.
Vistas
Between 1999 and 2000, the Heart of England Tourist Board carried out a survey of visitors to the Malvern hills on behalf of the Malvern Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Partnership (AONB). Those questioned indicated that the thing they liked most about the hills was "the scenery and views".[104]
[The Malvern Hills form] an island of high ground surrounded by lower lying land, most noticeably to the east. As a result, the [h]ills are clearly visible and easily recognisable from a considerable distance away [and] constitute an iconic feature in the local and regional landscape.[104]
The AONB commissioned study to "identify and assess a selection of key views to and from the Malvern Hills" it was carried out in 2009 by Cooper Partnership Ltd, a firm of Chartered Landscape Architects.[104][105] This information was gathered not only so that the best vistas could be made known to a wider public, but also as an intelligence gathering so that proposed changes to the landscape both in and outside the Malvern Hills area of outstanding beauty (such as the building of wind turbines) could be assessed against the impact those developments would have on the Malvern Hills area of outstanding beauty.[104] The Cooper Partnership identified 50 key views from vantage points on the Malvern hills,[104][106] and from the surrounding area. These were:[107]
"Elevated view from western side of the Wyche cutting through the MH central spine, looking across the midwestern part of the wider MH AONB and beyond".
"Framed, narrow view from road. Low land in the fore/mid-ground and woodland vegetation hiding the intervening landform enhances the perceived height of the rising hills. Angle of view shows the boldness of the northern group of peaks with their heavy base and rounded tops".
Representing view from gardens of Hope End Estate, including view from in front of the house. "Open, panoramic viewpoint (360°) with views in some directions filtered by vegetation. View 34 shows 180° looking west and north-west towards the MH central spine and wider AONB areas to the north".
by obelisk within the parkland. "Panoramic (360°) viewpoint. Views are generally enclosed by vegetation and the MH central spine, but far reaching views are available to the south and south-west and through a narrow corridor to the north".
"The first wide, open view of the Malvern Hills from the A4103 when travelling southbound from the southwest fringe of Worcester. The Malvern Hills rise up from flat agricultural fields in the foreground and are prominent on the skyline of an essentially rural view".
"View over roadside vegetation from road following the southern border of the MH AONB. Rural view across gently undulating landscape of well enclosed fields and areas of woodland cover at the south-east part of the AONB. Landform frames and directs eye to the north where the dark silhouette of Worcestershire Beacon is seen on the distant skyline".
"Open view from road, towards northwestern part of MH AONB and central hill spine. Unfolding view across undulating and well wooded rural farmland landscape with some urban elements in the fore/midground such as the A4103 and houses at Stoney Cross".
View from road where roadside vegetation/buildings open up more than typical. Malvern Hills are dominant on the skyline in the centre of view, with urban areas of Great Malvern seen spreading at their foot".
"View from road, framed by roadside vegetation which opens up as you reach elevated points of the road. Malvern Hills are prominent on the skyline travelling west along the A4104. The M5 motorway corridor and agricultural fields can be seen in the foreground".
"View from road, above tops of roadside vegetation. Northern end of Malvern Hills is prominent in the view, seen beyond foreground fields and gently undulating landscape".
"View from road through gaps in roadside vegetation. Malvern Hills spine is prominent on skyline, although undulating hills and vegetation clutter the fore/midground. Essentially rural view across farmland and woodland".
Ketch viewpoint at southern edge of Worcester (A38 and A4440 junction)
"Panoramic (180°) view from dedicated viewing point to overlook historic battlefield (green fields in the foreground). Essentially rural view across flat River Severn floodplain seen in fore/mid-ground, urbanised by the busy A4440 road corridor, pylons and overhead power-lines and views of urban areas of Great Malvern at the foot of Worcestershire Beacon and North Hill in the distance".
"Elevated view from M5 overbridge. Highway structures and traffic on M5 in foreground. Flat, low lying landform of the River Avon and Severn vales to both sides of the motorway".
"Open, wide panoramic (180°) view towards the north-western parts of the MH AONB and northern group of hills along the central spine line. In the fore/mid-ground views of a rural, well wooded, intricately undulating landscape of the River Teme and its tributary valleys, and the eastern edge of the Bromyard Plateau with scattered farmsteads and houses".
