Caring for the AONB Land owners and managers – land within the AONB is owned MALVERN The AONB Partnership - Local authorities, by a wide range of individuals and government bodies, parish councils, landowners, groups and managed for many Area of Outstanding communities and voluntary groups are all represented different purposes. These owners The AONB Partnership is on a local AONB Partnership. The AONB Partnership and managers are the primary financially supported by Natural is the only body that has responsibility for the AONB as guardians of the area. Eastnor Natural Beauty , Council, a whole. The Partnership does not own or manage any Estate is the largest landowner County Council, land directly. It was established to support those who do, in the area with 5000 acres. The An introduction Council, and to provide strategic direction and co-ordination for Malvern Hills Conservators County Council the area as a whole. Key roles of the AONB Partnership are the public body charged under and District Council. include: Acts of Parliament (1884 – 1995) The majority of the resources with looking after the Malvern Hills available to the AONB Partnership ● Providing resources to support partner projects that and commons for the conservation come from Central Government conserve and enhance the AONB. of wildlife and the enjoyment of – in recognition of the national ● Helping to secure major sources of external funding the public (see map). The role of importance of the AONB. e.g. almost £1m for the Malverns Heritage Project. the Conservators is different from ● Producing a management plan that sets out a vision the more strategic focus of the Malvern Hills AONB Partnership for the area and a programme for how to conserve AONB Partnership. However, the Malvern Hills AONB Office and enhance its special features. Conservators are represented on Manor House ● Monitoring progress with the implementation of the AONB Partnership and help Grange Road this plan. to steer its work. Both bodies Malvern ● Providing grants to local projects that support have conservation of the natural Worcestershire sustainable development in the area. environment at heart and work WR14 3EY ● Monitoring the changing condition of the AONB. together in pursuit of shared ● Raising awareness and promoting best practise in objectives. Tel: 01684 560616 caring for the area Fax: 01684 577457 [email protected] Website: www.malvernhillsaonb.org.uk

Produced October 2007 What is an Area of Outstanding The area was designated The geology of the an Area of Outstanding AONB is of international Natural Beauty (AONB)? Natural Beauty in 1959. importance, being part of the and An AONB is a nationally designated area whose The AONB covers 105 Malvern Hills European distinctive character and natural beauty is so square kms. It is 20kms Geopark. The area also outstanding that it is in the nation’s interest to long and 9kms at its widest The Malvern Hills AONB contains 41 Regionally safeguard it. point. Important Geological and Geomorphological Sites The primary purpose of AONB designation is to The Malvern Hills (RIGS). conserve and enhance the natural beauty of the area. AONB includes parts ‘Natural beauty’ is taken to include geology, climate, of Herefordshire The AONB contains 15 soils, plants, animals, communities, archaeology, buildings, (58.5% of the AONB), Sites of Special Scientific the people who live in it, past and present, and the Worcestershire (35.8%) Interest including the perceptions of those who visit it. and Gloucestershire largest in the West (5.7%) within its . These sites There are 40 AONBs in England and Wales covering boundaries. account for 10.9% of the approximately 15% of the land area. Other AONBs AONB. in the region include the , , and The AONB includes Hills. almost all of the land The area is famous for its owned and managed water which led The landscapes of AONBs are equal in value to those by the Malvern Hills to the rapid growth of of the National Parks and command the same levels of Conservators. This Malvern in the Victorian planning protection. constitutes 11% of the era. total area of the AONB Almost all public bodies have a legal duty to have regard (see map). Almost 1.25 million people to the purposes of conserving and enhancing the natural visit the area each year. beauty of the AONB. The population of the AONB is estimated to be The AONB has a 12,200 people. rich cultural heritage and contains ancient The AONB landscape is monuments from the highly varied. 10 different to the Medieval landscape character types period. More recently the can be recognised, from Victorians left their mark the flat, sandy estate lands on the area with quarries, in the south to the high carriage drives and gas hills and slopes of the lamps. Malvern Hills themselves. The AONB contains 339 Almost 54% of the AONB listed buildings and 2 listed is permanent grassland Bromesberrow parks and gardens. 'Crown Copyright All rights reserved. with crops and fallow land Worcestershire County Council 100015914' For reference purposes only. accounting for 23%. Just No further copies may be made. over 8% of the area is woodland.

55% of all land holdings in the AONB are used for livestock production.