Are our hills good for our health?
Many years ago, I came across the old saying, "All along the Malvern Hills, a man may live as long as he wills", a reference to the longevity of the population in that area. Their long lives were partly attributed to drinking the local spring water, but were also thought to stem from the hills there. People were constantly walking up and down them, even Malvern's town centre is on an incline.
It would be interesting to know if regularly tackling Nailsworth's hills - the Ladder, SpringHill, Fountain Street and so on - has the same effect. Perhaps living in a sloped place has health-giving properties, at least for those who walk and cycle around rather than using a car. It would be nice to think so.
