You may have noticed that some verges and areas of open space are being left to grow. Some verges are maintained by MHDC and some by Malvern Hills AONB.

Visit the Malvern Hills AONB website

This year (2022) sees Malvern Hills District Council carrying out a trial where, verges will be left to grow so that we can assess what species are present and how we can improve the biodiversity.   

How will we do this?

The maintenance regime will be like a traditional hay cut, with a cut between July and September. The cut grass will be collected.  The benefit of this is that the nutrients going into the soil will be reduced and a reduction in the thatch of dead grass to allow for areas where wildflower seeds can germinate. 

Why are we doing this?

Leaving the verges to grow for longer means flowers are available to pollinators and as the flower heads mature it allows them to set seed for next year’s growth.

Verges rich in native wildflowers support more wildlife, are more resilient to environmental change, enhance ecological connectivity between sites and provide better ecosystems for pollinators.

Wildflower species tend to grow better in nutrient poor soil.  By taking away the cuttings, the aim is to reduce the fertility of the soil to give less vigorous species such as Oxeye Daisy, birds foot trefoil, orchids, and cowslip a chance against the grasses and cow parsley. As the verges are left to develop, we will be monitoring the species of plants that take over.

Cutting the verges less will also help achieve our goal to reduce CO2 output and reduce our impact on climate change.

The verges will still be cut back regularly at road junctions and a 1 metre strip along the roadside to make sure that the sight lines are clear.

More information and further reading

Read a highways verges management pilot project in the Malvern Hills

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the play area safe?

The play area has been designed to comply with BSEN 1176/1177 and has been inspected and approved by ROSPA

Why isn’t the play area fenced?

The Play Advisory Service advise that fences are not automatically required unless there is a hazard such as a busy road within 5 to 10 metres. As examples, the play areas at Gheluvelt Park and Cripplegate Park in Worcester aren't fenced off from their wider park areas.

Is it accessible for children with disabilities?

Many children with disabilities are able to access the play area. The play area features lower level apparatus, crawling tunnels and sensory planting.

All entrances into the park have gradients steeper than 1:20 which is the recommended gradient for wheelchair access. As the park is on a slope we are unable to alter this so the play area will never be fully accessible.

We have also awarded ARCOS (Association for the Rehabilitation of Communication and Oral Skills) a Section 106 grant in November 2021 to support their extension of their SMILE Project.

The project will see the renovation of its outside space so it is safe and practical for children with special needs to use. It will include an all-weather outdoor therapeutic area with play equipment, a sensory and horticultural area and a community café.

The new outdoor space will provide children with an improved learning and sensory experience, helping increase communication skills, physical wellbeing, confidence, and social interaction, which will enhance their overall well-being and mental health

The aim is for the project to be complete in 2022. More information to come. Visit the ARCOS website.

Why is there an open pond and stream with no barriers?

The pond and stream have always attracted children. We have removed the overgrown vegetation to open up the area and increase visibility. Warning signage has been installed in accordance with ROSPA’s recommendation.

Why isn’t the play area suitable for toddlers?

The play area has been designed for children between the ages of 3 and 12 although most of it can be used by younger children with adequate parental supervision.

Why aren’t there more benches?

 We will review the provision of benches in the park

Why isn't there a splash pad?

The environmental effects of a splash pad are extremely high, since they require water to be chemically treated and constantly pumped round, then filtered before disposal. Maintenance requirements are also high, especially when there is a high chance of detritus from trees blocking the water channels. Those factors, plus the high costs of installation, for only a few months potential use each year made a splashpad a bad idea.

Are dogs allowed in the play area?

Dogs are not allowed inside the play area. Dogs must be on a lead in the park and owners should clean up after them. There is a Dog Control Public Space Protection Order in place.

Welcome to our first Malvern Hills District Sport & Leisure Strategy, entitled Active Communities Malvern Hills District – A Vision for the Future.

This strategy defines how the council will support sport and leisure provision in the future.

It has been developed within the context of the council being committed to improving the quality of life for all of our communities, within an environment of change and financial constraint.

The strategy identifies key priorities for the council in the future, through its new ‘deal' with the community and a clear three pronged policy position on what we will continue to do, what we will support and enable others to do and what we will no longer do.

The report comprises of a Headline Strategy which provides the concise strategic overview of the strategy and an additional 11 chapters, which provide a full comprehensive review.

