Who is this man and why is he sniffing around Malvern's flowers?

Answer: He's the judge from Britain In Bloom and he's in Malvern to determine whether efforts to make the town even prettier by festooning it with flowers have been a success. Andrea Calvesbert pays a visit

Nestled on the slopes of the Malvern Hills, Great Malvern must surely be one of the most picturesque towns to visit at any time of the year.

But it looked particularly spectacular this summer because residents and traders were paying special attention to their floral displays for its first-ever entry into the national Britain in Bloom competition, organised by the Royal Horticultural Society, which it was decided to enter after the town held successful Malvern In Bloom competitions in recent years.

This year's theme was biodiversity and towns were encouraged to incorporate planting for nature, fruit and vegetable growing alongside the more traditional floral displays. At the time of going to press, Malvern was waiting to hear the results of the regional judging in its Heart of England category after judges toured the town marking the displays.

But even without the flowers, Malvern is impressive. The town was made famous in the 19th century by its spa water and this time of affluence and prestige is evident in the impressive buildings which rub shoulders with modern shop frontages while still managing to retain the elegance of times gone by.

For local shoppers, it is debatable whether Great Malvern is renowned more for its spring water or for the steep climb up Church Street leading to the boutiques, gift shops and art galleries along Belle Vue Terrace.

The walk up, however, is worth it for the view over the top of the priory and for the array of shops and cafs easily missed if you choose to stay at the bottom.

For the really energetic, there are more steps up through the pretty rose gardens leading to St Ann's Well. This is just one place to find an oasis of calm in Great Malvern.

The 900-year-old priory is also a must, and Priory Park, leading from Malvern Theatres to the Splash leisure centre, is also a beautiful spot with its enormous trees, restored bandstand, winding paths and former boating pond -- it's easy to picture it being used by well-to-do Victorian ladies and gentleman.

Take a peek behind Great Malvern's busy exterior and you will find many cultural and artistic events, many at the Malvern Theatres' Edwardian building, which is now one of the country's busiest provincial theatres, attracting top West End names.

Other events to look out over the coming months are English Heritage open days during September, and the Autumn in Malvern festival in October. Contact the Tourist Information Centre for more information.

Even without the flowers, spots such as Church Street, Belle Vue Terrace and Priory Park make Malvern a great place to wander.

Britain in Bloom judge Les Goodman inspects some of the council's window boxes during his inspection.