Location: Formerly just off Como Road up a short drive to an electricity sub-station but since 2014 only through the main property access at the front.
Description: An ornamental stone basin and streamlet.

For some years, until the 1960s when it was owned by Helen and Ross Browne, the Myrtles Hotel stood on the south-east corner of Como Road and Victoria Road. The property extended eastwards and a stone basin was the relic of a garden water feature. It's difficult to imagine that, where houses have sprung up, visitors may once have promenaded in the early evening and admired the little rill running into its rustic basin.

After running down the old open watercourse the Myrtles Spring runs openly through the garden of Beauchamp House (No. 3 Royal Albert Place, on the corner of Como Road and Albert Road North) before being piped under the road and into the Manor Park stream

In February 2006 it was reported by a Friend of Malvern Springs and Wells that The Myrtles Spring had become polluted after surplus surface water had been deliberately channelled into it. The contamination was spotted by the owners of Northcot, the house in Como Road nearest the Myrtles spring, who found, to their annoyance, that plants in their ornamental pool had died. Allegedly Highways Department had channelled water into The Myrtles stream resulting in it becoming polluted.

In 2006, the site was under threat from development. The Civic Society submitted a statement to the Planning Department to the effect that the stream should be redirected so that the water supply to the basin should not be disturbed. By 2010 the basin was obscured with rubble. Investigation in January 2014 revealed that the access pathway to the feature was fenced off and therefore access was now through the property entrance only. By 2015 the water gardens in the former hotel grounds were a rubble pile in a derelict wasteland and the spring water diverted underground in a six inch plastic pipe as the site awaited development.

 

The New Myrtles Spring - a Phoenix arising from the ashes!

 

But all was not lost as David Furlong demonstrated. A resident in one of the new houses on the site, ironically called The Myrtles, David was not content to let sleeping dogs lie, being a springs and wells enthusiast with particular interest in the springs of London. In Malvern this one man against the world took a shovel and unearthed the spring water plastic drain pipe which fortuitously runs through his garden. Taking inspiration from traditional springs he has created a water feature incorporating pebbles and crystals, a pool with water lilies and mystic decorative elements to enhance his garden. Demonstrating what can be done will hopefully inspire the developers of the rest of the Myrtles site to similarly  take advantage of this natural resource to enhance the local landscape.

 

 

Illustration:
1. The little rill once ran into a rustic basin.

2. The New Myrtles Spring in the garden of The Myrtles.

 

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).

 

Click on Website below or the top banner to go to the DISCOVERY TRAIL INDEX of springs and wells.

Celebrated Springs of 
THE MALVERN HILLS  

A definitive work that is the culmination of 20 years researching the springs and wells of the Malvern Hills, published by Phillimore. This is the ideal explorers guide enabling the reader to discover the location and often the astounding and long forgotten history of over 130 celebrated springs and wells sites around the Malvern Hills. The book is hard back with dust cover, large quarto size with lavish illustrations and extended text. Celebrated Springs contains about 200 illustrations and well researched text over a similar number of pages, together with seven area maps to guide the explorer to the locations around the Malvern Hills. It also includes details on the long history of bottling water in the Malvern Hills.

Written by Bruce Osborne and Cora Weaver, this book is available on-line for £15.00 (delivered UK) - click Malvern Bookshop on the green panel top left. Alternatively send a cheque payable to Cora Weaver with your name and address to 4 Hall Green, Malvern, Worcs. WR14 3QX.