Priory Park, Lovely in spring sunshine, Malvern, Worcestershire.

Elephant ears flowers

Forsythia and ducks

General view

Heron fishing in the main pond

Formal beds with pond and bridge behind

Red quince

The Spring sunshine is delightful and the park is looking magnificent at this time of year. The flower beds are full of colour, yellow daffodils and forsythia, blue hyacinth, bluebells, purple fritallaria and elephant ear flowers, (sadly only know the common name and I am a little worried actually it may just be a nickname), red tulips and quince. Ornamental cherries and exotic magnolia fill the skies with blossom.

The park is well designed, with both large expansive areas and smaller secluded garden room sections. 

The large ponds are looking great as well and the ducks are very friendly. The pond used to have about twenty really huge fish in it as well as many much smaller ones. The last few times I have visited though, a heron has been in residence, and although the heron was still there I didn't manage to spot any of the larger fish. I expect they have eaten.  The park is well worth a visit at the moment as it is looking great.

Narnian Lamp and Magnolia in flower

Rejuvernation therapy, Malvern water treatments.

The path just behind the postbox

Seating area in the little dell

 One of the thing Malvern is famous for is hydrotherapy. The development of a system of water based therapies, designed to aid recuperation from various illnesses including TB and consumption, was most popular during the Victorian era. It is the reason Darwin came to live in Malvern, as he hoped the new therapies would cure his daughter. They didn't, and she died and was buried in Malvern Abbey. It was the loss of her that caused him to reject religion and gave him the strength to stand up to the church of the time, and publish his scientific theory of evolution and natural selection.

The snow now has melted in all but the highest parts of the hill. I went for a walk, starting out from behind the large post box, up past Joyners Meadow, and then past the Narnian gas lamp above Saint James's church.

Whilst walking I saw teenagers running and leaping, throwing themselves into the snow drifts and rolling down hills. They were a little like new born lambs, all newly lengthened limbs, ungainly and jerky. Although many off the hydrotherapy's are now discredited frozen water, in the form of snow, has a miraculously rejuvenating quality. All the cool strutting cynical attitude associated with the teenager wishing to be a proper, "grown-up" suddenly falls away to reveal the child behind the emo facade.

Joyners Meadow

Panoramic shot looking over West Malvern from pathway

View near the Narnian gas lamp by St James well

Great Malvern, History and Architecture

Holly Mount Church

Tudor Shambles entrance to Church Walk

Today I took some pictures around Belle Vue Terrace, Church Street and Church Walk, in Great Malvern. Malvern has many churches, almost all of which are made of the same yellowish stone as the pictured Holly Mount, but varying greatly in design, I think because building on a hill causes problems that must be overcome using interesting architecture.

The towns buildings also are very varied, as buildings seem to date from any period in history after and including the Tudor period, for example the building over the entrance to Church walks.

Wrought iron detail above post office.

Although as with all towns, major shop chains attempt to make there store look identical to all it's others, the history still shines out, above the shop fronts and in stained glass windows and wrought iron details, and the odd random column that still survive. My favourite stained glass is the window above the Mount Pleasant Hotels Tea Room, but unfortunately a large van was parked just outside making it impossible to photograph.

As well as the rich architectural history of the town it has played host to many famous characters. I have included the blue badge plaque outside the house which was home to Charles Darwin and his daughter when she was ill. It was her death that spurned Charles to reject the Churches teachings about creation and publish his book explaining his theory of evolution.

Example of one of the stained glass windows above the shops on Belle Vue Terrace

Plaque on Lloyds Bank commemorating Water Treatment

Plaque outside Darwin's home

Plaque on The Unicorn Pub

The Unicorn, Belle Vue Terrace

I also include the blue badge on The Unicorn pub, and a picture of the pub. It is where C.S.Lewis wrote the Chronicles of Narnia. He was inspired by both the local woods on the hills which are dotted with gas lamps, just like the entrance to Narnia, and the actual, "wardrobe" which is actually a door within Malvern Abbey, (see previous blogs for pictures and details).

Saint Ann's Well, Malvern Hills.

View across Great Malvern from Rose Garden

One of the "Narnia" gas lamps

Saint Ann's well and  restraunt

 Today I set off from Great Malvern, and via the rose g\arden walk'ed up past Saint Ann's well and up to the top of the Malvern Hill. It snowed again last night and in areas the snow was over my knees, so quite deep. Again I past some of the gas lamps which so inspired C.S.Lewis when writing, "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.

The well 

View from path above Saint Ann's well

View from top of Malvern Hill

C S Lewis, Narnia and Malvern

The Abbey in Great Malvern

 Following on from yesterdays comment I thought I might show you the "wardrobe" that inspired C.S.Lewis when he was writing The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. The inspiration is said to be the rear door inside the Abbey in Great Malvern. Unfortunately someone has allowed it to be painted an awful pale green colour recently, but you still get the idea. The view through the door however has not altered much and the great fir tree and the gas lamp that led Lucy, Edward, Susan and Peter home is just as described in the book.

The wardrobe door from inside the Abbey.

Wardrobe door from outside.

View of Narnia as seen through the wardrobe door.

Malvern Museum

 I also included a picture of the museum, which is just up the hill from the Abbey, and the statue in the rose garden, which is just a bit further up the hill again. I just think they both look spectacular in the snow.

Statue in the Rose Garden, Great Malvern.