A TEAROOM which is like a time capsule for the romantic heyday of the railways is to close after nearly 40 years, marking a sad departure for Malvern.

To step inside Lady Foley’s Tearoom on platform one at Great Malvern Station is to be conveyed into the high elegance of the Victorian age - but with all the modern comforts of hearth and home.

Malvern Gazette: GRAND: Lady Foley's Tearoom is in a grand setting within Great Malvern Station GRAND: Lady Foley's Tearoom is in a grand setting within Great Malvern Station (Image: James Connell/Newsquest)

The cafe is named after the landowner Lady Emily Foley, the widow of Squire Foley, who lived at Stoke Edith and was a celebrated benefactor to the Malvern Community with a great influence upon town affairs after her husband's death in 1846.

With its high ceiling, traditional fireplace and vintage decor, the traveller or regular stepping into the cafe could be forgiven for thinking they had stepped into the lounge of a well-to-do Victorian family.

The grade II listed station provides a striking backdrop to the tearoom which features photos of steam trains and films which capture the romance of the railways, including Brief Encounter. 

But there will be more than a few tears at the tearoom later this month. Lady Foley's is on track to close on Halloween (October 31) after 39 years of serving the community, including generations of the same family.

Malvern Gazette: SORROW: Gerald Dawe loves the atmosphere at Lady Foley's Tearoom at Great Malvern Station and said it was a disgrace it had been forced to close SORROW: Gerald Dawe loves the atmosphere at Lady Foley's Tearoom at Great Malvern Station and said it was a disgrace it had been forced to close (Image: James Connell/Newsquest)

Gerald Dawe, a regular for the last five years, only discovered the tearoom was closed when he came in on Tuesday.

The 65-year-old said: "It's an absolute disgrace you're having to close. I love it here. It's got such character and you can make friends here. It's not like a big commercial coffee bar.

"I often come here and have a gossip with Melissa (Baddeley, partner in the business and daughter of the proprietor)." 

Malvern Gazette: CLOSING: Lady Foley's Tea Room at Great Malvern Station CLOSING: Lady Foley's Tea Room at Great Malvern Station (Image: James Connell/Newsquest)

The announcement of the closure comes after a major restoration of the station, including the  Victorian platform canopies.

Overhead glazing was replaced and the ornate ironwork was repainted as part of a £4m investment by Network Rail.

The station was opened by the Worcester and Hereford Railway in 1860 and was awarded Grade II listed building status in 1969.

Malvern Gazette: CHARACTER: Scenes from the classic film Brief Encounter at Lady Foley's Tearoom in the station CHARACTER: Scenes from the classic film Brief Encounter at Lady Foley's Tearoom in the station (Image: James Connell/Newsquest)

Despite being 162 years old, the station has retained many of its original Victorian features – including elaborate cast-iron girders supported by impressive sculptures of floral arrangements.

The plans to close the cafe have been attributed to a number of factors - lack of customers, the knock-on effect of the train strikes, the disruption caused by restoration work to the station by Network Rail, fewer people using trains because of the high price of tickets and the more general impact of the cost of living on household budgets.

Malvern Gazette: HISTORY: The interior of Lady Foley's Tearoom in Malvern HISTORY: The interior of Lady Foley's Tearoom in Malvern (Image: James Connell/Newsquest)

Margaret Baddeley, the proprietor, said: "I feel really sad about it. I'm going to miss it. It has been such a big part of my life.

"It's the people I have met - some lovely, lovely people.

"Of course, we have had our ups and downs running the business. It's time to go now. But I shall miss the people."