“MALVHINA” 1997-1998
Rose Garrard had moved her studio from London to West Malvern in 1995, two years before undertaking a two-month long Artist’s Residency here and in 1997 she then began work on a small commission from the Malvern Hills District Council (MHDC) for a new drinking spout, the first sculpture on the first site of Belle Vue Island as part of “The Spring Water Arts Project”.
This public drinking spout brought spring water back to the town centre for the first time in at least forty years - from Happy Valley, Rushey Valley and Ivy Scar Rock on the hills above. The design of the female figure, sculpted in stone and bronze, has a triple theme incorporating elements representing the three springs that supply the spout, the three roads that meet here and the three most important periods in Malvern`s history, - the ancient Celtic origins, the coming of Christianity and the growth of the town in Victorian times. In a Newspaper poll, a local resident suggested the spout should be called 'Malvhina' after a Gaelic princess that Dr Charles Grindrod, a Victorian ‘water-curist’, writer and historian, had connected with the naming of Malvern. West Midlands Arts and MHDC funded the commission and Councillor Pat Raven unveiled the spout on 4th September 1998. As part of the May Day Festival, Malvhina was Well Dressed for the first time in 1999.
'Malvhina' can be found on Belle Vue Island, Great Malvern below the uppermost steps. Many people only fill small bottles of water here, as parking close by is usually difficult. To meet current Environmental Health regulations, the supply of pure spring water to this new public spout is passed through U.V. filters to doubly ensure it is safe to drink.