"from side of road across rural countryside. Far reaching views across flat, open landscape of the Severn and Avon Vales to the left and centre of view. Grey silhouette of Bredon Hill at the edge of the Cotswolds seen on the distant skyline at the centre of view. MH and more hilly landscape to its west and north seen in the right of view".
"View from road, over roadside vegetation. Flat Severn Floodplain in the fore/mid-ground, May Hill, areas within the Forest of Dean and southern fringes of the MH AONB and MH central spine on the distant skyline. Essentially rural view of settled farmed landscape. Medium sized fields well enclosed by hedgerows and some small areas of woodland. Urban areas of Newent, scattered small groups of housing and houses at Hartpury seen in the midground".
"Open view across landscaped parkland, with designed views towards the MH. Croome Court and lake seen to the left of view, and Panorama Tower seen on high ground on the other side of the M5 motorway (from foreground parkland) to the centre of view".
"Wide panoramic (180°) view through gap in field boundary hedgerow. Essentially rural view across a gently undulating agricultural landscape of arable/pasture fields, polytunnels associated with fruit farms and woodland cover associated with hill slopes. On the distant skyline, the dark silhouette of the Cotswold Scarp is seen to the right, and tops of Titterstone Clee Hill and Clent Hills glimpsed to the left of the MH central hill spine and wider AONB on the intermediate skyline at the centre of view. Urban areas of Ledbury seen at the foot of the hills in the midground in right of view. Bromyard Plateau to the left of view".
"Wide panoramic (180°) view towards Malvern Hills, over roadside hedge. Malvern Hills dominant on the skyline, rising up from contrasting flat Severn Flood Plain in the foreground. An essentially rural view from edge of small settlement of Upper Strensham. M5 motorway corridor seen to the right of view".
"Panoramic view from highest point within park. Urban areas of Worcester seen spreading on the low lying River Severn vale in the midground, including view of Worcester Cathedral. MH central spine line and linear group of hills to the north form a grey silhouette on the skyline, as a backdrop to the city".
"Oblique view from gap in field boundary hedgerow at field gate. Far reaching views across rural countryside. Sloping land and gentle undulations reveal and hide the midground landscape".
Public footpath Bredon Hill by the Banbury Stone Tower
"Panoramic (360°) view, affording full views of the eastern side of the Malvern Hills AONB to the west, in the context of other larger hill groups/mountain ranges in the distance and smaller hills rising from the flat Severn Plain in the middle ground. A rural view, although there is much visual evidence of urbanisation along the M5 corridor and at Great Malvern".
"Framed view through and above field boundary hedgerows. Long length of Malvern Hills seen rising above gently undulating rural farm land in the foreground, and dominant on the skyline; hills are seen in the context of their wider landscape setting".
"180-degree panoramic view from elevated viewpoint on north-west facing slope of Cleeve Hill. Distant hills make up an almost continuous skyline, of which the Malvern Hills are a part of. Urban areas of Gloucester and Cheltenham seen in the foreground spreading on the lower lying land of the Severn and Avon Vales. Industrial warehouses and large scale developments stand out in the view".
Public footpath on Haresfield Beacon (National Trust owned Common Land)
"Panoramic (180°) viewpoint. Views filtered by wooded vegetation, and seasonal change likely in view. Malvern Hills seen on skyline to the left, rising above the flat Severn Plain. Large urban areas of Gloucester in the midground, in the centre of view and more rural and wooded areas within the Forest of Dean spread to the left of view".
"Glimpsed view from road through gaps in housing and roadside vegetation. Semi-urban view from edge of Hereford. ... Characteristic western elevation silhouette of the tops of peaks along MH central spine from North Hill to Herefordshire Beacon is seen on part of the skyline, in the context of intervening hills and ridges of the mid/foreground".
"Roadside view. Malvern Hills seen in the distance in the context of other hills. The ridge line of the Wye Valley within the Forest of Dean and May Hill are more dominant in the view. The Severn Estuary can be seen lying across the lower land of the Severn plain. Urban areas of Gloucester are glimpsed at the right of view. Essentially a view of rural areas at the outskirts of urban areas".
