Colwall
Encyclopedia
Colwall is a village
and civil parish
in Herefordshire
, England
on the border with Worcestershire
, nestling into the side of the Malvern Hills
. Areas of the village are known as Colwall Stone, Upper Colwall and Colwall Green along over a mile of the B4218 road. A feature of Colwall is the view of the Iron Age
British Camp
(Herefordshire Beacon
), which forms part of the Malvern Hills. Although neither administered by the nearby town of Malvern
nor the Malvern Hills District
, Colwall is often included in the informal region referred to as The Malverns
for the hills, and the towns and villages that surround them.
, Colwall is a sporting village and contains the largest cricket ground in the county. In 1926 the Women's Cricket Association
was founded in Colwall, and a Women's Cricket Week is held there every year. The Horton brothers Joseph
and Henry
, came from Colwall. and both played first-class cricket for Worcestershire
. Henry went to greater fame with Hampshire
.
It was first bottled on a commercial scale in 1851 and sold as Malvern Soda and then as Malvern Seltzer Water from 1856. In 1890, Schweppes entered into a contract with a Colwall family, and built a bottling plant in 1892. The actual source of the spring spring is on the western side of the hills in Herefordshire. The factory is now owned by Coca-Cola & Schweppes Beverages and employs 25 people who bottle 12 million litres annually.
..."The Malvern water says Dr John Wall is famous for containing just nothing at all"...!
In 1987 Malvern gained recognition as a Natural Mineral Water
, a mark of purity and quality. Malvern Water is the only bottled water used by Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, which she takes on her travels around the world.
On 21st October 2010, Coca-Cola announced that Malvern Water would cease production and the Colwall plant would be sold off to property developers. Coca-Cola said it will try to find roles for the 17 people working at the factory but they may face redundancy. The plant will be closed after 150 years, after Malvern Water was priced out out of the market, with a market share of just 1%. Coca-Cola put this down to the size of the Colwall plant saying that it cannot produce enough water.
, just one platform, on the single track line between Great Malvern
and Ledbury railway station
at Ledbury
, which passes through the Colwall Tunnels dug under the Malvern Hills between 1856 and 1860. Near to the station is the mock Georgian
, country house style Colwall Park Hotel, purpose built in 1905 to serve the now defunct Colwall Horse Racecourse. Colwall has a state primary school, and two independent preparatory schools in the village, The Downs, Malvern College Prep.
and The Elms
, founded in 1614.
Colwall has expanded in the past ten years with the development of "Pedler's Field" and other parts of the village, and has a grocery shop, a fruit & veg shop, a butcher
's shop, a chemist, an estate agent, a cake shop, several pubs, churches, and a post office.
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
and civil parish
Civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and, where they are found, the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties...
in Herefordshire
Herefordshire
Herefordshire is a historic and ceremonial county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire" NUTS 2 region. It also forms a unitary district known as the...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
on the border with Worcestershire
Worcestershire
Worcestershire is a non-metropolitan county, established in antiquity, located in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire" NUTS 2 region...
, nestling into the side of the Malvern Hills
Malvern Hills
The Malvern Hills are a range of hills in the English counties of Worcestershire, Herefordshire and a small area of northern Gloucestershire, dominating the surrounding countryside and the towns and villages of the district of Malvern...
. Areas of the village are known as Colwall Stone, Upper Colwall and Colwall Green along over a mile of the B4218 road. A feature of Colwall is the view of the Iron Age
Iron Age
The Iron Age is the archaeological period generally occurring after the Bronze Age, marked by the prevalent use of iron. The early period of the age is characterized by the widespread use of iron or steel. The adoption of such material coincided with other changes in society, including differing...
British Camp
British Camp
The British Camp is an Iron Age hill fort located at the top of Herefordshire Beacon in the Malvern Hills. The fort is thought to have been first constructed in the 2nd century BC...
(Herefordshire Beacon
Herefordshire Beacon
The Herefordshire Beacon is one of the hills of the Malvern Hills.The name Malvern of the nearby town is probably derived from the Welsh moel fryn or "bare hill"....
), which forms part of the Malvern Hills. Although neither administered by the nearby town of Malvern
Malvern, Worcestershire
Malvern is a town and civil parish in Worcestershire, England, governed by Malvern Town Council. As of the 2001 census it has a population of 28,749, and includes the historical settlement and commercial centre of Great Malvern on the steep eastern flank of the Malvern Hills, and the former...
nor the Malvern Hills District
Malvern Hills (district)
Malvern Hills is a local government district in Worcestershire, England. Its council is based in the town of Malvern, and its area covers most of the western half of the county that borders Herefordshire. It was originally formed in 1974 and was subject to a significant boundary reform in 1998...
, Colwall is often included in the informal region referred to as The Malverns
Malvern, Worcestershire
Malvern is a town and civil parish in Worcestershire, England, governed by Malvern Town Council. As of the 2001 census it has a population of 28,749, and includes the historical settlement and commercial centre of Great Malvern on the steep eastern flank of the Malvern Hills, and the former...
for the hills, and the towns and villages that surround them.
