Donkey Spout (Happy Valley)

Climb up St Ann`s Road from Great Malvern to the first corner but continue on straight up the hill following trackway for a few hundred yards. To the left is a pathway leading to houses and above its hairpin bend the spout structure can be seen to the left of the main track, which continues uphill to St Ann`s Delight. The table-like structure over the spout is thought to have originally been a platform for mounting donkeys carrying people to St Ann’s Well. Beneath it was a drinking spout and small donkey trough. The spout, owned by MH Conservators, is easily missed when the undergrowth is dense. This site represents the 19th century local history of donkey rides,which were popularly used to carry children, ladies and the elderly and infirm, up the hills. Here donkeys were watered and donkey-women collected water in pitchers to give to their thirsty clients on their way to St Ann`s Well to take the “Water Cure”. As a child Queen Victoria rode Betty Caley`s donkey called ‘Old Moses’ up here and Victoria Walk was named after her. After this many Malvern donkeys were called Moses to take advantage of the public demand to ride the Queen`s donkey, but it’s said poor Old Moses himself was soon ridden to death. Going downhill again, on the left of the same path, the wooden shed that was one of the many donkey stands still exists and is owned by MH Conservators.