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ON-LINE GUIDE TO WORCESTERSHIRE
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This brief guide provides
summary information on towns, villages and places to visit
in Worcestershire as well as some interesting facts and
anecdotes on the local area. To find a specific place either
scroll down the page or use the find facility on your
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The southern part of Worcestershire is dominated by the spectacular ridge of
the Malvern Hills in the west, which provides excellent walking country along with
breathtaking views, and the Vale of Evesham in the east,
an attractive area with charming towns and
villages built of the warm Cotswold stone. Most of
the county's industry is centred in the northern
part, where there are numerous examples of
industrial archaeology to interest the historian. Canals
here were once as important as roads and the area around Kidderminster and Redditch
is dominated by three such waterways: the Worcester & Birmingham Canal,
the Staffordshire & Worcester Canal and the Droitwich Canal. The arrival of the railways
saw a rapid decline in water transport and,
although this network is now much smaller than it was,
the Severn Valley Railway, from Kidderminster to Bridgnorth, has survived and flourishes today
as people flock here to relive the days of steam travel.
Between these two very different sections of Worcestershire lies the county town
of Worcester, an ancient place that is well known for its glorious cathedral and as being the
home of Royal Worcester porcelain. It was near
here that one of Britain's greatest composers, Sir Edward Elgar, was born.
Worcester
Situated on the River Severn, Worcester is a bustling
county capital that is dominated by its
Cathedral. Built by St Wulstan, the only English bishop
not replaced by a Norman following the Conquest, the Cathedral,
with its 200 feet tower and 11th century crypt, is a magnificent example
of classic medieval architecture. One of the many tombs here is that
of King John, adorned with a fine sculpture showing the King
flanked by Bishops Oswald and Wulstan; outside is a statue of Sir
Edward Elgar, who was born at nearby Lower Broadheath.
Right in the centre of the city stands a wonderful survivor
from the past - Greyfriars, a medieval house with a pretty walled garden.
By contrast, the imposing Guildhall is a marvellous
example of Queen Anne architecture that was designed by a local
man, Thomas White. At the City Museum and Art
Gallery there are displays of contemporary art
and archaeology, a 19th century chemist's
shop and the military collections of the Worcestershire Regiment
and the Worcestershire Yeomanry Cavalry. The history of the city
and its people is explored at the Museum of Local
Life.
During the Civil War the Battle of Worcester was fought in
1651 and the Commandery, a stunning complex of buildings behind
a small timber-framed entrance, was used as the Royalist headquarters.
Now the Commandery Civil War Centre is home to a series
of period rooms that offer a fascinating glimpse of
the architecture and style of Tudor and Stuart times while also acting as
the country's only museum devoted to the story of the Civil War.
With charming old buildings, a splendid cathedral,
interesting museums and a compact National Hunt
Racecourse, Worcester certainly has much to offer
visitors, but no trip to the city would be complete without a visit to
the Royal Worcester Porcelain Visitor Centre. Royal Worcester
is Britain's oldest continuous producer of porcelain and the factory
was founded in 1751 by Dr John Wall, who intended to create "a ware
of a form so precise as to be easily distinguished from other
English porcelain." Just to the southeast is
Worcester Woods Country Park, a glorious place with ancient
oak woodland, wildflower meadows and waymarked trails.
To the south of Worcester lies Powick
Bridge, the scene of the first and last battles in the
Civil War - the last, in 1651, ending
with Charles II hiding in the Boscobel Oak before
journeying south to nine year's exile in France.
It was at Lower Broadheath, just to the west of Worcester,
that Edward Elgar was born in 1857, and, although he spent
long periods away from the village, it remained his spiritual home.
There are various Elgar Trails to follow, and the
Elgar Birthplace Museum is housed in a
redbrick cottage.
Around Worcester
Malvern
7½ miles S of Worcester on the A449
Best known for its porcelain, annual music and drama
festivals, Malvern water and Morgan cars, Malvern, beneath the
northeastern slopes of the Malvern Hills, was
a quiet and little known place with a priory at its centre before
the discovery of its spring waters started its growth. The hotels,
baths and pump room were built in the early 19th century and the
arrival of the railway provided easier access. The station is one of
the many charming Victorian buildings, and a Regency cottage houses
one source of the spring waters, St Anne's
Well, where visitors can still sample the waters.
The centre of the town is dominated by a much
older building, the priory Church of St Mary and St
Michael, whose east and west windows (gifts
from Henry VII and Richard III
respectively) contain a wonderful collection of stained glass.
