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SPAGAZERS.comMalvern Hills Springs and Wells
A History of the Springs and Wells Movement in The Malvern Hills.
by Dr Bruce Osborne
PART ONE – THE FIRST SEPTENNIAL 1992 – 1999 CREATION
Based on the paper written in 1998 for presentation at Glasgow Caledonian University.
Prior to 1992 the Springs and Wells of the Malvern Hills were of minor importance in determining the tourist ethos of the locality. The Malvern Hills were well utilised for outdoor recreation. Malvern was an historic spa town with an architecture and heritage that reflected this. Hydrotherapy and its legacy of douches and doctors and the history of Malvern Priory were what local historians concentrated on. The Winter Gardens and the Abbey all added to the general ambiance of the town and visitors to the hills might climb to St Ann's Well for a tea or visit Holy Well, if they could find it, some three and a half kilometres south of the town.
Since the Victorian era the Springs and Wells had been neglected apart from Schweppes who continued their long established bottling operation from a spring near Colwall. St Ann's Well building had been threatened with demolition in 1963 when the Malvern Hills Conservators voted to remove it, after failing in an attempt to pass responsibility to the Local Authority. The Local Authority similarly had not proved to be a reliable custodian of water heritage. In 1948 they had demolished the spectacular Victorian Wilson Memorial Fountain. The famous Grade II listed Holy Well building was under threat in the 1970s. Decay and apathy resulted in John Parkes, a private individual, sinking his personal resources in a last ditch effort of restoration. Further examples proliferate, all underlying a former apathy by the public. In retrospect it can be argued that much of this lay in a low public awareness of Malvern's latent water heritage.
In 1992 the University of Birmingham mounted a research project that was to change the situation, although the full potential was not appreciated at the time. The Centre for Urban and Regional Studies had the previous year initiated a post-graduate tourism programme under the Directorship of Brian Wheeller with tourism development in The Malverns of particular interest. District Cllr. John Foot had called a public meeting on the 16 March 1992 to discuss Malvern tourism development. It was attended by some 300 people including representatives of the University. From this meeting it was decided to establish a Malvern Spa Tourism Association. The first meeting was on the 28 April when Tony Hocking, a local businessman, took the chair. It was joined by this author, Bruce Osborne as a member of the University, providing a link between the University's interest and the town endeavours.
During the summer of 1992, Bruce Osborne representing the University liaised with the new Association and the town's Tourism and Leisure Services Department. The University proposed and initiated the preparation of a database of tourism resources in the region. Three post-graduate researchers were awarded the project. These were Mike Bennett - social, recreation and leisure, Jane Foody - natural environment and Malvern Hills and this author - built environment and computing. The computerised database was finished and available for analysis by the late summer. Using the knowledge gained Mike Bennett went on to present a dissertation on tourism development in The Malverns.
The new database proved a valuable audit of tourism facilities and prompted a number of interesting discoveries. One in particular was that the team had identified thirty-six Springs and Wells sites around the hills. The Tourism Association membership included the local historian and publisher Cora Weaver. From her observations it was apparent that the provenance and importance of these sites had been lost over time.
Malvern tourism development meanwhile was now active and the weekend of 25-27 September 1992 saw the mounting of the 150th Anniversary Victorian Water Cure Weekend. This was the first of a series of annual weekends providing events and attractions to bring visitors to the town. The opening ceremony for this 1992 extravaganza included a speech by the Chairman of the Local Authority, Cllr. Pat Merrick. Seizing the opportunity at short notice, a book Springs Spouts Fountains and Holy Wells of the Malverns was published in time for the celebrations by Cora Weaver and Bruce Osborne. It was based on careful analysis of the substantial University of Birmingham database of tourism resources with extensive supplementary research by the authors. It was written, hand illustrated and published locally, in time to be presented formally to the Chairman at the opening ceremony.
