A NEW lottery funded Heritage Trail has been launched to help people from Tenbury to enjoy the Malvern Hills on their doorstep.

There is a video tribute exploring parts of the trail as well as the chance to experience the route, which stretches from Great Malvern Railway Station, through the town and on to the hills. It includes a series of large information boards which highlight a particular part of Malvern’s heritage, as well as decorative benches representing various characters connected with Malvern, such as Florence Nightingale and CS Lewis. Building plaques and other street artwork have also been installed and a new entranceway to Priory Park created inspired by the hills.The project, funded by a £480,000 grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund, also provided a number of community activities and volunteering opportunities.

Activities delivered over the last three years include room escapes, craft sessions, exhibitions and guided walks. Volunteers have also undertaken research, taken photographs, led workshops and more with people aged from nine months to 93-years-old getting involved. Various guides have also been created to help people of all ages explore and connect with the town’s past.

Katherine Hann, from the Heritage Lottery Fund, said the project had appealed to them because it was different to traditional applications and she praised the community involvement and the lasting legacy the route had created.

The Route to the Hills project has been led by Malvern Hills District Council and nine other organisations.