"Far reaching panoramic (360°) views of hill ranges to the south, west and north. Central spine of the Malvern Hills seen intruding into the skyline at the centre of view, in the context of other ridgelines in the foreground, and May Hill and the Black Mountains in the distance. The nearby radar station and quarry give a slight industrial feel, but it is an essentially rural view across an intricate landscape of farmland and scattered settlements. Views to the north-west (not shown) are more mountainous and dramatic. ... The whole length of the Malvern Hills spine can be seen as a grey silhouette against the sky. The hills represent a small part of the view, but are recognisable by their unique outline.".
"180-degree panoramic view towards the south-west from elevated viewpoint on SW facing slope of Clent Hills, affording long distance views. Malvern Hills seen to the left of view in the context of other hill ranges seen to the centre and right of view. Generally hilly foreground with scattered settlements on lower lying land. Urban areas of Kidderminster and Stourbridge seen in centre mid-ground ... Far-fetching views of hill ranges, including that of Malvern Hills is impressive, across a generally rural setting".
Worcestershire is a ceremonial county in the West Midlands of England. It is bordered by Shropshire, Staffordshire, and the West Midlands county to the north, Warwickshire to the east, Gloucestershire to the south, and Herefordshire to the west. The city of Worcester is the largest settlement and the county town.
Malvern is a spa town and civil parish in Worcestershire, England. It lies at the foot of the Malvern Hills, a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The centre of Malvern, Great Malvern, is a historic conservation area, which grew dramatically in Victorian times due to the natural mineral water springs in the vicinity, including Malvern Water.
Malvern Hills is a local government district in Worcestershire, England. Its council is based in Malvern, the district's largest town. The district also includes the towns of Tenbury Wells and Upton-upon-Severn and a large rural area covering much of the western side of the county, including numerous villages. The district is named after the Malvern Hills, which are a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
Great Malvern is an area of the civil parish of Malvern, in the Malvern Hills district, in the county of Worcestershire, England. It lies at the foot of the Malvern Hills, a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, on the eastern flanks of the Worcestershire Beacon and North Hill, and is the historic centre of Malvern and includes its town centre.
Abberley is a village and civil parish in north west Worcestershire, England.
Malvern Hills is a range of hills in England.
Worcestershire Beacon, also popularly known as Worcester Beacon, or locally simply as The Beacon, is a hill whose summit at 425 metres (1,394 ft) is the highest point in Worcestershire. It is part of the Malvern Hills which run about 13 kilometres (8.1 mi) north-south along the Herefordshire-Worcestershire border.
Hartlebury Common is an area of lowland heath in north Worcestershire, England, situated just outside the town of Stourport-on-Severn. Hartlebury Common and Hillditch Coppice are a biological and geological Site of Special Scientific Interest which covers an area of 90.2 hectares . The common supports many varieties of wild plants and insects, especially butterflies and moths. Hartlebury Common and Hillditch Pool are a Local Nature Reserve.
St. Ann's Well is set on the slopes of the Malvern Hills above Great Malvern. It is a popular site on a path leading up to the Worcestershire Beacon and lies on the final descent of the Worcestershire Way. The spring or well is named after Saint Anne, the maternal grandmother of Christ and the patron saint of many wells. A building that dates back to 1813 houses the well or spring. Malvern water flows freely from an elaborately carved water spout. The building also hosts a cafe. During the early 20th century, the now-defunct Burrows company bottled and sold Malvern Water from this source under the "St Ann's Well" brand.
Castlemorton is a village and civil parish close to Malvern in the Malvern Hills District in the county of Worcestershire, England. It consists of a village centre, a large common and many farms and houses within the area. In 2013 the Worcestershire Wildlife Trust purchased 42 acres of meadow at Hollybed Farm as part of a project to celebrate the 60th Anniversary of the Coronation of Elizabeth II and restore the meadows as a nature reserve.
The Worcestershire Way is a waymarked long-distance trail within the county of Worcestershire, England. It runs 31 miles (50 km) from Bewdley to Great Malvern.
Malvern water is a natural spring water from the Malvern Hills on the border of the counties of Herefordshire and Worcestershire in England. The Hills consist of very hard granite and limestone rock. Fissures in the rock retain rain water, which slowly permeates through, escaping at the springs. The springs release an average of about 60 litres a minute and the flow has never been known to cease.
