Malvern, Worcestershire
Malvern is a town in
Worcestershire,
England. It includes the smaller areas of
Great Malvern,
Malvern Link,
Malvern Wells,
West Malvern and
North Malvern. The
civil parish of Malvern has a population of 28,749 (2001 census).
Malvern is in the area governed by
Malvern Hills District Council and lies adjacent to the
Malvern Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
The
medieval poem
Piers Plowman begins on the Malvern hillside. Starting from the
Middle Ages, Malvern was the site of a
Benedictine monastery which first arose in
1085 from a hermitage endowed by
Edward the Confessor, of which, beside
Malvern Priory church, part survives as Malvern Museum. This building dates back to about
1470. Back in the 12th Century
Walcher (the second
Prior of Malvern) was a notable
astronomer and
mathematician - his gravestone inside the priory church records this fact.
Malvern is a famous
spa, known for its bottled water since
1622. Dr.
James Manby Gully made the 'water cure' popular in the early
19th century. Several hotels in Great Malvern date from the hey-day of Malvern as a residential spa.
During
World War II, Malvern was the location to which the
UK government was partially evacuated in case of need. During this time, it also became the home of
Telecommunications Research Establishment, renowned for its role in the
history of radar. It has been said that World War II was won on the playing fields of Malvern, home of the
cavity magnetron. TRE still exists in Malvern - although now under the name
QinetiQ - and is a major source of local employment.
The Emperor of
Ethiopia,
Haile Selassie, spent some of his exile here, in the Abbey Hotel. The
Three Counties Showground near Malvern hosts an annual agricultural show in June, and regular
Royal Horticultural Society Gardening Shows. Malvern is home to two famous
public schools,
Malvern College and
Malvern Girls College.
Jeremy Paxman,
Denholm Elliott,
Barbara Cartland and
Aleister Crowley went to school here.
There is an
Elgar Trail around Malvern and the surrounding area.
Malvern is the largest town in the
parliamentary constituency of
West Worcestershire. As of
May 2005 it is represented by Sir
Michael Spicer.
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Thomas Attwood, British economist and campaigner for electoral reform, died in Malvern, on 9th March 1859.
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Charles Darwin's daughter is buried in the graveyard of
Malvern Priory.
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Jenny Lind in
Great Malvern Cemetery. The final word on
Peter Roget is committed to stone in the graveyard of St James, West Malvern. Famous British violinist
Nigel Kennedy also lived in (West) Malvern for a while. British composer
Edward Elgar taught in Great Malvern and much of his work was influenced by the
Malvern Hills. Elgar is buried at
St. Wulstan's, Little Malvern.
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General view of Great Malvern, with North Hill in background. |
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Detail of buildings and shops in Great Malvern. |
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Malvern Gazette (Local Newspaper)*
Malvern Hills District Council*
Worcestershire County Council *
Malvern Museum*
Biking in Malvern*
Malvern Linux Users Group
