Worcestershire
Encyclopedia
Worcestershire is a non-metropolitan county, established in antiquity, located in the West Midlands region
of England
. For Eurostat
purposes it is a NUTS 3 region (code UKG12) and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire" NUTS 2 region
. In 1974 it was merged with the neighbouring county of Herefordshire
to form the county of Hereford and Worcester
; which was divided in 1998, re-establishing Worcestershire once more as an independent entity. Following the 1998 reform, the crest of the Malvern Hills
forms the east–west border between the two counties, with the exception of the parish of West Malvern
in Worcestershire.
The county borders Herefordshire
, Shropshire
, Staffordshire
, West Midlands
, Warwickshire
, and Gloucestershire
. To the west, the county is bordered by the Malvern Hills, and the spa town of Malvern
. The southern part of the county is bordered by Gloucestershire and the northern edge of the Cotswolds
, and to the east is Warwickshire. There are two major rivers flowing through the county, the Severn
and the Avon
.
The cathedral city of Worcester
is the largest settlement and administrative seat of the county, which includes the principal settlements of Bromsgrove
, Stourport-on-Severn
, Droitwich, Evesham
, Kidderminster
, Malvern
, and the largest town, Redditch
, and a number of smaller towns such as Pershore
, Tenbury Wells
, and Upton upon Severn. The northern part of the county includes the beginnings of the vast urban sprawl of the industrial West Midlands
agglomeration, while the remainder and the south of the county is largely rural.
s within Worcestershire. Kidderminster
in the north of the county has had an influx of the Black Country
accent, whereas Bromsgrove
and Redditch
have an accent more closely related to Birmingham
. The rest of the county has retained the distinctive tones of the West Country
accent, typified and made famous by The Archers
, the world's longest running radio soap opera
, set in a fictional county situated somewhere between the (in reality, bordering) counties of Worcestershire and Warwickshire.
from 927 to 1707, it was a separate ealdormanship briefly in the 10th century before forming part of the Earldom of Mercia in the 11th century. In the years leading up to the Norman conquest, the Church, including the cathedral, Evesham Abbey
, Pershore Abbey
, Malvern Priory and other religious houses, increasingly dominated county. The last known Anglo-Saxon sheriff of the county was Cyneweard of Laughern
, and the first Norman sheriff was Urse d'Abetot
who built the castle of Worcester and seized much church land. Worcestershire was the site of the Battle of Evesham
in which Simon de Montfort
was killed on 4 August 1265. In 1642, the site of the Battle of Powick Bridge
the first major skirmish of the English Civil War
, and the Battle of Worcester
in 1651 that effectively ended it.
During the Middle Ages
, much of the county's economy was based on the wool trade, and many areas of its dense forests, such as Malvern Chase
, were royal hunting grounds. In the nineteenth century, Worcester was a centre for the manufacture of gloves; the town of Kidderminster became a centre for carpet manufacture, and Redditch specialised in the manufacture of needles, springs and hooks. Droitwich Spa
, being situated on large deposits of salt, was a centre of salt production from Roman
times, with one one of the principal Roman road
s running through the town. These old industries have since declined, to be replaced by other, more varied light industry. The county is also home to the world's oldest continually published newspaper, the Berrow's Journal
, established in 1690. Malvern
was one of the centres of the 19th century rise in English spa towns due to Malvern water
being believed to be very pure, containing "nothing at all".
known as the Hundreds in 1889, but the continual expansion of Birmingham
and the Black Country
during and after the Industrial Revolution
altered the county map considerably.
and covered the historic traditional county
, except for two designated county boroughs at Dudley
and Worcester. The county also had many exclaves and enclaves, which were areas of land cut off from the main geographical area of Worcestershire and completely surrounded by the nearby counties of Warwickshire, Staffordshire, Gloucestershire, Herefordshire and Oxfordshire
. The most notable were Dudley, Evenlode, and the area around Shipston-on-Stour
. In return, Staffordshire, Warwickshire and Shropshire had their own exclaves within Worcestershire. These were found at Clent
, Tardebigge
and Halesowen
/Oldbury
(or the Halesowen Parish
area) respectively and were transferred to or rejoined Worcestershire in October 1844 following the Counties (Detached Parts) Act 1844
. This Act of Parliament
was designed to eradicate the issue of 'islands' or 'exclaves', however Shipston-on-Stour remained associated with Worcestershire until April 1931 and likewise Dudley until 1966. The southern boundary of the county was also confusing, with parish boundaries penetrating deep into Gloucestershire and vice-versa. This was also eventually resolved following the Counties (Detached Parts) Act 1844.