The impact of the new book was significant in that it drew attention to an aspect of Malvern's heritage that had been lost or forgotten. Local interest was stimulated and information about further sources and sites was soon forthcoming. The new Tourism Association, through a rapidly formed Springs and Wells sub committee, extended the theme and in October 1992, Cora Weaver announced a plan to reintroduce annual well decorating.
By the end of 1992 general public awareness of the Springs and Wells was increasing as is illustrated by three events. These were seen as jeopardising Malvern's Springs and Wells heritage by a newly informed public who responded appropriately. Firstly Severn Trent Water wanted to fence off areas of the Malvern Hills where spring water reservoirs existed, a proposal successfully resisted by the Conservators. Secondly, the Winter Gardens Jacob Fountain had been dry since the 1960s and this started to cause concern. Schweppes were reported as being involved in a new initiative to restore it to water. Thirdly a developer wished to enclose Lord Sandys' Spout in the garden of a newly built house. Rapid action on the part of the Springs and Wells sub committee members of the Tourism Association prevented this. One outcome was that Paul Jones the Local Authority Conservation Officer became involved with the Springs and Wells heritage for the first time as part of the rescue efforts. This was to prove significant in later years. By early 1993 the sub-committee of the Tourism Association was noticeably active and this fuelled local interest. The Civic Society, Severn Trent Water and Madresfield Estate were just some of the participants in what was becoming a community-based series of projects. This coincided with Bruce Osborne being elected chair of the Malvern Spa Tourism Association and the launch of well decorating as a major public participation project set for April 1993.
The 1993 Where to go and what to see guide of Malvern quickly picked up the new interest and promoted the Springs and Wells with a four page editorial. As 1993 progressed a second Victorian Weekend was planned for 23-26 September with the Tourism Association taking a lead role. Following widespread support by local groups the weekend also included the well decorating thereby reviving the custom for local springs. The efforts of Cora Weaver, an Association Committee member, have subsequently made well decorating a regular attraction on the local calendar. By now more than 50 springs and wells sites of significance had been identified, indicating the effect of continuing research revealing the unexpected magnitude of this aspect of local heritage. Local radio took up the theme with an early morning broadcast, live from Malvern, on the 23 September. This was the first of numerous media opportunities.
By 1993 the outcome of Cllr Foot's initiative was an active Tourism Association working closely with the Local Authority Tourism and Leisure Services producing major schemes to enhance visitor experience. The Bennett report from the University had set out possible further opportunities and direction. Supporting the local initiatives, the Malvern Tourism and Leisure Services Department commissioned a study of the tourism potential of the region through external consultants.
Other events in 1993 included the inauguration of the first guided coach tours of the Springs and Wells conducted by this author initially and in subsequent years joined by Cora Weaver. These tours were an attraction within the 1993 Victorian Weekend and promoted through the Tourist Information Centre. Now a regular annual attraction, they have been responsible for introducing large numbers of people to the Springs and Wells and have become legendary.
The programme Countryfile ran a TV documentary on Malvern Springs and Wells in 1993. There is no doubt that this was instrumental in further encouraging the practice of the public collecting spring water at local spouts. As 1993 progressed contact with the University of Birmingham was broken as this author relocated to the University of Sussex. This also led to a decline of the Malvern Spa Tourism Association, which shortly afterwards became dormant, until resurrected later as the Malvern Spa Association. Apart from occasional student short-term placement in Malvern the University of Birmingham lost contact with the tourism theme that it had been contributory in establishing.
The following year saw a number of high profile events that precipitated further interest in the Springs and Wells theme. An enterprising local farmer, who also happened to be Managing Director of a brewery, started bottling Malvern Hills water from a spring on his land. Schweppes initiated litigation against Michael Hancocks challenging his right to use the designation "Malvern". This resulted in national publicity for Malvern's waters and much debate on the occurrence and nature of the many springs.