Click on the following links to download each section of the report:

• pdf Headline Strategy (1.00 MB)        
• pdf Chapter 7: (2.06 MB) Current sport and leisure provision 
• pdf Chapter 8 (1.15 MB) : Consultation findings   
• pdf Chapter 9: (1.17 MB) What sport and leisure provision does Malvern Hills need?  
• pdf Chapter 10: (1.03 MB) Current good practice and case studies across the district   
• pdf Chapter 11: (994 KB) Active communities Malvern Hills district – a vision for the future
• pdf Chapter 12: (1.31 MB) Existing built leisure provision currently being supported by Malvern Hills District Council
• pdf Chapter 13: (798 KB) Specific development opportunities in Malvern Hills district
• pdf Chapter 14: (3.54 MB) Tenbury Swimming Pool need assessment
• pdf Chapter 15: (2.50 MB) Malvern Splash Leisure Complex health and fitness and soft play need assessment
• pdf Chapter 16: (1.09 MB) Malvern Hills District Council's leisure procurement strategy
• pdf Chapter 17 (965 KB) : Action Plan 

Priory Park is close to Great Malvern Town Centre next to the historic Malvern Theatres. Visitors can also enjoy splendid views of the Malvern Hills from the park.

Every year the park hosts a variety of events including live music, outdoor cinema and festivals attracting people from near and far.

The park also includes a children's play area, a Victorian bandstand and duck pond.

The park started out as the grounds of Priory Mansion which was built by Alfred Miles Speer and completed in 1877. He bought at auction for  £4,500 what is now Priory Park and Swan Pool.

The current plan of the park has changed little from the original layout of the pleasure gardens associated with Priory Mansion. Many of the paths still follow their original routes and a large proportion of the trees date from the Victorian era.

Malvern Splash Leisure Centre, which is based at the entrance off Priory Road, was built in 1988 replacing an open air swimming pool. It has recently had a £2million revamp including a new flume and water play features.

Use the links below to find the information you need:

• Revamped Play Area
• Lower and Upper Pond Works
• Priory Park Improvement Plan
• Friends of Priory Park
• How to find us

Revamped Play Area

We worked with specialist play equipment company, Flights of Fantasy, on the design which is unique and eco-friendly, along with Avery Landscapes Limited, who are the main contractor for the project.

The play area uses sustainable timber, planting and materials to give a natural and rustic feel, while also allowing for a range of play.

Children can climb on natural boulders, crawl through hobbit holes, hide in a hollow tree trunk, walk across a rope bridge, swing on a basket swing and even meet a giant dragonfly.

Read our Play Area Frequently Asked Questions for more information.

Lower and Upper Pond Works

The lower pond in Priory Park was drained and desilted for the first time in over 30 years.

The works, which took place between February and May 2022, formed part of the council's Five Year Plan to improve the park's play area and biodiversity enhancements in the popular Great Malvern park.

Desilting enables the pond to start capturing carbon again and provide the right environment for plants to grow.

In addition to desilting, the project also included:

• Specialist fish removal prior to draining.
• Installation of gabion baskets to create planting shelves.
• Wetland planting to create habitat for aquatic invertebrates and insects.
• Tree works to reduce overshading and leaf litter accumulation.
• Installation of wildlife features including kingfisher perch and habitat log piles.
• Non-native shrub thinning or removal and re-planting with native.
• Shrubs and woodland bulb planting.

Priory Park Improvement Plan

We are passionate about Priory Park and we know how much our visitors and residents value it. That’s why we have an improvement plan in place to make your visit even more enjoyable. Sign up to our Latest News email alerts to keep up to date with the developments.

We have already:

• Installed recycling bins to help you keep the park clean and tidy and support our planet
• Refurbished and repaired the shelters by the duck pond
• Resurfaced and repaired paths around the park
• Planted new wild flowers to improve biodiversity
• Desilted the upper pond and carried out repairs to improve water quality.
• Desilted and enhanced the lower pond ( document read more about the lower pond plans (105 KB) ). 
• Replaced the play area (read our frequently asked questions).

We will:

• Install bird and bat boxes to support wildlife
• Carry out general decoration and repair work
• Put in new welcome signs

Friends of Priory Park

We have a wonderful group of volunteers that support the work done by our grounds maintenance staff, to help keep Priory Park looking beautiful.

The Friends of Priory Park (FOPP) group carry out activities including litter picking, weeding, planting bulbs and creating insect habitats. They also discuss and offer feedback on ideas to improve the park.

If you would like to join the group email them at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

How to find us

If you're visiting Priory Park then you can find us at: Priory Park, Malvern, WR14 3DR.