There are many garden rooms at Little Malvern Priory, one of the main themes in relation to the house is the Lakes (ponds). The five ponds were originally Fish Ponds for the monks.

During the major redesign of the gardens in 1983 the lakes were restored to their original levels, and a bridge constructed across the weir at the change in level.*

*From the Little Malvern Court Garden Guide.

The church situated next to Little Malvern Priory is still a house of worship, although now it is Church of England rather than Catholic.

The story of Little Malvern Priory may be said to have started with St. Benedict (A.D. 480-543). He first planted at Subiaco in central Italy the seed from which sprang the Benedictine Order, which spread all over Western Europe, 1′he rule of St. Benedict was brought to England by St. Augustine in A.D. 597 and proof of its influence is to be found in many of our abbeys, cathedrals and monasteries, some now ruined and others still in active use.

Of the monasteries, Little Malvern was one of the smallest, never having more than ten or twelve monks at any one time, but not one of the later ones for it was in existence in the middle of the twelfth century, and its formation date is now generally accepted as 1125. There has been a theory that it was originally founded by two brothers, Jocelyn and Eldred, who came here as hermits from Worcester in 1171, but this theory has been disproved by the records of Bishop Simon of Worcester (1125-1150) which refer to ‘Little Malvern and the Church there situated’ as being ‘one inseparable body with the (church of Worcester’ so that the ‘Prior of Worcester in way of correction’ could ‘remove monks from Little Malvern to Worcester, place monks of Worcester in their room and choose the Prior of Malvern in the Chapter of Worcester’.

It was, however, in 1171, that the Foundation was firmly established, the fact being proved by the fragment of the late Norman work of the nave arcade on the left-hand side of the entrance door. This dependence of Little Malvern upon the Mother-House of Worcester continued uninterrupted until the Dissolution of the Monasteries in the sixteenth century. Very little, however, is known of the place during those early years. In 1282, Bishop Giffard visited the Priory and re-dedicated the Church to St. Mary, St. Giles and St. John the Evangelist, and the discipline of the house seems to have been good until 1323 when Bishop Cobham found it necessary to send the monks a letter condemning various abuses which had crept into the life of the Priory. But the most famous of the Episcopal Visitations was that undertaken by Bishop Alcock in 1480, when he found ‘the great ruin of the Church and place’, and when he discharged the Prior and monks ‘by reasons of their demerits’. According to his own account the ‘builded their Church and put their place of lodging’ into a sufficient state of repair so that the monks were able to return to their Priory in 1482, having spent two years under correction at Gloucester Abbey.

Thereafter so far as is known, life at the restored Priory went on normally until, like other lesser Monasteries, it was dissolved on August 31st, 1534, when the Prior John Bristowe and six monks subscribed to the King’s supremacy. The Priory and its lands were subsequently leased to John Russell of Strensham, near Pershore and later sold to his son, Henry Russell, the stipulations being made that the Choir of the Church should remain for the use of the parishioners, and that ~5 should be paid annually to the Curate. The only part of the Monastic buildings to survive the Dissolution was the eastern portion of the medieval house including The Prior’s Hall, which forms part of Little Malvern Court. The Court still belongs to the Berington family, descendants of Henry Russell by inter-marriage in the eighteenth century who have lived here continually since that time.

As we approached the priory church we heard music from within, which we thought was a church service. Not wanting to intrude we walked away from the path back to our car. In the car park we chatted with a gentleman who wondered if we had been inside the church. We explained why we hadn’t and he informed us that a choral practice was taking place ready for a concert later in the evening. He gathered up some smart clothes from his car and proceeded towards the church.

Little Malvern Court is a 14th century Prior’s Hall once attached to a 12th century Benedictine Priory with Victorian additions. The house, home to the Berington family by descent since the Dissolution of the Monasteries displays paintings and furniture along with a collection of 18th and 19th century and needlework.

Doubtless, the preservation of this notable medieval hall can be ascribed to the fact that since the dissolution of the Monasteries  in the 1530s by order of King Henry VIII, the property has passed by descent from John Russell in the early 16th Century to the Berington family, the present owners.

The Benedictine Priory of Little Malvern was founded by Bishop Simon of Worcester in the first half of the 12th Century. A small monastery (never having more than a dozen monks at any one time), it was subject to the See of Worcester. On his Visitation in 1480, Bishop Alcock of Worcester was most displeased at ‘the great ruin of the church and place’ at Little Malvern. Bishop Alcock set about a major restoration work of the Church and Monastery, having despatched the monks to Gloucester for two years as a punishment. The walls of the Prior’s Hall bear traces of his repair work. *

Our guided tour of Little Malvern Court revealed to us that there was more to its history than the was initially apparent from the advertising literature. We learned that the Russells were a recusant family from Strensham and that the house was a safe place for Catholics that did not wish to renounce their faith in favour of the Church of England.

The house had a resident priest and a secret chapel in the eaves of the house. On our way up to the chapel we were shown black marks on the wooden beams which are thought to be marks warding off evil spirits. We were also shown an access point in the ceiling that could have been an escape route for the priests and worshipers, although it is not known where the exit led to. The chapel is accessed by staircase which is more ladder than stair. From the chapel we were shown where a landing had been cut away. The landing when intact would have connected the chapel to a spiral staircase on the opposite side of the building.

When we returned downstairs we were shown the access to the spiral staircase, which still exists. After looking at the wall I was convinced that there would have been a secret panel in the wall concealing the staircase access.

*From A brief history of Little Malvern Court Worcestershire