Places of worship in Malvern, Worcestershire
Among the places of worship in the town and area of Malvern, Worcestershire are centres of dedication to many faiths and denominations. The town has 31 Christian churches with 10 belonging to the Church of England, ranging from low church to high Anglo-Catholic, one Roman Catholic, one Evangelical, and the others being Non-Conformist. Its oldest place of worship is Great Malvern Priory which is all that remains of the former 10th century abbey of which according to the Worcester Monastic Annals, work began in 1085.[1] The chain of Malvern Hills lies in a north-south direction, thus posing a challenge for the architects of Christian churches located on the steep slopes, chancels being traditionally sited at the east end of the building. Many churches were built in the 19th century concomitant with the rapid expansion of the town due to its popularity as a spa. A few modern buildings such as St Mary's Church (1960) in Sherrard's Green, have been constructed in the second half of the 20th century, and some churches, notably St Andrews in Poolbrook, have had important modern extensions added during the first decade of the 21st century.
All institutions are listed in alphabetical order by faith, denomination and facility. Some link to their more complete Wikipedia pages.
Church of England
All Saints Church
All Saints remains as one of two C of E churches in Malvern Wells following the closure of St Peter's Gothic style church designed bu Robert Jearrad (1836).[2] Built in 1930 in 13th-century style in Malvern rag-stone by architect Troyte Griffith of Nevinson & Newton,[2] to whom Sir Edward Elgar dedicated an Enigma Variation,[3] it is located on steep sloping common land donated by Lady Emily Foley, it has a semicircular apsidal chancel and an organ by Nicholsons.
Location: Wells Road, The Wyche, Malvern Wells
Parish:
Malvern Wells and Wyche[4]
Built: 1903
[4]
Architecture: 13th-century style.
Architect: Troyte Griffith[4]
Bells:One, in a small turret.
Style of worship: Open evangelical
Notable people in cemetery:
Incumbent: Dave Bruce (Chase Team Rector)
Website: All Saints, Malvern Wells
Further reading: Roden, Hugh C. B. (1923) A guide to All Saints' Church, the Wyche, Malvern. W. H. Lovel, Malvern. OL17391375M
Christ Church
Christ Church, located in Avenue Road, Great Malvern, within 200 metres of Great Malvern station and Malvern St James School, is one of two churches in the parish of Christ Church and St Mary's, Malvern, with St Mary's in Sherrards Green being a chapel of ease serving large housing estates in the Pound Bank area.[5] Built in 1875, the church is a Grade II listed building,[6] and an English Heritage grant aided place of worship,[7] Designed and built by T D Barry & Sons of Liverpool to seat 700 people,[8] its architecture is based on pure 14th century Gothic style with a 55 metre spire and an east window by Charles Eomer Kemp.[9] The church has a 1,486 pipe organ constructed by Nicholsons of Malvern in 1884, restored and repaired in 1971 and 1986.[10] The church does not have its own graveyard; burials take place in the nearby Great Malvern cemetery in Madresfield Road.
The two bells in the tower, a 6 cwt in C, and a 7 cwt in D were cast by John Taylor & Co, Loughborough in 1875.[11] BR
Incumbent: vacant (2011). Community Priest: Rev.Clare Griffiths
Website: Christ Church, Malvern
Church of the Ascension
Location: Link Top.
Parish: Malvern Link with Cowleigh. One of the three churches in the parish that also includes St Matthias in Malvern Link and St Peter's Church in Cowleigh. The building is noted for its acoutics and is a regular venue for choirs and Gregorian chants.