Outside, in the churchyard, are some interesting graves
including that of Jenny Lind, the `Swedish Nightingale', who was born
in Stockholm in 1820 but who died in Malvern while on a summer
retreat in 1887. The 14th century Abbey Gateway still remains, now
the home of the Malvern Museum. The town's heritage as
an agricultural and market centre has not been lost, as close by is
the permanent site of the Three Counties
Show, one of the country's premier
agricultural shows.
Great Malvern is the largest of the six settlements that make
up the Malverns. To the south lies Little
Malvern, where a simple headstone in the churchyard
marks the grave of Sir Edward Elgar and his wife Caroline. In
the churchyard at West Malvern is the grave of Peter Mark Roget
of Thesaurus fame.
Upton-on-Severn
9 miles S of Worcester on the A4104
As one of the few bridging points on the River Severn, this
unspoilt town was a Roman station and an important medieval port. It
also played a role in the Civil War when in 1651 Charles sent a force
to Upton to destroy the bridge; but after a long and bloody struggle
the King's troops were defeated and Cromwell's men regained the town.
The Tudor House contains a museum of Upton past
and present, and the 16th century
White Lion Hotel was the setting for some of the scenes in
Henry Fielding's novel Tom Jones.
Northeast of Upton, close to Earls
Croome, lies Croome Landscape Park, which
was Capability Brown's first complete landscape commission.
Alfrick
6½ miles W of Worcester off the A44
The village church's claim to fame is that Charles Dodgson
(better known as Lewis Carroll) once preached here but, today, it
is nature lovers who are drawn to this charming village. To the
northwest lies Ravenshill Woodland Nature
Reserve where waymarked trails lead through woodland that is
home to many breeding birds while, to the south, is Knapp and
Papermill Nature Reserve, whose woodland and meadow are rich in flora
and fauna.
To the east is the spectacular valley of Leigh
Brook, a tributary of the River Teme, which winds
its way through glorious countryside, and in the village of Leigh, in
the grounds of Leigh Court, stands a massive 14th century
Tithe Barn with great cruck beams and wagon doors.
Evesham
This bustling market town lies at the centre of the Vale of
Evesham, an area that has long been known as the Garden of England as
it produces a prolific harvest of soft fruits, apples, plums and
salad vegetables. The Blossom Trail,
which starts in the town, is a popular outing, particularly
when the fruit trees are in blossom, and the waymarked trail follows a
route from the town's High Street to Greenhill, where the Battle
of Evesham took place.
At this point, the River Avon meanders in a loop around
the town and Abbey Park is an excellent place for a riverside
stroll although all that remains of the Abbey, which was built in
around AD700 by Egwin, Bishop of Worcester, is the magnificent
bell tower and the home of the Abbey Almoner that dates from
around 1400. At the Almonry Heritage Centre, visitors can view a
unique collection of artefacts that include displays showing the history of
the Abbey and the defeat of Simon de Montford at the Battle of
Evesham in 1265. He was buried by the high altar, and a stone marking the
site was unveiled by the Speaker of the House of Commons in 1965,
the 700th anniversary of his death.
Around Evesham
Inkberrow
9 miles N of Evesham on the A422
William Shakespeare stayed at the village inn, the
Old Bull, in 1582, and it later won fame as the
original of The Bull at Ambridge, the home of The
Archers. Another handsome building in the village, the
18th century Old Vicarage, played host, in an earlier guise, to Charles
I, while he was on his way to Naseby. Some maps that he left behind
are now kept in the church.
Middle Littleton
4 miles NE of Evesham off the B4085
Situated close to the River Avon along with the other Littletons
- North and South - this village is home to a huge
Tithe Barn that dates from the 13th century
and that was once the property of the Abbots of Evesham; it is still in
use as a farm building. Just to the north, in an area of
fertile limestone, is Windmill Hill Nature
Reserve while, to the southeast, near
Honeybourne, is the Domestic Fowl Trust
and Honeybourne Rare Breeds Centre where pure breeds
of poultry, along with rare farm animal breeds, are conserved.
Broadway
5 miles SE of Evesham on the B4632
One of the most beautiful villages in England, this
quintessential Cotswold village has a broad main street that is lined with houses
and cottages built of golden Cotswold stone. It was settled as far back
as 1900 BC, the Romans occupied the hill above Broadway, and the
village was probably re-established after the Battle of Dyrham in AD 557
by conquering Saxons as they advanced on Worcester.
Housed in a picturesque 18th century shop on the High Street
is the Teddy Bear Museum, where visitors of all ages will
be enchanted with the numerous displays. The hall of fame tells
of celebrity bears, including Paddington, Pooh and the three
in the story of Goldilocks, while bears
of all ages and sizes are for sale. Old bears and much-loved dolls
are also lovingly restored here at - where else! - the
St Beartholomew's Hospital.
