The Dell House was built in 1820 on the foundations of
a very much older house. Originally called “The
Dell”, it became the first Rectory of Malvern
Wells on the completion of St Peter’s Church in 1836.
When the Rev Francis Hopkinson became Rector in the 1860s
he refurbished the house in the fashionable Gothic style
by building the Tower, Atrium entrance, Smoking Room and
Servants Wing, giving the frontage its unique appearance.
His work also includes the carved stone Font in the Atrium,
the ceiling map, poetry and heraldry in the highly decorated
Victorian Summer House by the front gates and the outside
doorstep of his Smoking Room which bid his visitors Salve (welcome)
and Vale (farewell).
The house remained in his
family until the mid 1930s when it became “The Dell
Hydro Hotel” for the famous Malvern Water Cure. The
brochure of the day described The Dell as having “ …..beautiful
gardens and grounds …. Glorious air; wonderful
views; perfect seclusion. Only the song of the birds
is heard. A charming place of comfort and healing……..” .
The Dell House is still a haven
of peace and quiet in the 21st Century!