Birmingham's continuous expansion has been a large contributory factor to Worcestershire's fluid boundary changes and associated housing issues. The district of Balsall Heath
, which had originally constituted the most northerly part of the Parish of King's Norton, was the first area of the County to be added to the County Borough of Birmingham on 1 October 1891. This was followed by Quinton
Urban District
, which was ceded to Birmingham in November 1909, and then by both the Rural District
of Yardley
and the greater part of the Urban District of King's Norton and Northfield, which were absorbed into the City as part of the Greater Birmingham Scheme on 9 November 1911. As a consequence of the transfer to Birmingham, these areas were no longer part of Worcestershire and became associated with Warwickshire. Dudley's historical status within the Diocese of Worcester
and through its aristocratic
links ensured that the island was governed on a largely autonomous basis. Worcester was also self-governing and was known as The City and County of Worcester.
, Brierley Hill
, Coseley
and part of Amblecote
. The Local Government Act redefined its status and the County Borough of Dudley
became part of Staffordshire, the county which all of these areas had been part of. At the same time, Worcestershire gained a new county borough
known as Warley
, which was an amalgamation of Oldbury Urban District, Rowley Regis Urban District, the County Borough of Smethwick and parts of Tipton
. The Oakham
area of Dudley, which was already in Worcestershire was transferred to the new county borough. During these reorganisations, the area of the county council grew only where Stourbridge
took in the majority of Amblecote Urban District from Staffordshire and the designation of Redditch in 1964 as a New Town
. This in turn saw expansion into the area in and around the villages of Ipsley and Matchborough in Warwickshire. The Redditch New Town designation coincided with a considerable programme of social and private house building in Droitwich, Worcester, Bromsgrove, Kidderminster and along the Birmingham boundary at Frankley
, Rubery
and Rednal
. Frankley
Parish
was later spilt into two parts with New Frankley
and the area around Bartley Reservoir
transferring from Bromsgrove District to Birmingham in April 1995. The small village of Frankley
remained in Worcestershire and formed a new Civil Parish
under the same name.
. The West Midlands County Council
existed for only a short period before abolition in April 1986 by the Government, though legally exists to this day as an administrative county
and ceremonial county.
In the 1990s UK local government reform
, the decision was taken to abolish Hereford and Worcester, with the new non-metropolitan county or shire county
of Worcestershire regaining its historic border with Herefordshire.
The new county still excluded towns such as Stourbridge, Halesowen, Dudley and Oldbury, due to the reorganisation's remit of dealing with only non-metropolitan counties in England. The new County of Worcestershire came into existence on 1 April 1998 as an administrative county and ceremonial county, although some cross-boundary organisations and resources are shared with the Herefordshire unitary authority
, these include waste management and the youth offending service.
The post-April 1974 Hereford & Worcester districts of Redditch, Worcester, Bromsgrove, Wychavon
and Wyre Forest
were retained with little or no change. However the Leominster
and Malvern Hills districts crossed over the historic border, so a new Malvern Hills district was constituted which straddled the pre-April 1974 county boundary to the west, south-west and north-west.
, which run from the south of the county into Herefordshire, are made up mainly of volcanic igneous rock
and metamorphic rock
, some of which date from before 1200 million years ago. For more on the geology
of the Malvern Hills, see the external links below.
. Founded in 1877 as a running club and doubling as a rugby club from 1880, the football club was founded in 1886. In 1987, the club won the FA Trophy
for the first time, and seven years later reached the fifth round of the FA Cup
, also winning the GM Vauxhall Conference
title in 1994 but being denied Football League status as their Aggborough Stadium
did not meet capacity requirements. However, when the club next won the Conference title six years later, their stadium had been upgraded and promotion was granted, giving the county its first Football League members. However, the club's Football League membership was short-lived, as Harriers were relegated back to the Conference in 2005 after just five years in the Football League, and have yet to reclaim their status.
The county is also represented by Worcester City
of the Blue Square Premier South
& Bromsgrove Rovers
of the Southern Football League
.
