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About the Commons

The "personality" of an area of Britain , or indeed of the world, is the result of four main factors in combination. These are; Geology, Geographical situation on the globe, climate and human history. These factors are all related, and by their interaction, create the unique nature of a particular place. The Malvern Hills and Commons provide a good example.

The geology, for instance, of this area, has had an influence in the following ways. The hard igneous rocks of the hills is formed from cooked down magma, so does not have strata, or layer, like the Cotswolds, and is almost impossible to use for dry stone walls. In fact, because it is useless for carving or shaping, and will not break to give two faces at right angles to each other, it has led to a style of building where the doors and gateways have to be built from brick or imported stone, the walls themselves are of random block jig-saw like construction, and the tops of the garden walls etc. Have a cement fillet set with jagged lumps sticking up like broken teeth! Also because of the rocks hard nature, it was used for road stone, and now there are old quarries all along the hills, - a reminder of an industrial past.

During the last Ice Age the hills peaks stuck up through the ice, and were shattered by frosts. The resulting gravels and clays were washed down from the flanks, and formed a layer of poor stony soils, which helped the region survive as hunting forest and commons. Those parts of Castlemorton Common to the west of the B4208, and west of the soccer pitch at Hollybed, show lots of depressions, where commoners in the past dug the gravels for various uses. Now they provide excellent varied habitats for wildlife. The area to the east of the B4208, and either side of the upper Gullet road, are still fairly clear from ant hills and scrub. This is a result of ploughing for temporary crops in the last war, whilst the gravel diggings were left, as being too rough. It is interesting how long the effect of man can last on the ground.

The other obvious effect of geology is the growth of Malvern as a Spa town. The hills are made of rock that do not dissolve, but give very pure water, and their fissured nature gives rise to a large number of springs. Thus we can see how geology and human history are much related. Incidentally, imagine how different it would be if this area was in the middle of a big coalfield where would the rural calm be then?

The only place where sedimentary rock is available is on the upper part of the common at Coombe Green, where the grey Arden sandstone is near the surface. Here is an area of small, deepish pits, which is where, in the Iron Age, stone was gained to build the revetments at the entrance to the hill fort on Midsummer hill! These workings were used into the last century by local people for walls and barns, as can easily be seen down the minor road almost opposite.

The importance of the geographical situation is easily understood if we imagine our area being at the Equator, or the South Pole, as it influences climate as well. Britain is washed by the Gulf Stream, so is kept warmer in the winter, (we are at the same latitudes as Labrador!), and kept cooler in the summer like bathing your feet in the sea, which means we do not have huge ranges of temperature. The prevailing wind is from the south west, which also gives a moderating effect. Also because it blows over the Atlantic , the southwest wind keep us well supplied with rain. The fact that our particular area is east of Wales means that we don't get too much, the mountains act like a partial rain barrier, but we get more than East Anglia , which is further away from the supply.

There is even a marked difference between the mini-climates of the hill tops and the commons. Rain, mist, and snow can occur at higher levels in complete contrast to the weather on the commons lower down. It is these hill conditions to some degree that keep the streams fed, and enable boggy areas to develop.

The Malvern Hills and commons are at a geological crossroads, on the border of highland Britain . To the west is Wales , with mountains and moors and to the east, the waves of sedimentary ridges which form Lowland Britain, (the next land in this direction to reach the height of the Malvern Hills is in the Urals!). The Severn Valley provides a corridor of warmth from the south, - one reason why mistletoe is found here, and to the north is the Midland Plain, which allows cold wind to reach us from time to time.

All these things have helped to create the diversity of flora which exists on the commons, and why a large part is a designated SSSI, or Site of Special Scientific Interest.

Another fact to consider is that the commons have been grazed for hundreds of years and that grazing has helped shape their ecology, by encouraging some species, and by controlling others. The many inter-relationships mentioned above have, over time created many special niches, which has allowed some very special plants to survive here. Similarly there are many types of insects which depend on particular plants, so the more varied the plant life, the more variety of insects live here also. In this way many complex ecosystems arise. For example, the spoil heaps from gravel digging to the east of the soccer pitch mentioned before, provides easy digging for rabbits, especially as this area is relatively dry, not crossed by streams. The rabbit graze the common to a turf, which encourages particular plants, and nest holed for wheatears to investigate, whilst they themselves provides food for foxes and buzzards. In many parts of the undisturbed common, anthills provides little islands of well drained soil where other special plants can grow, as well as being feeding stations for green woodpeckers!

Now the hills and commons are looked after by the Malvern Hills Conservators (except for Coombe Green), and they make strenuous efforts to preserve the special diversity of the area, for future generations to enjoy.

The sections following this introduction give more details of the geology, wildlife, and history of the commons under separate headings, and a map to show the places of interest.

Med Snookes February 2008