Colwall

Colwall lies on the western slopes of the Malvern
Hills, near the market town of Ledbury. The large village
comprises Colwall Stone, Upper Colwall and Colwall Green. On the Herefordshire
Beacon, in the south-eastern corner of the parish, is the Iron Age 'British
Camp'. At the
time of Domesday Book the bishop of Hereford's manor covered the whole parish,
but shortly afterwards Barton Colwall manor was created
to endow a prebend in the cathedral. Between the 15th and 17th centuries
resident gentry established themselves on other estates, which came to
characterise the pattern of landownership.

Until the 19th century Colwall's economy was
predominantly agricultural, including cultivation of orchards and hops. From
the mid 19th century the northern part of the parish was transformed by the
development of the spa at neighbouring Malvern, and by the arrival of the
railway in 1861, following the construction of
tunnels under the Malvern Hills by local engineer Stephen Ballard. Mineral water
from Colwall springs was bottled commercially, and in 1892 Schweppes opened a
bottling plant at Colwall Stone. Colwall's rural location, natural springs and
beautiful scenery attracted visitors to the numerous inns, hotels and boarding
houses. Others settled in the parish, occupying new houses including notable
arts and crafts villas. In
the 21st century the parish continues to attract both visitors and new
residents.