Location: Wells Road near the junction with Grundy's Lane and Green Lane, Malvern Wells.
Description: an ornamental drinking fountain with dog trough; in good condition with chain and push button and water.

This substantial Victorian fountain was erected in 1887 on lands belonging to the Hornyold Estate. It commemorates the Queen's Golden Jubilee and the wording on the stonework reads: "Laus. Victoria, Deo 1887 - 50th year of Her Majesty's reign."

In celebration of the Queen's forthcoming Golden Jubilee the residents of Malvern Wells decided in May 1887 to provide new uniforms for the Fire Brigade, to hold a feast for the young and elderly, and to erect a drinking fountain.[1] On the great day, 21 June 1887, an 11.40 service in St Peter's Church was followed by the unveiling of the new fountain. It was a fine, hot day and amidst cheers Mrs Hopkinson, of The Dell, performed the ceremony. Her husband had served as a gentleman-at-arms under William IV and was the last surviving gentleman-at-arms to have been at the Queen's coronation. He unfortunately missed the unveiling, being required in London that day.

The fountain was built on a piece of land given for the purpose by the Hornyold family, and the pure drinking water for the new fountain came from the Holy Well, which the Hornyolds also owned. It did not always work, as a local newspaper observed in 1895. 'It is reported to be supplied from the Holy Well...but let not the traveller be too eagerly expectant to quench his thirst here, for the chances are great that he will be doomed to disappointment'.[2]

The fountain was fed by a reservoir. This supply flowed into a reservoir of 40,000 gallons in a wood below Wells House School on the western side of the Wells Road. The reservoir lies on the left of the footpath leading from Wells Road to Holy Well, is on private property and is now dry.

Perhaps in an attempt to remedy the ailing, failing fountain, Malvern Wells Vestry in 1908 asked the Malvern Urban District Council to take over responsibility for the fountain. MUDC declined the offer and in June 1917 The Streets and Fire Brigade Committee again recommended that the Urban District Council take control.[3] It did not. However the water was so important to the villagers, that when the Blackmore Park Estate was broken up in 1919, the maintenance of the reservoir was a condition of the purchase of the Holy Well.

The drinking cup disappeared many years ago, but the chain with which is was attached to the fountain is still there. For many years the fountain was dry, perhaps a victim of the supposed link in the 1950s between polio and water fountains. More recently it was established that the ownership was in the hands of the local church and was to be transferred to the Parish Council so that a water supply could be reinstated. At the turn of the twenty-first century, with Heritage Lottery Funding, a water supply was restored but this time from the public main. A three inch main runs behind the war memorial along Wells Road feeding the houses in Grundy's Lane, The Hornyold Arms and the Essington Hotel. At the same time the fountain was renovated and the old brass tap replaced with a push button.



Illustrations:
1. Dressed in 1993 for the inaugural year of well decorating by the Malvern Guides.

2. Dressed for the 2012 Well Decorating weekend. 

Footnotes:
[1] Malvern Advertiser 7 May 1887.
[2] Malvern Guardian January 1895 p.15.
[3] Minutes of Malvern Urban District Council, 5 May 1908, 5 June 1917.

The map alongside is a small section of our more comprehensive map of the area. For the complete map together with a description and history of this site see "Celebrated Springs of the Malvern Hills" (2012).

 

 

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