The year 1994 also saw the publication of a new definitive work on the history of Malvern's Springs and Wells. This was the culmination of extensive desk research and field work. The book was launched at the Malvern Winter Gardens and received extensive reviews including The Times, who gave full page coverage. Aquae Malvernensis contained site information on 60 celebrated Springs and Wells together with much previously unpublished historical detail. Malvern Museum supported the theme with a photograph contest inviting visitors to identify the various Springs and Wells.
During the field research for the publication of Aquae Malvernensis the Owls Hole Pump was discovered near British Camp. This was in one of the few surviving water pumping stations for local spring water supplies to domestic users. Although derelict the pump was still intact. Negotiations with Severn Trent Water enabled the triple throw ram pump to be recovered and restored. Powered at first by an electric motor, it made an impressive visual display at the Winter Gardens in November at the launch of Aquae Malvernensis.
The following year, 1995, saw the further expansion of public interest with the development of local lectures on Malvern's Springs and Wells. This practice has steadily developed since and is now a continuous programme of presentations to local groups within a 25 mile radius. By 1995 exploring the Springs and Wells was becoming a popular pastime for both visitors and locals.
Also in 1995 the engine that once powered the Owls Hole Pump was identified in a redundant water filter station. Further negotiation with Severn Trent enabled its recovery and restoration. This was under the engineering supervision of Peter Ward of Colwall. The combined pump and engine have subsequently been used to promote Malvern's Springs and Wells at Hartlebury County Museum each year and locally where they can be seen working on selected special occasions.
By now the demand for spring water fill-up points for the public was creating traffic jams at Hay Sladd, the most popular location. Potters Bar, Devon and Birmingham were just a sample of places where people came from by car to fill up with Malvern spring waters, invariably doing the return journey in a day. A breakthrough came when Earl Beauchamp's spout was the first spout to be restored to water, an event promoted in the local press. Plans were also being prepared to restore and re-water other sites but there was still insufficient momentum and finance was difficult.
A further breakthrough came in 1996 when Cllr. John Ford instigated the formation of a Water Strategy Group as a voluntary body operating in conjunction with officers of the Local Authority. Cora Weaver and this author sat on this body; other active participants included Cllr. John Tretheway, Dr John Harcup, Jim Black of Severn Trent Water, Carly Tinkler, Paul Jones of the Local Authority Planning Department and Dan Leach of the Environment Health Department. By September 1996 a strategy document had been drafted for adoption by the Local Authority to pursue restoration of Malvern's historic spouts and fountains. In addition it was to promote the development of new fountains throughout the town.
Additional impetus to the awareness of Malvern's Springs and Wells heritage came in 1996 with the launch of the book Aquae Britannia. This contained a chapter debating the early discovery of Malvern's healing waters. In September the annual spa celebration weekend was organised again using the Victorian theme and this provided further opportunity to promote the Springs and Wells. The British Spas Federation was actively supporting local efforts alongside commercial sector organisations.
Paul Jones of the Water Strategy Group was by now well advanced with plans to include many of the Springs and Wells within the local conservation areas. This was no doubt fuelled by earlier memories of the threatened Lord Sandys' spout. Ms. Carly Tinkler developed a challenging plan to establish a number of new fountains within the town area. The initial effort however was directed at an ambitious schedule of repairs and renovations to existing sites and finance was sought within the County Council H2000 scheme for Lottery funding. This bid failed and alternative sources of funding were considered. However emphasis then shifted to the town centre projects. Belle Vue Terrace was scheduled for refurbishment and this was identified as a potential site for a new water feature. Severn Trent Water undertook to provide spring water from their collector main that passes through the town. Once established this could then be feathered off to feed other town centre water features.
Information on the location and provenance of Malvern's celebrated Springs and Wells was continuing to be discovered. In the spring of 1997 it was decided therefore to publish an updated edition of Springs Spouts Fountains and Holy Wells of the Malverns as a directory of all the known sites, which exceeded 60. This replaced the 1992 booklet that was substantially out of date. Contained within the 1997 publication was some speculative ideas on a proposed new water feature on Belle Vue Terrace, which in turn promoted the idea further locally.
