MALL-vern (American pronunciation of mall)

England

West Midlands

Warwickshire

Solihull

52.40926

-1.76689

1690 core w/18th and 19th century alterations

Partially Extant

House reduced in size circa 1896

Grade II*

Not Listed

No

By Appointment

01217-051-265

School

School

Today Saint Martin's School (since 1989), formerly the Malvern Hall School (1970s-89), and Solihull High School for Girls (1931-70s).

Humphrey Greswold, 17th century. Henry Greswold Lewis, 18th-19th centuries. Edmund Wigley, 19th century. David Troman, 1896-1915. Horace Brueton, 1915-26.

Humphrey Greswold

Malvern was the seat of Henry Greswold(e) Lewis (1754-1829), who, after inheriting, commissioned John Soane for additions (before Soane's work Malvern was a seven-bay house with a central pediment). Soane added a shallow porch with Ionic columns, and wings, among other changes. Later, Lewis swept away Soane's work and carried out further alterations. Lewis was also a patron of Constable and commissioned several works from the artist over a period of 20 years. Constable was at Malvern in 1809 and again in 1820, when he painted several versions of the House. It appears that Constable painted three views of Malvern Hall as a result of his 1820-21 visit -- all similar. One is in the collection of the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute in Williamstown, Massachusetts; the second is at the Yale Center for British Art, New Haven, Connecticut; and the third is at the Musée de Tesse, Le Mans, France. The Clark painting, which was commissioned as a topographical record of the House and its setting, remained in the family until the early 20th century. After passing through a number of private owners, in 1926 Horace Brueton, who had owned Malvern since 1915, sold the Hall to Solihull’s Rural District Council. In one form or another, Malvern Hall has been a school since 1931. In 1989 Saint Martin’s School purchased Malvern; the Hall is now their main administrative building.

In 1926 agricultural land northwest of the House was purchased by the local Council and turned into the public Malvern Park. In 1944 part of the House's southeastern parkland was given to the town by Horace Brueton, creating the public Brueton Park. In 1963 the two public parks were linked.