Malvern Hills AONB
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Malvern Hills AONB is an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in the English counties of Worcestershire and Herefordshire.
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Geography
The Malvern Hills are a famous beauty spot, with scenic views over both Herefordshire and Worcestershire. The Hills run north/south for about 13km and overlook the River Severn valley to the East, with the Cotswolds beyond. The highest point of the Hills is the Worcestershire Beacon at 425 metres. The hills are famous for their natural mineral springs & wells, and were resposible for the devopment of Great Malvern as a spa in the early 19th century.
There are two passes through the hills, the Wyche cutting (Wyche means salt) and the A449 road just north of Herfordshire beacon. The Herefordshire beacon is also known as the British Camp, as the remains of an iron age hill fort can be found at the summit.
History
The Malvern hills are made of some of the most ancient rock in England.
Traditionally the line down the spine of the hills has formed the county boundary between Worcestershire and Herefordshire.
Malverns Hills in Cultural Life
The Malvern Hills were the inspiration and setting for the famous 14th Century poem The Visions of Piers Plowman by William Langland.
English composer Edward Elgar, who was from the area, often walked and cycled on these hills; it is said that his works were inspired by the hills.
The poet W.H. Auden taught for three years at the Downs School, Colwall, in the Malvern Hills. He spent three years at the school in the 1930s and wrote some of his finest early love poems there, including: This Lunar Beauty; Let Your Sleeping Head; My Love, Fish In The Unruffled Lakes; & Out On The Lawn I Lie In Bed. He also wrote a long poem about the hills and their views, called simply The Malverns.
See also
External links
- Malvern Hills AONB Website (http://www.malvernhillsaonb.org.uk/)