Arts Council and Local Authority funding enabled a professional sculptor, Rose Garrard, to set to work to design Malvern's first new fountain since the Jacob Fountain in the Winter Gardens in the 1930s. A process of public consultation took place during the autumn of 1997 when Rose was in residency at a shop on Belle Vue Terrace for three months. This coincided with growing concern about the future of the Jacob Fountain, following its removal from the Winter Gardens during renovation of the buildings.
Belle Vue Terrace in 1998 underwent major reconstruction in readiness for the siting of the planned new water fountain. The Malvina Fountain was inaugurated later in the same year and a planned second water feature for the Millennium, both to be fed with natural water from the Hills. The Winter Gardens reopened as New Space and the Jacob Fountain saved and in situ, albeit lacking its original plinth and still dry. Other projects locally included the rewatering of the Temperance Fountain on Malvern Link and the new Hampden Fount, also at Malvern Link. The Springs and Wells tours and Well Decorating continued as regular events on the Malvern calendar. In September 1998 the dormant Malvern Spa Tourism Association was reactivated to provide a focus for development of Malvern’s water heritage under the chairmanship of Cllr. John Ford. The word Tourism was dropped from the title recognising the new specialist role concentrating on water heritage.
It can be seen how current reactivated interest in Malvern's springs can be traced to the 1992 audit of tourism resources carried out by the University of Birmingham. At the time there was no indication of the future value of the work. A combination of latent opportunity and from key individuals, energy and enthusiasm has resulted in Springs and Wells being recognised as a significant part of the regional tourism heritage by the millennium. There was every sign that the theme would continue to develop.
In the future it was envisaged that bodies such as the Malvern Hills Conservators, the Civic Society and the Local Authority will doubtless be taking a greater role. However the lesson from the past is that such bodies merely provide a framework for the individuals with enthusiasm and drive who will continue the tradition. Already we saw that the Conservators had landscaped St Ann's Well and Earl Beauchamps spout in conjunction with the AONB Officer. Observers will confirm that Springs and Wells as a heritage theme had momentum in The Malverns and by 1999 was much valued by residents and visitors alike. This would not have happened however without the vision and enthusiasm of the many participants over the first seven years. The fact that it was the freely supplied efforts of those at the University of Birmingham that initiated the process must not go unrecorded.
PART TWO – THE SECOND SEPTENNIAL 1999 – 2006 CONFLICT
As the Millennium approached, springs and wells continued in command interest from the public but there was a period of several years when no new major initiative advanced the theme.
The Malvern Spa (formerly Tourism) Association (MSA) was now re-activated under the chairmanship of John Ford, using the residual funding generated earlier. The committee comprised Angela Lessimore, John Tretheway, Bruce Osborne, Cora Weaver, David Hancock, Jim Black, Carol Marsden and Carly Tinkler, meeting for the first time in full in October 1998. Rose Garrard, Bob Embleton and A Clark subsequently also participated. The problems of funding were recognised from the start especially as the Associations key role was seen as restoration of the springs and wells. Lists were drawn up of projects and possible funding opportunities.
The Association was formally relaunched at a meeting at the Foley Arms on 17 Feb. 1999. Extracts from Aquae Malvernensis were used to promote this public meeting and the authors, Cora and Bruce did an illustrated lecture on the Springs and Wells. The meeting was well attended and a newsletter initiated. One item of news covered in the newsletter was the possibility of Rose Garrard planning a further major water feature in the town centre for the Millennium, following the inauguration of the Malvhina Fountain. As a result, the Elgar Enigma Fountain, also sited on Belle Vue Terrace was unveiled by The Duke of York and this was to be one of the highlights for local enthusiasts in the Millennium year.
It was immediately apparent however that during the late 1990s efforts by the MSA to orchestrate restorations and renovations was going to be slow and torturous in coming to fruition. Whilst schedules were prepared and debated nothing much was to happen until the new millennium. In the year 2000 effort was directed at securing a Heritage Lottery Fund grant and the protracted process of preparing and submitting an application was underway. Other issues that entertained included the competition to name the new fountain in Back Lane following the covering of the Priors Vineyard Spring with the new Waitrose Car Park in the year 2000.
