Lotto aid flows into wells plan

Ten spouts in the town will be fully restored as part of a £250,000 restoration scheme, which has taken four years to finalise.

The ten springs to be refurbished are Lord Sandy's Spout, The Clock Tower, Holly Well, Westminster Bank Spring, St Anne's Well, Jubilee Fountain, Lower Wyche Spout, West Malvern Tap, British Camp Well and Earl Beauchamp's Fountain.

Other spouts and wells will benefit from a facelift, information display boards and walking guides.

Spa Association committee member Rose Garrard said: "We've estimated that about £6,000 to £12,000 will be needed for each of the ten.

"A number of the springs aren't flowing at all, so they will need pipe repairs. Others will get restored lettering on the stonework and some may need a new spout. We want them to be able to last for another 50 years."

However, the money will only be banked by the partnership - which includes Malvern Spa Association, Malvern Hills Area of Outstanding Beauty and Malvern Hills Conservators - once contracts for the work have been checked by Lottery chiefs and Worcestershire County Council.

A manager must also be appointed by the Malvern Hills AONB to oversee the funds.

As part of the Spa Associa-tion's brief to teach local people about the springs, the group held a "wet weekend" to coincide with Malvern May Day festivities.

The association's annual well dressing competition was won by the Friends of Evendine for their 15ft willow dragon decoration of the Evendine Spring in Colwall.

West Malvern Garden and Nature Club came second with their decoration of West Malvern Tap, while Angels of Aquarius were highly commended for their dressing of the Malvinha spring at Belle Vue Island, Malvern.

In fourth place, and winner of the Women's Institute Shield, was the Wells and Wyche WI for Jubilee Fountain in Wells Road.

A water tasting competition was also held. Only eight of the 50 participants could tell the difference between spa water and tap water.