Past SWAG Visits

Peter Price Memorial Walk: Guarlford
Walk led by Deborah Overton of WHEAS
19th April 2009

map and satellite photograph

Our walk around Guarlford began on common land, now owned by The Malvern Hills Conservators. Despite being termed common land, it is generally the rights to use the land which are common, rather than the land being under common ownership. Such rights vary from place to place and may include, for example, the rights to collect fallen wood, collect fodder and/or grazing a specific number of animals.

The walk took us along the route of the Drove road, and it was noted how the area currently metalled occupies only a small proportion of the width of the road. Drove roads are time-honoured routes for the herding of cattle and other animals from their grazing grounds to market, the routes often crossing rugged ground in order to avoid toll roads and chosen to ensure sufficient sources of food and water to ensure the livestock arrived at market in good condition.

Leaving the drove road, we followed a footpath in a southerly direction, noting clay pits nearby. Marked on the 1st Edition OS map and possibly centuries old, the pits were dug either to provide marl to improve the quality of local land or to extract clay for brick making. Continuing along the path, ancient hedgerows were also noted and Deborah explained how double hedgerows often marked parish boundaries, the gap between them being used for 'walking the bounds'. Hedges were planted in profusion as the Parliamentary enclosure acts were passed in the 18th and 19th centuries and between 1702 and 1844, some 200,000 miles of hedges enclosed 6,000,000 acres of land. To the right, we saw the covered remains of the old Malvern sewage works, which are marked on the 1887 OS map but are now replaced by a modern establishment close by.

	Left: Deb Overton drawing attention to the remains of the former sewage farm. ©2009 Bob Ruffle. Below: Approaching Wood Street, at the top of the hill (possible Roman road/saltway/Saxon estate boundary). ©2009 Bob Ruffle.

Crossing a watercourse and climbing a steep slope, our route joined Wood Street, a road believed to be Roman in origin and once a saltway used by packhorses from Droitwich, running from the river crossing at Clevelode, through Guarlford to Malvern and then on to Herefordshire through the Hills at the Wyche cutting. Wood Street has some unusual trees alongside the track, notably the rarest of British trees, Wild Service Tree (Sorbus) the fruit of which has medicinal properties for problems such as colic and dysentery. Locally the tree was known as 'chequers', possibly for the way the bark peels off to leave a chequerboard effect. In pre-Roman times the tree was widespread and was a good source of charcoal.

	Left: Wood Street. ©2009 Bob Ruffle. Below: Ditch & bank alongside Wood Street, a possible Saxon estate boundary. ©2009 Bob Ruffle.

Leaving the unmetalled path, we saw an unimposing abandoned red brick building to the side of the road. Although locals were not aware of its use at the time, it is now understood to be a World War II listening post for locating the German V2 base at Peenemunde. The four lattice aerials once located around the field together with mobile buildings have long gone.

©2009 Dennis Williams

Deborah concluded the most enjoyable walk with a short history of Guarlford. There is a suggestion of an Iron Age settlement at Guarlford Court but no good evidence; Romano-British farming continued until the 4th century before the area went into decline. Prosperity returned during the mediaeval period when Guarlford was within the Malvern Chase owned in 1290 by Gilbert de Clare, the "red" Earl of Gloucester. Malvern Priory owned some land which in 1541 at the dissolution was granted for life to Richard Berde.

The above is an edited version of the full report written by Mike Ellison and Hilary Burton for the SWAG June 2009 newsletter (no. 108).

Grateful thanks to Deborah Overton of WHEAS for taking our party round.

Further information

• Malvern Hills Conservators
• WHEAS - Worcestershire Historic Environment and Archaeology Service
• Guarlford
• Guarlford History Project
• The Defence of Worcestershire Project
• Gilbert de Clare - The Red Earl