There were also signs of tensions however. The MSA sought to build a web site and caution was expressed in April 1999 about the use of material from Cora’s and Bruce’s books not in the public domain.
Meanwhile others were also pursing the theme of restoration and renovation. Individual projects where there was some progress, included the Temperance Fountain, which had water reinstated and some ancillary posts installed as part of a landscaping scheme. One interesting episode in 2001 involved the opening of the underground reservoir at Clock Tower. Malvern Town Council owned the site and the MSA parted with a sum of money to enable a proper trap to be inserted in the structure for access. The Town Council however then decided that access could only be allowed for insured persons. Insurance documentation was duly submitted and the Foot and Mouth crisis abated but it was some time before a group of enthusiasts finally got to see the cathedral like interior.
By 2001 there was a regular Wet Weekend in the Autumn. This celebration included the legendary Springs and Wells coach tours and the well decorating. The same year also saw the launch of a third edition Springs, Spouts, Fountains and Holy Wells, authored and published by Cora and Bruce. This book was the updated edition of the popular guide to the springs and wells and provided new information based on research about the provenance and number of sites around the hills. Eighty eight springs and wells were included.
In 2001 the Association sought to strengthen its position by becoming incorporated with the Malvern Civic Society, a move that was to prove problematic in later years. The status would be that of a sub-committee with the 1st June being set as the transfer date. John Ford was considering retiring as chair of the Association and this was seen as a timely way of providing continuity. The MSA were inclined to view it as a merger whereas the Civic Society saw it more as a way of expanding its existing activities and membership.
Intent on promoting Springs and Wells John Ford started work on a Trail Guide in September 2001. The guide was to be published by a commercial publisher. This was to cause some dissention because the content proposed was largely derived from the book Springs, Spouts, Fountains and Holy Wells (2001) and as such the guide would be in direct commercial competition with the privately published book. Furthermore the Trail Guide was to be sponsored by the Civic Society/MSA to the extent of £300 whereas the book had been privately funded. By May of 2002 a way forward in resolving these tensions had been contrived. In order to overcome the conflict with their researched material, Cora and Bruce rewrote the Trail Guide. In an exchange of letters with the publisher it was agreed that any copyrights and intellectual properties of Cora and Bruce used in the guide were licensed for use for publication in the current edition only. This was an uneasy compromise but precipitated an era of dissonance that was eventually to lead to the break up of the group.
By 2002 the well decorating and coach tours had been retimed to coincide with May Day weekend celebrations in Malvern. In May 2002 the MSA launched a Pilgrim Flask. This glass vessel celebrated the MSA and the Golden Jubilee. It was available in a limited edition, selling at about £35 each. One was sent to the Queen. Her reaction is unrecorded; perhaps she wondered where the stopper had gone! In the same year John Ford retired as chair of the MSA and Carly Tinkler took over the role.
Other events in 2002 also included the launch of a Well Wardens scheme with support and leaflets sponsored by the Civic Society. This was organised by Bruce and Cora and aimed at keeping an eye on key sites. This ranged from liaising on keeping springs and wells tidy to alerting in case of threat. At about the same time the Civic Society was expressing concern that the MSA was not integrating into Civic Society activities but still proposed ratifying the merger after a one year trial period.
In September 2002 it was announced that a bid for HLF monies for springs and wells had been successful. This promoted a new enthusiasm amongst those who had assisted in developing the proposals. It was going to be years however before implementation and 2003 was one of the quietest years for the springs and wells movement since their inception in 1992.
The spring of 2004 brought another problem that was addressed this time by the Spas Research Fellowship in conjunction with Cora. The Malvern Town Council decided to desecrate the local churchyard in the interests of public safety by toppling the grave stones. One hundred and twenty nine monuments were legally vandalised including that of Dr Wilson the famous water cure doctor. The Fellowship immediately put out an international appeal on their Spagazer email news inviting spa enthusiasts to write to the Council. Within a few days Dr Wilson’s family monument had been reinstated.
