THE Belle Vue Hotel, whose name can still be seen on the wall above the shops on Belle Vue Terrace, was profiled in the Malvern News 100 years ago.

It is described as "perhaps the oldest of the hotels in the town", probably dating back to the 18th Century. Next door to the hotel was the Crown Inn, later Graefenberg House, where Dr James Wilson practised the water cure, establishing Malvern as a centre for hydrotherapy.

The article went into some detail about the building itself, which it called "a long way from being a modern building".

"At the back, curiosity is aroused by the very narrow, winding passages leading to the pantries and the old tap-room, which latter is now displaying a picture of some of the early Great Western Railway officials; whilst a look over the kitchen, showing prominently its huge beams and great cooking range (said to be capable of satisfying the appetites of 200 persons at a time) further helps one to appreciate the difference between the architecture of long ago and that of today.

"That the Belle Vue Hotel has been substantially built is exemplified by the fact that one of the walls is known to exceed 3ft in thickness. Also at the back of the premises is an unusually large, lofty and comfortable billiard-room, to reach which it is necessary to ascend some steps."

One of the two billiard tables, noted for its "carvings and inlaid wood", was shown at the London Exhibition of 1862 and was owned for a while by Lord Dudley.

At the time of writing, the hotel was owned by Frederick Moerschell, also owner of the Imperial Hotel (now Malvern Girls' College) and a substantial figure in Malvern's civic life.