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Malvern, Worcestershire -

A scenic and historic destination, Malvern is a spa town in the county of Worcestershire, England.

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Great Malvern -

The center of Malvern is known as Great Malvern, which was laid out and developed largely during the 19th century.

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Great Malvern Priory -

The town expanded around its 11th-century priory, a Benedictine monastery, of which only the large parish church (pictured) and the abbey gateway remain.

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Stained glass -

The church has the largest display of 15th-century stained glass in England. Pictured is an illustration of Arthur, Prince of Wales from a window inside the church. Born in 1446, he married Catherine of Aragon in 1501 when she was 18 years of age. He died a year afterwards at Ludlow Castle, leaving the throne to Henry VIII.

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Abbey Gateway -

All that remains of the Malvern's monastery is the Abbey Gateway (pictured in 1880 and also known as the Priory Gatehouse). Today it houses the Malvern Museum.

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Spa town -

Great Malvern began to prosper as a spa town in the 17th century when the purported health-giving properties of Malvern spring water became more widely known.

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St. Ann's Well -

Malvern developed rapidly as a residential spa throughout the 19th century. In 1850, a bottling plant was opened at Holy Well in Malvern Wells to tap the curative resource. Still in operation, the well is the oldest bottling plant in the world. Another Malvern water source, St. Ann's Well (pictured) serves as a popular café and houses the spout from which the precious commodity surges into a basin.

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Malvhina Fountain -

Besides St. Ann's Well there are water sources in about 70 locations around the Malvern Hills, where residents regularly fill containers free of charge. These include the popular Malvhina Fountain (pictured), located in the center of Great Malvern.

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"Embowered in Beauty" -

A Malvern travel tourism poster extolling the virtues of "Radiant Health and Enchanting Ease."

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Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882–1945) -

Malvern's curative water attracted many celebrities of the day to the Worcestershire spa town. Among them was future US president Franklin D. Roosevelt. He stayed with his parents at the Aldwyn Tower Hotel in Great Malvern as a seven-year-old child while recovering from an illness.

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Charles Darwin (1809–1882) - English naturalist and author of the groundbreaking 'On the Origin of Species,' Charles Darwin (pictured) was another who sought the benefits of the region's natural spring water. So, too, did the likes of Florence Nightingale, Lord Tennyson, and Samuel Wilberforce.

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Sir Edward Elgar (1857–1934) -

Great Malvern's most famous adopted son is Sir Edward Elgar. The English composer lived much of his life around Malvern and is buried in the Little Malvern Roman Catholic churchyard. The landscape around Malvern inspired much of his work.

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The Elgar Route -

Visitors can follow Elgar-themed walks that take in his favorite haunts and the amazing scenery that influenced his music. There's also a statue of the great man in the town center to admire.

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C.S. Lewis (1898–1963) -

In fact, there are several well-known personalities whose names are associated with Malvern. 'The Chronicles of Narnia' author C.S. Lewis was a frequent visitor.

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J. R. R. Tolkien (1892–1973) -

J. R. R. Tolkien also spent time in Malvern. Recordings of him reading excerpts from 'The Hobbit' and 'The Lord of the Rings' were made in Malvern in 1952. Tolkien even compared parts of the Malvern Hills to the White Mountains of Gondor.

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Jenny Lind (1820-1887) -

In her final years, Swedish opera singer Jenny Lind lived at Wynd's Point in the Malvern Hills. She died there and is buried in Great Malvern Cemetery.

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Haile Selassie (1892–1975) -

Haile Selassie, Emperor of Ethiopia, often stayed in Malvern during his 1936–1941 exile in Britain while visiting his granddaughters, who were educated at a local school.

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The Malvern Hills -

Great Malvern lies at the foot of the Malvern Hills, a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

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British Camp -

The undulating landscape features a number of ancient sites including the British Camp (pictured), an Iron Age hill fort located at the top of Herefordshire Beacon.

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Outdoor pursuits -

The Malvern Hills offer up some of the best outdoor tourism options in the region, including walking, mountain biking, and horse riding.

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Following the Worcestershire Way -

The Worcestershire Way is a waymarked long-distance trail running 50 km (31 mi) from Bewdley to Great Malvern. The footpath takes in the church of Little Malvern Priory, a now-ruined 12th-century Benedictine monastery.

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Abberley and Malvern Hills Geopark -

Hikers can also take in jaw-dropping countryside views by venturing into the Abberley and Malvern Hills Geopark, which falls within the counties of Herefordshire, Gloucestershire, Shropshire, and Worcestershire.

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Year-round destination -

Pictured: walkers take advantage of a crisp winter's morning on the Malvern Hills.

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Worcestershire Beacon -

A favorite destination for hikers is the summit of Worcestershire Beacon, at 425 m (1,394 ft) the highest point of the Malvern Hills range.

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Morgan Motor Company -

Malvern is synonymous with the Morgan Motor Company. The family-owned English motor car manufacturer was founded in 1910 by Henry Frederick Stanley Morgan (1881–1959). According to the original photograph caption, the Morgan pictured here is reputed to be the oldest known example of this car in existence. These three-wheeled motor cars were built between 1910 and 1936. The 10 horsepower engine and two-speed gearbox allowed a top speed of 112 km/h (70 mph), and 64 km/h (40 mph) was attainable even on steep hills, making these vehicles popular and successful in trials competitions in Britain and Europe.

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Still in production -

Pictured: a 1946 Morgan 4/4. Still in production today, albeit in much modified form, the Morgan 4/4 first appeared in 1936.

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Royal at the wheel -

While more of an Aston Martin man, Charles, Prince of Wales is nonetheless an enthusiastic fan of the Morgan sports car. He's seen behind the wheel of one during a visit to the company headquarters in 2013.

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Shopping in Great Malvern -

Visitors to Great Malvern can enjoy some authentic shopping in the town center, where traditional goods including artisan curios, handmade clothes, and original gifts are sold out of a variety of independent shops and retailers.

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Where to stay -

The aforementioned Abbey Hotel is an elegant, ivy-clad property that stands in the shadow of the historic Great Malvern Priory.

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More overnight options -

Another overnight option is the centrally located Foley Hotel, which incorporates a splendid inn stocked full of local ales.

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How to get to Great Malvern -

Great Malvern is well served by a network of roads. But if it's practical, try and arrive by rail. Located on the Worcester to Hereford railway line, Great Malvern station is a listed example of classical Victorian railway architecture. The design is exactly as shown in this 1955 image.

Sources: (Malvern Gazette) (Worcester News) (Visit The Malverns) (Countryfile) 

See also: The most enticing British towns you have to visit

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