In August 2003 the Civic Society was expressing serious concerns that the MSA was failing to integrate, in spite of formal affiliation being agreed. There then followed a period of disharmony until on 5th May 2004 the Civic Society formally decided to terminate the incorporation of the MSA forthwith. This precipitated a debate about the future of the Well Wardens and following an acrimonious letter from the MSA, a discussion paper was drawn up by Bruce, Cora meanwhile promptly resigned from the MSA. By August 2004 the view was being expressed that a new organisation was required for springs and wells following complaint and comment from various individuals. While the Civic Society pursued its continuing interest in the theme, the Malvern Spa Association had decided to launch its own look alike Well Wardens scheme. Bruce tended his retirement from the Malvern Spa Association in September 2004, leaving the way clear for Cora and Bruce to form Friends as a new interest group.
First however Cora and Bruce prepared and published their Great Malvern Water Trail – a town trail of interesting sites with their provenance. This was published in time for Xmas 2004 and has proved a popular, low priced introduction to Malvern’s water heritage.
Meanwhile the Civic Society continued its interest in springs and wells. A meeting about Malvern Springs and Wells was programmed for February 2005. Also by November 2004 the Civic Society was planning on assisting with the restoration of the Foley Fountain at Mount Pleasant. This subsequently was carried out under the direction of Cora, thereby preserving for the future this early basin that once resided at St Ann’s Well for Princess (later Queen) Victoria. A protecting canopy was seen as necessary addition in due course. The Civic Society subsequently had a packed house at their Springs and Wells lecture 11 Feb 2005 welcoming the Well Wardens. Cora and Bruce entertained the assembly with a resume of the history of the now famous sites.
Malvern hit the international media in November 2004 when headlines such as “will bleed the hills dry” referred to an application by Coca Cola Enterprises to enhance their natural water supply at the Colwall bottling works. Hoping to use a top up from Walms Well, the situation quickly got out of hand with local “experts” voicing opinions that were arguably uninformed to say the least. The result was that Coca Cola withdrew their application. Fortunately someone in the corporate affairs department of Coca Cola refrained from putting a red line through Malvern Water and terminate the last remaining Malvern bottling works and the employment for two dozen local people. The following February the Civic Society were invited to a tour of the Bottling Works in order to gain a balanced perspective on the still volatile situation.
Such issues as the Colwall Bottling Works controversy and the confusion caused by the Well Wardens look alike scheme marred the real successes of the winter of 2004/5, which included the progress with restorations through the Civic Society and the HLF funding coming slowly to fruition. The Golf Club Spout was put back in water by local enthusiasts and new archaeological finds unearthed historic water features, hitherto lost. By March 2005 it was apparent that a new interest group, formed from the various disparate enthusiasts operating under various banners was overdue and Friends of Malvern Springs and Wells was devised as an all encompassing title. This essentially created two rival groups, the Friends and the Malvern Spa Association. Particularly because of the problems emerging on the question of public liability, in 2005 the original well wardens were absorbed into Friends, with Cora and Bruce at the helm.
While the Malvern Spa Association pursued well decorating and future restorations with the HLF monies, the Friends developed a programme of events including the legendary annual coach tours, special interest meetings and town trails.
July 2005 also saw a major initiative from Friends with the launch of the St Werstan Award for the conservation and renovation of Malvern springs and wells. This was in conjunction with Malvern Natural Mineral Water. The scheme was unusual in that Friends were the judges rather than having an independent panel of experts pontificating. St Werstan was one of the earliest saints to be associated with Malvern’s Springs and Wells and it was fitting that his name was being linked with this new scheme to encourage enhancement of Malvern’s water heritage. The Award represents a public recognition of outstanding endeavour in the conservation or renovation of Malvern springs and wells and their immediate environment. Friends, local residents and visitors nominate sites for an award by forwarding a short resume of the circumstances and location. Nominated sites are featured in a short critique in the Friends Newsletter. Friends of Malvern Springs and Wells are then be able to express their views as to whether nominations justify the award by completing a simple appraisal.
