Visit: Malvern – July 2021
On Wednesday July 21st members of Pershore Civic made their visit to Malvern, some two years after our invitation from the Malvern Civic Society, the visit having had to be postponed due to the pandemic. We were welcomed by Malvern’s Chairman Andrew Huntley and after introductions we were taken in two groups on a guided tour of the town. The sun was shining and there were feelings of excited relief – the legal Covid restrictions had been lifted only two days before.
And what gems we were to discover! After a short but steep walk uphill, at our first stop we looked over the houses of Malvern, beyond the Severn valley to the Lenches near Pershore.
We learned that Malvern was first a resting place for travellers and their horses as they crossed these hills, only a small village until 1842 when the ‘Water Cure’ was introduced by Drs Wilson and Gully. Pure water therapy being the cure for the results of extravagant living in London, Malvern prospered!
Thousands flocked to Malvern ‘to take the waters’ resulting in rapid growth of the town. Malvern water was used by Queen Victoria and continues to be supplied to Royalty today.
Continuing our tour we were shown one of the few very old buildings – The Unicorn Inn for travellers and their horses – stage coaches with sometimes 8 horses which would be rested at this hostelry. One of its guests was CS Lewis, and the Malvern Civic Society have marked his visit with a blue plaque. Malvern features in “The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe”.
Our guided tour took us past beautiful buildings, shops and hotels, and interesting steep paths used by donkeys to carry shopping items purchased by ladies as their husbands took the cure! We were also shown a rare Victorian letter box, one of only 4 in England, three being in Malvern – its design a fluted Doric column, and VR clearly visible
We also visited Malvern Priory, a monastic church built in 1085, with mediaeval stained glass windows. The Priory historically has connections with Pershore Abbey and Westminster – but that’s another story.
We had a wonderful day. Our thanks to Malvern Civic Society
