Malvern Hills

Malvern Hills
Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
Malvern Hills, looking northwest. Upper Welland is visible in the foreground.
Country	England
Counties	Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, Worcestershire
Location	West Midlands, England
- coordinates	52°05′N 2°20′W / 52.083°N 2.333°W / 52.083; -2.333Coordinates: 52°05′N 2°20′W / 52.083°N 2.333°W / 52.083; -2.333
Highest point	Worcestershire Beacon
- elevation	425 m (1,394 ft)
Length	13 km (8 mi), North-south
Area	12 km2 (5 sq mi)
- SSSI	7.32 km2 (3 sq mi)
Biome	Acid grassland
Geology	Igneous, Metamorphic, Pre-Cambrian
Plants	Bracken, gorse, harebell, black poplar
Animals	buzzard, Skylark, dormouse, barbastelle, high brown fritillary butterfly, great crested newt, adder
Founded	1959
Management	Malvern Hills Conservators Malvern Hills AONB Partnership
- location	Great Malvern, Worcestershire
Location of the Malvern Hills AONB in the UK

The Malvern Hills are a range of hills in the English counties of Worcestershire, Herefordshire and a small area of northern Gloucestershire, dominating the surrounding countryside and the towns and villages of the district of Malvern. The highest summit of the hills affords a panorama of the Severn valley with the hills of Herefordshire and the Welsh mountains, parts of thirteen counties, the Bristol Channel, and the cathedrals of Worcester, Gloucester and Hereford.

They are known for their spring water – initially made famous by the region's many holy wells, and later through the development of the 19th-century spa town of Great Malvern, a process which culminated in the production of the modern bottled drinking water.

The Malvern Hills have been designated as a Biological and Geological Site of Special Scientific Interest and as National Character Area 103 by Natural England and an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty by the Countryside Agency (now Natural England). The SSSI notification has 26 units of assessment which cover grassland, woodland and geological sites. The site (The Malvern Hills SSSI (Chase End Hill)) is listed in the 'Forest of Dean Local Plan Review' as a Key Wildlife Site (KWS).

Management of the hills is the responsibility of the Malvern Hills Conservators.

The name Malvern is probably derived from the ancient British moel-bryn, meaning "Bare-Hill", the nearest modern equivalent being the Welsh moelfryn (bald hill). It has been known as Malferna (11th century), Malverne (12th century), and Much Malvern (16th and 17th centuries).