On top of Broadway Beacon stands Broadway
Tower, a folly that was built by the 6th Earl
of Coventry at the end of the 18th century. Designed by James
Wyatt, the tower now contains various displays and exhibitions, while
the surrounding area is a delightful country park.
Just to the northwest of Broadway, near the village
of Childswickham, is the Barnfield Cider Mill
Museum, where visitors can see a display of
cider-making down the years before sampling cider, perry or one of
the wines produced from local plums and berries.
Bredon
8 miles SW of Evesham on the B4079
The most outstanding building here is undoubtedly
Bredon Barn. This huge 14th century Cotswold
stone barn has a dramatic aisled interior, marvellous beams and two
porches at the wagon entrances.
To the northeast of Bredon lies Bredon Hill that dominates this
area of Worcestershire and around which there are some delightful villages.
Almost circular, this limestone outcrop rises to over 900 feet,
and on the crest of the northern slope are the remains (part of
the earthworks) of the pre-Roman settlement that is known
as Kemerton Camp. At the top is a curious black tower called
Parson's
Folly that was built by a Mr Parson in the 18th century.
Pershore
6 miles NW of Evesham on the A44
This glorious market town, with its fine Georgian architecture,
occupies an attractive location on the banks of the River Avon. Its
crowning glory is undoubtedly its 7th century
Abbey, which combines outstanding examples of both Norman
and Early English architecture. Although only the choir remains
of the original church, it is still a considerable architectural
treasure, and the vaulting in the chancel roof is magnificent.
Pershore Bridge, which is now a favourite picnic spot,
still bears the scars of damage it sustained during the Civil War.
Kidderminster
Standing on the banks of the River
Stour, Kidderminster is known chiefly as a centre of the
carpet-making industry that began here as a
cottage industry in the early 18th century. The introduction of the power
loom instigated the move to a more industrialised method and carpet
mills were built - the enormous chimneys still dominate the skyline.
The industry also brought wealth to the town and surrounding area and this
is reflected in the size of St Mary's Church, the largest parish church
in the county, which stands on a hill overlooking Kidderminster.
Outside the Town Hall is a statue to Kidderminster's best known
son, Rowland Hill, a teacher, educationalist and inventor who founded
the modern postal system and introduced the penny post.
The Severn Valley Railway runs from Kidderminster to
Bridgnorth, in Shropshire, and at the town's station is the
Kidderminster Railway Museum, where a
splendid collection of railway memorabilia can be seen in an
old Great Western Railway grain store.
Around Kidderminster
Hagley
6 miles NE of Kidderminster on the A456
In 1756, George, 1st Lord
Lyttleton, commissioned the creation of what was to be the
last great Palladian mansion in Britain, Hagley
Hall, an imposing building with a restored rococo interior.
In the surrounding parkland, there are temples, cascading pools and
a ruined castle along with a large herd of deer.
Just to the southeast of Hagley lie the Clent
Hills, an immensely popular area for walking
and enjoying the panoramic views. On the top of the hills are four
upright stones that look as if they could be a work of modern art - in fact,
they were erected over 200 years ago by Lord Lyttleton.
Bromsgrove
8½ miles SE of Kidderminster on the A448
Along with some very handsome timber-framed buildings in the
High Street, there stands a statue of AE Housman,
Bromsgrove's most famous son.
Close to the town centre is the Bromsgrove
Museum where there are displays of local
crafts and industry, including the Bromsgrove Guild, an
organisation of craftsmen that was founded in 1894. The skilled craftsmen of
this guild designed and made the gates and railings of Buckingham Palace.
Two popular annual events are held here: the Music
Festival, which hosts a wide range of musical entertainment
from orchestral concerts to jazz, and the Court
Leet, the ancient form of local administration whose
annual colourful procession has been revived.
Just northeast of Bromsgrove near the village of
Burcot is the notorious Lickey
Incline. This stretch of railway is, at 1 in
37.7, the steepest gradient in the whole of Britain's rail network.
One especially powerful locomotive, No. 58100, `Big Bertha', the
Lickey Banker, spent its days up until the late 1950s helping trains up
the bank, a task that was later performed by massive
double-boilered locomotives that were the most powerful in the whole
BR fleet. The steepness of the climb is due to the same
geographical feature that necessitated the construction of the unique flight
of locks at Tardebigge (to the southeast of Bromsgrove),
where in the space of 2½ miles the canal is lifted by no fewer than 30 locks.
To the south of Bromsgrove is the Avoncraft Museum
of Historic Buildings that takes visitors on a walk through
seven centuries of English history and where each building provides
a snapshot of life in its particular period. Behind the museum's
shop is another unique attraction, the BT National Telephone
Kiosk Collection.
