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| Taking
the waters in Malvern |
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Μύ |
Malvern
water is famous throughout the world. The Queen drinks it and
people still travel many miles to collect water from the springs
on the hills. |
Many famous people came to Malvern to 'take the cure' including
Charles Darwin and his wife (their daughter is buried in the
town) and Charles Dickens and his wife Katherine, who stayed
there in 1850.
It is a most beautiful place. Oh heavenly to meet the
cold waters as I did this morning when I went out for
a shower bath. |
| Charles
Dickens: letter |
The water was famed for its purity, though this may be because
an analysis in 1757 by Dr. John Wall found that there was nothing
remarkable contained in it.
This has led to a very famous piece of local verse, still widely
known.
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The Malvern waters, says Dr. John Wall, is famed for containing
nothing at all. |
| Traditional
verse |
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| Holy
Well |
This
hasn't stopped people travelling from miles around to get water
from the springs that still flow out of the hillside.
Holy
Well (see map) is a beautifully
maintained spring in a Swiss style building off the Malvern
to Ledbury road, at the end of a long, steep, winding road.
Don't try to walk there unless you're fit.
You can drive almost all the way to the well, and there is space
to park, though bear in mind the needs of the people who live
adjacent to the well
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| West
Malvern well |
St
Anne's Well is easily reached from the centre of Great Malvern.
You take a road that runs from the Unicorn pub leading to the
wonderfully named Happy valley.
From there there are signs directing you to the well, and again
it's a steep climb.
In
West Malvern there is an easily reached spring alongside the
West Malvern Road (see map).
This is one of the most popular for people coming to fill containers
with water.
There is a layby on the opposite side of the road from the well
as well as parking next to it - both get very busy at weekends.
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| Cowleigh
Road well |
There
is another easily reached spring on the Cowleigh Road in West
Malvern (see map).
The very attractive brick facade surrounding the spring was
paid for by William Earl Bauchamp, whose family were big landowners
in the area.
Again many people come to this spring to fill up water containers,
and there is a car park just behind the spring.
On all of the springs is a warning from Malvern Hills District
Council saying that water should be boiled before drinking.
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| Warning
to would-be drinkers |
Malvern Hills index
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