Location: This lies below the wall across the road from Ellerslie Fountain and about 50 yards south on the A449 Wells Road south of Great Malvern.
Description: a lost water feature comprising spout and small pool. 

 

Details of this lost water feature first came to light as a result of editorial in the Malvern Gazette during 2012. The site is the former open air swimming pool facility for pupils of the local private school and is in the grounds of Hampton House in Abbey Road. The location has been derelict for some years and appears to have been levelled with the addition of top soil. Victorian large scale maps reveal that on the site of the swimming pool there was once a substantial circular pool with what appears to be a fountain in the centre. In size it is as large as the ground plan of Hampton House.The elevated tank mentioned below appears to be the water source for the fountain and later the swimming pool and is marked on some maps to the immediate north west of the pool..The water feature and swimming pool are believed to be still intact, albeit now buried.

 

Picture left: this shows the edge of the circular pool before the swimming pool was constructed. The possible fountain in the centre remains a mystery.(courtesy Paul Ferris)

 

According to Michael Haines, who worked in the grounds in the 1980s, there were grottoes and other landscape features within the estate, including a small water spout on the high side of the grounds. The water cascaded for about 20 feet into a pool at a lower level. There was also an elevated tank like a railway engine tank set in the rock. The water spout feature predated the swimming pool and was not affected by the installation of the swimming facility. There was an access door nearby into the old lane.

 

 

Picture above - Hampton House swimming pool, built for pupils of the private school, courtesy Chris and Roland Bannister, now a derelict waste land but perhaps still concealing the archaeology of the former water features. (2016)

 

A site inspection in 2012 revealed little other than dense undergrowth and a modest water course emerging from under the boundary wall opposite Ellerslie Fountain. It is hoped that sometime in the future the original features will be rediscovered.

 

Top Illustrations:

1. Intrepid explorers Cora Weaver, Adrian Long from Malvern College and MIchael Haines emerge from the undergrowth in 2012.

2. Hampton Preparatory School for girls as once was.

 

 

The above mid 19th century map shows the circular pool in the Hampton House premises. The word "Tank" is barely visible written vertically to the immediate south-west of the pool.

 

 

 

 

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.