Redditch
14½ miles SE of Kidderminster
on the A448
It was along the banks of the River Arrow that the
town's famous needle-making industry was founded. Housed in one of
the historic buildings in the beautiful valley is the
Forge Mill Needle Museum and Bordesley Abbey
Visitor Centre that offers a unique glimpse into a past way of life.
Droitwich
8½ miles SE of Kidderminster on the A38
Salt deposits, a legacy from the time when this area was on the
seabed, were mined here for 2,000 years, and the Romans named it Salinae,
the place of salt. The natural Droitwich brine, which is pumped up from
an underground lake 200 feet below the town, contains about 2½ pounds
of salt per gallon - ten times that of sea water - and it is often likened to
the waters of the Dead Sea. The first brine baths were built here in
the 1830s and by 1876, under the influence of the `Salt King'
John Corbett, Droitwich had developed into a fashionable spa.
Many of the buildings in present day Droitwich
were owned by Corbett, including the Raven Hotel,
but his most remarkable and lasting monument is
undoubtedly Chateau Impney on the eastern side
of the town at Dodderhill. Designed in the style of an
ornate French château by a Frenchman,
Auguste Tronquois, the
house has soaring turrets, a mansard roof and classical
French gardens.
To the east of Droitwich lies Hanbury
Hall, a fine redbrick mansion in William & Mary style.
Along with a splendid collection of porcelain, the interior of the
house is famous for its murals by Sir James Thornhill, who is
perhaps best known for his frescoes in the dome of St Paul's Cathedral.
The surrounding grounds include a formal garden, an orangery and
an 18th century icehouse.
Leading southwestwards from Droitwich, the Droitwich
Canal, which opened in 1771, was built by James Brindley to link the
town with the River Severn at Hawford, where a half-timbered 16th
century dovecote is sited. For some of its short length the canal passes
close to the Salwarpe Valley Nature
Reserve, one of the very few inland sites with salt water,
which makes it ideal for a variety of saltmarsh plants.
Stourport-on-Severn
3½ miles S of Kidderminster on the A451
Situated at the centre of the Worcestershire
waterways, Stourport-on-Severn is a canal town of glorious Georgian buildings
with an intricate network of canal basins. Prosperity and growth came
quickly once the Staffordshire and Worcestershire
Canal had been dug, and although the
commercial trade has now gone the town still prospers, as the barges laden
with coal, timber, iron and grain have given way to pleasure craft.
Just to the east of the town lies Hartlebury
Castle, a historic sandstone castle that was
once owned by the Bishops of Worcester and was used as a prison
for captured Royalist troops during the Civil War. It now houses
the Worcester County Museum.
Great Witley
8½ miles SW of Kidderminster on the A443
This village is home to two remarkable buildings. Once one
of the largest houses in Europe, Witley
Court was a palatial mansion that was funded by
the riches of the Dudley family but, following a devastating fire in
1937, the shell stood neglected for many years. The ruins have been
made safe and accessible and along with the massive Poseidon and
Flora fountains inspired by Bernini's fountains in Rome, they are a
sight not to be missed. Adjacent to these haunting ruins is
St Michael's Church, whose rather nondescript exterior does
nothing to prepare visitors for the spectacularly flamboyant
Baroque interior: stained glass by Joshua Price, plasterwork by
Bagutti, canvas ceiling paintings by Bellucci.
Bewdley
3 miles W of Kidderminster on the B4190
Situated on the western bank of the River Severn and linked to
its suburb, Wribbenhall, by a fine Thomas Telford bridge,
Bewdley was once a flourishing port but it lost some of its importance
when the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal was opened. It has now
won
fame with another form of transport, the Severn
Valley Railway, which operates a full service of trains hauled by a
variety of steam locomotives. Running from Kidderminster to
Bridgnorth, the home of the railway since 1965, the route takes in several
scenic attractions including the Wyre Forest and the
Severn Valley Country Park and Nature
Reserve. There are six stations along the track,
each of them an architectural delight.
The Bewdley Museum contains exhibitions that
are themed around the River Severn and the Wyre Forest and
depicts local crafts such as charcoal burning, coopering and
brass making. The town was the birthplace of Stanley Baldwin,
Earl Baldwin of Bewdley, who was Prime Minister in 1923-1924,
1924-1929 and 1935-1937. He died at his home, Astley Hall (5 miles south
of Kidderminster), opposite which is a memorial stone inscribed
`Thrice Prime Minister'. His ashes lie with those of his wife in the nave
of Worcester Cathedral.
The Forestry Commission's Wyre Forest covers a vast area
to the west and northwest of Bewdley and extending into Shropshire.
The Wyre Forest Visitor Centre, just west of Bewdley,
contains information on the forest, and the nearby Discovery Centre offers
a wide range of holiday activities and educational programmes.
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