Sport
With its main focus on cricketCricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
, Colwall is a sporting village and contains the largest cricket ground in the county. In 1926 the Women's Cricket Association
Women's cricket
Women's cricket is the form of the team sport of cricket that is played by women.-History:The first recorded match of women's cricket was reported in The Reading Mercury on 26 July 1745, a match contested "between eleven maids of Bramley and eleven maids of Hambledon, all dressed in white." The...
was founded in Colwall, and a Women's Cricket Week is held there every year. The Horton brothers Joseph
Joseph Horton
Joseph Horton , known as Joe was an English cricketer who played 62 first-class matches for Worcestershire in the 1930s....
and Henry
Henry Horton (sportsman)
Henry Horton was an English sportsman who played cricket for Hampshire in the 1950s and 1960s, having previously played a handful of times for Worcestershire in the 1940s...
, came from Colwall. and both played first-class cricket for Worcestershire
Worcestershire County Cricket Club
Worcestershire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Worcestershire...
. Henry went to greater fame with Hampshire
Hampshire County Cricket Club
Hampshire County Cricket Club represents the historic county of Hampshire in cricket's County Championship. The club was founded in 1863 as a successor to the Hampshire county cricket teams and has played at the Antelope Ground from then until 1885, before moving to the County Ground where it...
.
Malvern water
Malvern water has formed a part of the national heritage and culture since Queen Elizabeth I made a point of drinking it in public in the 16th century, and Queen Victoria refused to travel without it. It was mentioned in 1622 in Bannister's Breviary of the Eyes:It was first bottled on a commercial scale in 1851 and sold as Malvern Soda and then as Malvern Seltzer Water from 1856. In 1890, Schweppes entered into a contract with a Colwall family, and built a bottling plant in 1892. The actual source of the spring spring is on the western side of the hills in Herefordshire. The factory is now owned by Coca-Cola & Schweppes Beverages and employs 25 people who bottle 12 million litres annually.
..."The Malvern water says Dr John Wall is famous for containing just nothing at all"...!
In 1987 Malvern gained recognition as a Natural Mineral Water
Mineral water
Mineral water is water containing minerals or other dissolved substances that alter its taste or give it therapeutic value, generally obtained from a naturally occurring mineral spring or source. Dissolved substances in the water may include various salts and sulfur compounds...
, a mark of purity and quality. Malvern Water is the only bottled water used by Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, which she takes on her travels around the world.
On 21st October 2010, Coca-Cola announced that Malvern Water would cease production and the Colwall plant would be sold off to property developers. Coca-Cola said it will try to find roles for the 17 people working at the factory but they may face redundancy. The plant will be closed after 150 years, after Malvern Water was priced out out of the market, with a market share of just 1%. Coca-Cola put this down to the size of the Colwall plant saying that it cannot produce enough water.
Amenities
The village is served by a railway stationColwall railway station
Colwall railway station is a railway station on the Cotswold Line serving the village of Colwall in Herefordshire. The station has one platform and seating but no ticket office or self-service machine .The station was opened in 1861, the same year as the Hereford and Worcester Railway Line.Today...
, just one platform, on the single track line between Great Malvern
Great Malvern
Great Malvern is an area of Malvern, Worcestershire, England. It is the historical centre of the town, and the location of the headquarters buildings of the of Malvern Town Council, the governing body of the Malvern civil parish, and Malvern Hills District council of the county of...
and Ledbury railway station
Ledbury railway station
Ledbury station is a small railway station on the outskirts of the town of Ledbury on the Worcester to Hereford line in the English Midlands. It also has services to Birmingham as well as Cotswold Line trains to London....
at Ledbury
Ledbury
Ledbury is a town in Herefordshire, England, lying east of Hereford, and south of the Malvern Hills.Today, Ledbury is a thriving market town in rural England. The town has a large number of timber framed buildings, in particular along Church Lane and High Street. One of Ledbury's most outstanding...
, which passes through the Colwall Tunnels dug under the Malvern Hills between 1856 and 1860. Near to the station is the mock Georgian
Georgian architecture
Georgian architecture is the name given in most English-speaking countries to the set of architectural styles current between 1720 and 1840. It is eponymous for the first four British monarchs of the House of Hanover—George I of Great Britain, George II of Great Britain, George III of the United...
, country house style Colwall Park Hotel, purpose built in 1905 to serve the now defunct Colwall Horse Racecourse. Colwall has a state primary school, and two independent preparatory schools in the village, The Downs, Malvern College Prep.
The Downs School (Herefordshire)
The Downs, Malvern College Prep. is an independent coeducational school in the United Kingdom, founded in 1900. It is located in Colwall in the County of Herefordshire, on the western slopes of the Malvern Hills.-Overview:...
and The Elms
The Elms School
The Elms School is a co-educational, independent, boarding, prep school located in Colwall, Herefordshire, England, at the foot of the Malvern Hills. Including its pre-prep department, it caters for children from 2½ to 13 years old....
, founded in 1614.
Colwall has expanded in the past ten years with the development of "Pedler's Field" and other parts of the village, and has a grocery shop, a fruit & veg shop, a butcher
Butcher
A butcher is a person who may slaughter animals, dress their flesh, sell their meat or any combination of these three tasks. They may prepare standard cuts of meat, poultry, fish and shellfish for sale in retail or wholesale food establishments...
's shop, a chemist, an estate agent, a cake shop, several pubs, churches, and a post office.