The use of St Werstan for the award had an interesting repercussion. It prompted scholarly interest in the saint, who for many had been dismissed as a fabrication. It quickly became apparent that the popular legend was flawed but that there was some substance in the underlying historical record. Werstan was a monk who, in the times of Edward the Confessor, left the monastery at Deerhurst to found a cell in the Malvern Hills. It is believed that St Werstan founded his hermitage in the valley below the present day St Ann’s Well building. He lived in a cave initially in the local Devonian outcrop and his martyrdom occurred in the early 1050s when the Celts attacked the area. He was replaced by Aldwyn who received a charter from Edward the Confessor. Werstan’s hermitage became the founding site for the first formal religious establishment during the reign of William the Conqueror and this led to the eventual establishment of the priory and Malvern town itself. It is likely that the spring and streamlet in the locality was venerated in the early days as a healing spring named after the martyred saint. A scholarly Occasional Paper was subsequently published in 2006 in conjunction with Friends, called The Illumination of St Werstan the Martyr presenting new thinking on this saintly figure.
By the end of 2005 Friends were also able to announce the first recipients of the St Werstan Award. Julie Wollaston and Roger Moss celebrated their magnificent conversion of the old toilets at Malvern Link on 13th January, when they received the St Werstan Award for the enhancement of our water heritage. Friends voted on the nomination and Penny Cottage and the adjacent Osbornes Fountain becomes the first site to enjoy the award. The hand cast brass plaque was presented by Mr Jim Fox of Malvern Natural Mineral Water and reflects their support for environmental issues. When Julie and Roger first purchased the old toilets, they were derelict with the ladies and gents separated on different floors. Other features apparently included someone living in the roof space and endless small windows to the cubicles. Many, but fortunately not all, of the original features have been retained. A new staircase extension was also provided, making the building a unique “des res”. Had the building been demolished and the site redeveloped it is likely that Osbornes Fountain would have been under serious threat. Now it is reasonably secure in the boundary wall.
The end of 2005 also saw the naming ceremony of a new water cascade at St Ann’s Well. The County Council as grantees and the AONB Officer had made serious progress with the deployment of the long awaited HLF monies and St Ann’s Well became the first flagship project. Minstrels accompanied the lively proceedings and there was a good turn out of spectators. The newly named Old Moses Spout was the renovated water cascade at the side of the entrance to the building at St Ann’s Well. Until recently it had been a water spout that ran dry for a large part of the year. Although its name suggested that it was old this was not so, having just been rebuilt. It was named after a supposed donkey who carried Princess Victoria to St Ann's Well, another misconception. Once again the public saw a donkey at St Ann’s Well sampling the water of the new cascade. Unfortuntately it ran dry soon after. Other landscaping included the pond outside the well. Details of other renovations to springs and wells planned were given in the Friends Newsletter of January 2006. This comprised 6 major sites and 7 minor renovations.
As the second seven years of the springs and wells movement drew to a close in 2006, the picture was vastly different to what might have been anticipated. Public awareness and support had blossomed and springs and wells had become embedded in the community culture. In spite of this the Malvern Spa (Tourism) Association, there at the outset, had failed to act as a unification force and focus for local enthusiasm and interest during this second 7 year period. Although reformed as a specialist interest organisation it had divided rather than united those it sought to serve. Elements within the Association had been catalysts to the disruption and break up of the body of enthusiasts. Friends of Malvern Springs and Wells by summer 2006 was the largest and most dynamic of the interest groups, while the MSA concentrated on its inherited responsibilities with the deployment of the HLF monies for restorations and well decorating.
Coming soon – THE THIRD SEPTENNIAL 2006 – 2013 MATURITY
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