A Victorian spa town with roots back to the Bronze Age, Malvern is a hidden jewel in the West Midlands. The compact town centre is alive with history and sights alongside an impressive eating-out and pub scene, all set to the backdrop of the gorgeous Malvern Hills, a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
The oldest parts of the town date back to the 11th century, including the Great Malvern Priory, an impressive church that was once a renowned Benedictine monastery and now houses the Malvern Museum. But it was during the Victorian era that Malvern experienced its greatest growth, as it became a fashionable spa town thanks to the reputed healing qualities of the spring water flowing from the foot of the nearby Malvern Hills. And that influx of money and tourists turned Malvern into the bustling town it is today, alive with artisan cafes, gastropubs and restaurants and the amazing Malvern Theatres complex, which hosts drama, theatre, musicals, comedy and independent cinema across three separate venues.
The historic town is just one reason to visit Malvern, however. The Malvern Hills are right on the doorstep of our hotels in Malvern and are perfect for exploring, hiking, biking and even hang-gliding. The region is packed with country estates, exquisite gardens and adventure playgrounds including Priory Court and Eastnor Castle, while the Three Counties Showground attracts millions of visitors each year to hundreds of events spanning garden festivals, dog shows and the largest flea market in the UK.
Things to do in Malvern
Shopping
The UK’s largest flea market, the Malvern Flea Market is held nine times each year, packed with hundreds of stalls selling everything from furniture and clothing to jewellery and toys. The one-day flea market is held at the Three Counties Showground with a £5 entry fee per person.
Another eclectic shopping experience is The Hop Pocket Shopping Village, a collection of independent outlets selling fashion, footwear, designer furniture and more located on the western side of the Malvern Hills. Open Tuesday to Sunday, the village also has a small children’s playground, a garden centre, farm shop and restaurant.
A modern retail park located two miles east of our Malvern hotel, Malvern Shopping Park has nearly 20 different brands, stores and food and drink outlets including New Look, Next and M&S. The park is open late until 8pm during the week with hundreds of free parking spaces.
Getting Around
Birmingham Airport is the nearest major airport to Malvern, with the 40-mile journey taking around an hour by car or 70 minutes via train with one stop at Birmingham New Street. The seventh-busiest UK airport with nearly 15 million passengers each year, Birmingham has two terminals serviced by over a dozen airlines including Jet2, TUI Airlines and Ryanair flying across the UK, Europe and beyond. Another travel option is to break up your journey and stay at one of our hotels near Birmingham Airport.
Malvern has two train stations – the Malvern Link Station on the Cotswold Line with departures to Worcester and Hereford and Great Malvern Train Station, a busier station with services to London, Bristol, Oxford and Gloucester. Great Malvern Train Station is a Grade II-listed Victorian building located a 10-minute walk from the town centre equipped with a ticket counter, toilets, cafe and waiting room.
Shopping in Malvern
