MALVERN

malvern, an inland watering-place in the bewdley parliamentary division of worcestershire, england, 128 m. w.n.w. from london by the great western railway, served also by a branch of the midland railway from ashchurch on the bristol-birmingham line. pop. of urban district(1901), 16,449. it is beautifully situated on the eastern slopes of the malvern hills, which rise abruptly from the flat valley of the severn to a height of 1395 ft. in the worcestershire beacon. the district still bears the name of malvern chase, originally a crown-land and forest, though it was granted to the earldom of gloucester by edward i. a ditch along the summit of the hills determined the ancient boundary. becoming a notorious haunt of criminals, the tract was disafforested by charles