Built: listed building
Architecture: Early English Gothic by Gothic revival architect Sir Walter Tapper, his first church, in 1901.[12]
Bells: none
Notable people in cemetery: no consecrated cemetery
Current incumbent: As of 2015, The Rev. Peter J Knight
Church web site: Church of the Ascension
Parish website: Malvern Link with Cowleigh
Holy Trinity
Location: Link Top/North Malvern
Parish:
Built: 1850-51, 1872, 1896-7, 1908-9[13] (Grade II Listed[) [13][14]
Architecture: Samuel Daukes (or Dawkes), with influences of the Oxford Movement
Bells:
Notable people in cemetery:
Current incumbent: As of 2015, The Revd William (David) Nichol[15]
Website: holytrinitymalvern
St Andrew's Curch
[16]
Location: Poolbrook
Parish:
Built:1882 by Sir Arthur Blomfield in memory of a member of the Chance Brothers glassware family.
Architecture: 13th century style (Early English)
Bells:1
Notable people in cemetery:
Curent incumbent: Dave Bruce (Chase Team Rector)
Website: standrewmalvern
]
St James'
Location: West Malvern
Parish:
Built:1885
Architecture: 13th century style (Early English)
Bells:1
Notable people in cemetery:
Curent incumbentr:
Website:
St Giles Church
Location: Wykewane, Poolbrook
Parish:
Built:
Architecture:
Bells:1
Notable people in cemetery:
Current incumbent:
Website:
St Leonard
Location: Newland
Parish:
Built:1864
Architecture: 14th century style by Philip Hardwick[2](p. 17)
Bells:
Notable people in cemetery:
Current incumbent:
Website:
St Mary's Church, Pickersleigh (chapel of ease)
Location: Sherrards Green, Malvern
Parish: Christchurch
Built: c1970
Architecture: Late 20th century
Bells: None
Notable people in cemetery:
Curent incumbent: Dave Bruce (Chase Team Rector)
Website:
St Mary the Virgin
Location: Guarlford Road, Guarlford
Parish:
Built:1844
Architecture:
Bells:
Notable people in cemetery:
Curent vicar/priest/minister:
Website:
St Mathias
Location: Malvern Link
Parish: Malvern Link with Cowleigh
Built:1896. Grade II Listed
Architecture: Sir George Gilbert Scott[2]
Bells:10, cast by Taylors of Loughborough. #10 in 1899, #1 and 2 in 1993, 3 to 9 in 1900. The Tenor weighs 16 cwt and is tuned to F#. The first full peal (Grandsire Triples) was rung on 1 June 1901[17] See also: Stedman triples rung at St Mathias[18]
Notable people in cemetery:
Incumbent: As of 2015, The Rev. Peter J Knight, vicar
Website: St Matthias
St Peter's, Cowleigh
Location: Cowleigh
Parish: Malvern Link with Cowleigh
Built:. 1865 II listed [13]
Architecture: George Edmund Street
Bells:
Notable people in cemetery:
Incumbent: As of 2015, The Rev. Peter J Knight, vicar
Website: St Peter's
Protestant, Reformist, other denominations
Baptist
- Malvern Baptist Church,
Location: Abbey Road, Great Malvern Parish: Built: Architecture: Bells: Notable people in cemetery: Curent vicar/priest/minister: Website
United Reformed Church
Malvern Link
Worcester Road
Founded 1903 as Malvern Link Free Church (Countess of Huntingdon?)
Parish/Affiliation: The West Midlands Synod
Minister: Arthur Smith
Web site: URC in Malvern Link
Holly Mount
Queen's Drive, Great Malvern
Founded 1876
Organisation/Affiliation: Malvern and Worcester team pastorate
Ministers: Rev. Dr. Jon Morgan, Revd Jim Brown, Revd Duncan Tuck
Web site: http://www.hollymountchurch.org.uk/home Holly Mount Church]
Pentecostal
Eden Church
Somers Road, Malvern Link
Catholic
St Joseph's Church
Location: 1245 Newtown Road, Link Top, Malvern, WR14 1PF
Parish: St Joseph, Malvern
Built
1876.[19]
Architecture:
Expanded: 1997
Incumbent: Mgr. Patrick Kilgarriff.[19]
Website: St Joseph's, Malvern
St Wulstan's Church
Location: Wells Rd Malvern, Worcestershire WR14 4JL,
Parish: St Wulstan
Built: 1862. Major restoration 2003/4 aided by a grant from English Heritage.
