Descriptive Gazetteer Entry for MALVERN HILLS

MALVERN HILLS, a chain of hills along the mutual border of Worcestershire and Herefordshire. It extends from N to S; is nearly 9 miles long, and from 1 to 2 miles broad; and has about 20 distinct summits. Its name may have been originally either Moel-Wren, signilying "an alder-mountain ''or "mountain with alders, ''or Moel-y-yarn, signifying "the high court ''or "seat of judgment; ''and that name was easily corrupted into Malvern. The greater portion of the hills, together with Hanley Castle, was given by Edward I. to Gilbert de Clare, Earl of Gloucester, on his marriage with Joan Dacres, the king's daughter; and the upland portion of his manor, over the greater part of the hills, was thence called Malvern Chase. A portion of the hills, beyond the Earl of Gloucester's property, belonged to the Bishop of Hereford; and either to prevent a dispute respecting the boundary, or to terminate a dispute which had already arisen, a trench, still visible, and called the Duke of Gloucester's ditch, was made on the ridge as the line-line. The most conspicuous of the summits are North Hill and Worcestershire Beacon, in the N; Herefordshire Beacon, near the centre; and Gloucestershire Beacon and Midsummer Hill, toward the S. The Worcestershire Beacon has an altitude of 1,444 feet above sea-level; and is the summit most frequented by excursionists and tourists. The Herefordshire Beacon has an altitude of 1,370 feet; overlooks an important pass across the ridge; and is crowned by a very strong ancient fort, probably of British origin, 3,300 feet long, and 8,910 feet in circumference. The several summits command very extensive and very magnificent views, over portions of ten or twelve counties; on the E, over much of the great splendid valley of the Severn; on the S and SW, down that valley to the Bristol channel; on the W, over the valleys of the Frome, the Lug, the Leddon, and the Wye; and including a large aggregate of orchards and hop grounds, and the cathedrals of Worcester, Gloucester, and Hereford.


(John Marius Wilson, Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales (1870-72))

Linked entities:
Administrative units: Herefordshire AncC       Worcestershire AncC
Place: Malvern

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