West Malvern is a village and a civil parish on the west side of the north part of the Malvern Hills, on the western edge of Worcestershire, England. It has become effectively a suburb of Malvern and part of an urban area often called The Malverns, locally administered by Malvern Hills District Council and its own parish council. Its altitude up to 250 metres gives West Malvern panoramic views of the Herefordshire countryside to the west. The Church of St James, built in 1840, has an adjacent Church of England primary school. The churchyard includes the grave of Peter Mark Roget, author of Roget's Thesaurus, who died while on holiday in the village. The 2011 Census population of 1,385 was estimated at 1,263 in 2019.[1]
| West Malvern | |
|---|---|
 West Malvern | |
  West Malvern Location within Worcestershire | |
| Population | 1,385 |
| OS grid reference | SO764465 |
| Civil parish |
|
| District | |
| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | MALVERN |
| Postcode district | WR14 |
| Police | West Mercia |
| Fire | Hereford and Worcester |
| Ambulance | West Midlands |
| UK Parliament |
|
Etymology
editThe 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". The name perhaps applied originally to the hill now called Worcester Beacon, after which Great Malvern and Little Malvern were then named. The West element of West Malvern was added in modern times to distinguish the settlement from these older centres.[2][3]: 341
Culture
editSince 2005 West Malvern has hosted an annual one-day music festival West Fest.[4] In years when West Fest makes a profit the committee distributes grants "to support community action, cultural development, training or to meet special needs."[5] From the profits of West Fest 2008 "a total of £7,150 was distributed" in the Malvern Hills area to 2nd Malvern Link Brownies, the Theatre of Small Convenience, West Malvern Sean Éireann McMahon Academy (Irish dancing), West Malvern Cricket Club, Malvern Mencap, St James Primary School, Leapfrogs Playgroup, and Malvern Access Group.[5] There has also been a regular weekly acoustic music session in the village each Sunday evening since 1996.
On 20–22 August 2010 a visual arts festival was held in the village, in support of the Malvern Hills Community Foundation, in a variety of venues including the Regents Theological College, St James's Church, St James Primary School, and the Brewers Arms pub. Local garages, gazebos, and even garden walls and railings were also used to display artworks. The event, which is intended to become annual, was modelled on a similar arts festival at Saint-Céneri-le-Gérei in Normandy, France.[6][7]
Landmarks
editThe Malvern Hills area is well known for its Malvern water and there are several springs and wells in West Malvern including Westminster Bank Spout, St James Churchyard Basin, West Malvern Tap, Hayslad, Royal Well, and Ryland's Well and St Thomas' Well.[8]
There were quarries around West Malvern including Dingle[9] and several more.[10]
-
Hayslad Spout after a well dressing festival
Transport
editRail
editThe nearest railway stations are Malvern Link (for the northern end of the parish) and Colwall (for the southern end), both on the Cotswold Line between Hereford and Worcester.
Bus
editLocal bus services connect West Malvern with the surrounding area.[11]
References
edit- ^ City Population. Retrieved 23 December 2020.
- ^ 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. ISBN 9780521168557., s.vv. Great MALVERN, Little MALVERN, West MALVERN.
- ^ Coates, Richard; Breeze, Andrew (2000). Celtic Voices, English Places: Studies of the Celtic Impact on Place-Names in Britain. Stamford: Tyas. ISBN 1900289415..
- ^ West Fest aims and objectives Retrieved 25 August 2010
- ^ a b West Fest grants Retrieved 25 August 2010
- ^ West Malvern arts festival (from Malvern Gazette) Retrieved 25 August 2010
- ^ Arts Festival "a wonderful occasion" (from Malvern Gazette) Retrieved 25 August 2010
- ^ Malvern Spa Association
- ^ Dingle Quarry Retrieved 25 August 2010
- ^ Historical photos of West Malvern quarries Retrieved 25 August 2010
- ^ Local transport. Retrieved 23 December 2020.
External links
edit