[20]
Architecture:
Bells:
Notable people in cemetery: Edward Elgar
Incumbent: Fr. Christopher Calascione
Website: St Wulstan's Church in Little Malvern
Christadelphian
Christadelphian Hall
Location: 21 Abbey Road
Great Malvern
WR14 3ES
Website: Malvern Christadelphians
Evangelical
- Malvern Evangelical Church,
Location: 204-208 Pickersleigh Road, Malvern WR14 2QX
Parish:
Built:1975
Architecture: Late 20th century.
Bells:
Notable people in cemetery:
Curent vicar/priest/minister:
Website: Malvern Evangelical Church
Interdenominational
- Wyche Free Church,
Location: Jubilee Drive, Upper Colwall, Malvern, Worcestershire, WR13 6DQ
Parish:
Built:
Architecture:
Bells:
Notable people in cemetery:
Curent Elder: Dudley brook
Website: Wyche Free Church
Methodist
Landsdowne Methodist Church
Location: Great Malvern
Parish:
Built:
1886
Architecture:
Bells:
Notable people in cemetery:
Curent vicar/priest/minister:
Website:
Somers Park Avenue Methodist Church
Location: Malvern Link
Parish:
Built:
Architecture:
Bells:
Notable people in cemetery:
Curent vicar/priest/minister:
Website:
Non-Denominational
- Malvern Hills Life Church,
Location: Worcester Road, Malvern
Parish:
Built:
Architecture:
Bells:
Notable people in cemetery:
Curent vicar/priest/minister:
Website:
Quaker
Friends Meeting House
Location: Orchard Road, Malvern
Parish:
Built:
Architecture:
Bells:
Notable people in cemetery:
Curent vicar/priest/minister:
Website:
Salvation Army
Location: Newtown Road, Link Top, Malvern
Parish:
Built:
Architecture:
Bells:
Notable people in cemetery:
Curent vicar/priest/minister:
Website:
References
- ↑ Wells, Katherine (2009) Tour of Great Malvern Priory p.2., Friends of Great Malvern Priory ISBN 0951029444
- 1 2 3 4 Hurle, Pamela (2002). Malvern Churches in their historical context. Aspect design. pp. 15, 18. ISBN 0952936623.
- ↑ Brooks, Alan; Pevsner, Nikolaus. Worcestershire - The Buildings of England. Yale University Press. p. 74. ISBN 9780300112986. Retrieved 9 December 2011.
- 1 2 3 "All Saints, Malvern Wells". The Church of England. Retrieved 9 December 2011.
- ↑ Parish website Retrieved 9 December 2011
- ↑ "Christ Church, Malvern". The Church of England. 2010. Retrieved 9 December 2011.
- ↑ English Heritage Retrieved 6 January 2010
- ↑ Report No. WSM20355 WCC Historic Environment Record
- ↑ Pevsner, N. (1968) The Buildings of England: Worcestershire
- ↑ Berry, Hilary (2011)
- ↑ Parish web site. Retrieved 9 December 2011
- ↑ "Sir Walter Tapper and his Churches". John Whitworth. 2011. Retrieved 9 December 2011.
- 1 2 3 Historic England. "Holy Trinity Church, Malvern Link (Grade II) (1392674)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 30 March 2015.
- ↑ Holy Trinity Malvern: The Story of a Parish. The Parish of the Holy Trinity, Great Malvern. 1988. pp. 4–5.
- ↑ "A Church Near You". Retrieved 30 March 2015.
- ↑ Malvern Wells Parish< Retrieved 6 January 2010
- ↑ Felstead Pealbase Retrieved 8 July 2009
- ↑ irkibby (15 November 2009). "Bellringing at St Matthias, Malvern Link". YouTube. Retrieved 9 December 2011.
- 1 2 "St Joseph's, Malvern". Retrieved 6 October 2013.
- ↑ "St Wulstan's Roman Catholic Church, Little Malvern". allaboutmalvernhills.com. Retrieved 6 October 2013.