Jenny Lind – the Swedish Nightingale Jenny Lind-Goldschmidt’s final public performance was on 23rd July 1883 at the Royal Malvern Spa Hall, West Malvern. A concert had been organised to raise money for the Railway Servants’ Widows and Orphans’ … Read More
Birthday Boy George Bernard Shaw (GBS) celebrated several birthdays during the festivals in Malvern. On his 75th birthday a reporter asked him if he had a special birthday message, “Certainly not,” he replied. “Please send out a message suppressing the … Read More
Were Water Cure Patients cured? For two months in 1847 Alfred Tennyson’s aunt, ‘made a trial of the Water Cure, wore a compress and was towel packed, and seemed better for the cold bath’. Throughout the 1840s Charles Darwin (1809-1882), the naturalist and … Read More
Cruelty – What do you think? Malvern’s donkeys were usually driven by boys between 6 and 13 years old; at 14 they were old enough to have a job suitable for a man. The donkey boys were rough, coarse, unkempt, … Read More
The Cartland Family Barbara Cartland, the romantic novelist, and her two brothers had family connections with Littlewood House in the village of Poolbrook, near Malvern. From 1931 it was the home of their widowed mother, Polly Cartland. “Mrs Cartland opened her … Read More
Elgar’s Illnesses Elgar was often ill. Sometimes he was in bed for a day or two, at other times for much longer. Sometimes he called the doctor; at other times he took the waters at Llandrindod Wells. He suffered from … Read More
Prehistoric Hill Forts Malvern has two major hill forts, one on Herefordshire Beacon and the other on Midsummer Hill. Both camps have a starting date in the late Bronze Age period, about 800 BC. The earth defences follow the contour … Read More
William Langland – our first major English author What was he doing? William Langland could have been looking for Blinks. This small plant has tiny pale green flowers that seem to be blinking, as they rarely open fully. The flowers … Read More
A Strange Misericord In the museum you can see images of several misericords that can be found in Malvern Priory Church. This one isn’t among those illustrated in the museum but it too comes from Malvern Priory. Look closely and you’ll … Read More
The History of the Priory Gatehouse Purpose in Medieval Times This was once the gatehouse to Great Malvern’s Benedictine priory, and was built c.1480. Under the archway you can still see the squint window where visitors declared their business to … Read More