North Hill is the second highest point of the range of Malvern Hills that runs about 13 kilometres (8.1 mi) north-south along the Herefordshire-Worcestershire border, although North Hill lies entirely within Worcestershire. It has an elevation of 397 metres (1,302 ft), making it the highest point of the Worcestershire Way.
Pinnacle Hill is situated in the range of Malvern Hills in England, running about 13 kilometres (8 mi) north-south along the Herefordshire-Worcestershire border. It lies between Jubilee Hill and Black Hill and has an elevation of 357 metres (1,171 ft). It is the site of two possible Bronze Age round barrows.
Sugarloaf Hill lies between the Worcestershire Beacon and North Hill in the range of Malvern Hills that runs about 13 kilometres (8 mi) north-south along the Herefordshire-Worcestershire border.
Jubilee Hill is situated in the range of Malvern Hills that runs about 13 kilometres (8 mi) north-south along the Herefordshire-Worcestershire border. It lies between Perseverance Hill and Pinnacle Hill and has an elevation of 327 metres (1,073 ft).
Malvern Water is a brand of bottled drinking water obtained from a spring in the range of Malvern Hills that marks the border between the counties of Herefordshire and Worcestershire in England. The water is a natural spring water from the hills that consist of very hard granite rock. Fissures in the rock retain rain water, which slowly permeates through, escaping at the springs. The springs release an average of about 60 litres a minute. The flow rate depends on rainfall and can vary from as little as 36 litres per minute to over 350 litres per minute.
The Geopark Way is a waymarked long-distance trail located within the counties of Shropshire, Worcestershire, Herefordshire and Gloucestershire, England. It runs 109 miles (175 km) from Bridgnorth to Gloucester.
The Malvern Hills Conservators are a body corporate responsible for the care and management of the Malvern Hills and Commons. They were established in 1884 and are governed by five Acts of Parliament, the Malvern Hills Acts 1884, 1909, 1924, 1930 and 1995. They became a registered charity in 1984 and since April 2017 use the working name of the Malvern Hills Trust.
Tinkers Hill is situated in the range of Malvern Hills that runs about 13 kilometres (8 mi) north-south along the Herefordshire-Worcestershire border. It lies to the east of Herefordshire Beacon with views across the Vale of Evesham and the Cotswolds. It has an elevation of 213 metres (699 ft).
↑ Walters, John (1828). An English and Welsh dictionary. T. Gee. p.580.
1 2 Watts, Victor, ed. (2004). The Cambridge Dictionary of English Place-Names, Based on the Collections of the English Place-Name Society. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN9780521168557., s.v. Great MALVERN.
↑ Coates, Richard; Breeze, Andrew (2000). Celtic Voices, English Places: Studies of the Celtic Impact on Place-Names in Britain. Stamford: Tyas. ISBN1900289415..
↑ Hencken, T. (1938). "The Excavation of the Iron Age Camp on Bredon Hill, Gloucestershire 1935–1937". Archaeological Journal. 95: 1–111. doi:10.1080/00665983.1938.10853692.
↑ Langland, William (1550). Vision of Pierce Plowman. printed by Robert Crowley.
↑ Duriez, Colin (July 1992). The J.R.R. Tolkien handbook: a comprehensive guide to his life, writings, and world of Middle-earth. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House. p.253. ISBN0801030145.
1 2 Sayer, George (1979) [based on an August 1952 recording]. J.R.R. Tolkien Reads and Sings his The Hobbit and the Fellowship of the Ring (Liner). J.R.R. Tolkien. Caedmon Records.
↑ Devereaux, Paul; Thomson, Ian (1979). The ley hunter's companion: aligned ancient sites: a new study with field guide and maps. Thames and Hudson. p.154. ISBN0-500-01208-3.
↑ Anderson, Anne; Meyrick, Robert; Nahum, Peter (2008). Ancient landscapes, pastoral visions: Samuel Palmer to the ruralists. ACC Editions. p.72. ISBN9781851495696.
↑ Eates, Margot; Nash, Paul (1973). Paul Nash: the master of the image, 1889–1946. John Murray Publishers Ltd. ISBN978-0719526718.
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