The county is home to the Worcestershire County Cricket Club
, traditionally first stop on for the touring national side's schedule in England. Worcester Rugby Football Club, the Worcester Warriors, whose ground is at Sixways, Worcester, were promoted to the Guinness Premiership
in 2004.
The village of Broadheath
, about 6 miles (10 km) North-West of the city of Worcester, is the birthplace of the composer Edward Elgar
.
It is claimed that the county was the inspiration for The Shire
, a region of J. R. R. Tolkien
's fictional Middle-earth
, described in The Hobbit
and The Lord of the Rings
. Tolkien was thought to have named Bilbo Baggins
' house "Bag End" after his Aunt Jane's Worcestershire farm. Tolkien wrote of Worcestershire: "Any corner of that county (however fair or squalid) is in an indefinable way 'home' to me, as no other part of the world is."
and Sunshine Radio
broadcast to both Herefordshire and Worcestershire. The Wyre
broadcasts to the north west of Worcestershire. Youthcomm Radio
, a Community radio
station, broadcasts to the city of Worcester. Birmingham-based radio stations such as BBC Radio WM and BRMB
have traditionally considered the bordering areas of Worcestershire as part of their broadcast area. The Birmingham based West Midlands regional stations, such as Heart
and Smooth Radio regionals also cover much of the county.
In 2007 the Office of Communications (Ofcom) awarded a DAB Digital Radio multiplex licence for Herefordshire & Worcestershire to MuxCo Ltd. who aim to provide several new stations in 2009, while also providing a digital platform for Wyvern FM
, Sunshine Radio and BBC Hereford & Worcester and area extensions to United Christian Broadcasters
and the Highways Agency
. In 2008, CE Birmingham
, who own and operate the Birmingham local DAB multiplex licencees improved coverage of DAB Digital Radio across other parts of the county to include Worcester and Malvern
. Services that can be heard reasonably across much of Worcestershire are: BRMB, Chill
, Gold
(Birmingham), Magic Radio
, Sunrise Radio
, Traffic Radio
(Midlands), BBC Radio WM, Xfm
(Midlands) and Radio XL
.
were traditional agricultural activities in much of the county. During the latter half of the 20th century, this has largely declined with the exception southern area of the county around the Vale of Evesham, where orchards are still worked on a commercial scale. Worcester City's coat of arms
includes three black pears, representing a now rare local pear variety, the Worcester Black Pear. The county's coat of arms follows this theme, having a pear tree with black pears. The apple variety known as Worcester Pearmain originates from Worcestershire, and the Pershore plum comes from the small Worcestershire town of that name, and is widely grown in that area. John Drinkwater, the poet, wrote
Worcestershire is also famous for a number of its non-agricultural products. The original Worcestershire sauce
, a savoury condiment made by Lea and Perrins, is made in Worcester, and the now closed Royal Porcelain works was based in the city. The town of Malvern
is the home of the Morgan traditional sports car
. The painting, A Worcestershire Cottage by Arthur Claude Strachan is also of general renown.
system with over sixteen independent schools including the RGS Worcester, The King's School, Worcester
, Malvern St James and Malvern College
. State schools in Worcester, the Wyre Forest District, and the Malvern Hills District are two-tier primary schools and secondary school
s whilst Redditch and Bromsgrove have a three-tier system
of first
, middle
and high school
s. Several schools in the county provide Sixth-form education including two in the city of Worcester. Several vocational colleges provide GCSE
and A-level
courses and adult education, such as South Worcestershire College, and an agricultural campus of Warwickshire College
in Pershore
. There is also the University of Worcester
, which is located in the city itself and is home to the National Pollen and Aerobiology Research Unit and five other national research centres.
and only city is Worcester. The other major settlements, Kidderminster, Bromsgrove and Redditch are satellite towns of Birmingham. There are also several market town
s: Malvern
, Bewdley
, Evesham, Droitwich Spa, Pershore, Tenbury Wells
, Stourport-on-Severn and Upton-upon-Severn.
For a full list of settlements, see list of places in Worcestershire.
West Midlands (region)
The West Midlands is an official region of England, covering the western half of the area traditionally known as the Midlands. It contains the second most populous British city, Birmingham, and the larger West Midlands conurbation, which includes the city of Wolverhampton and large towns of Dudley,...
of England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. For Eurostat
Eurostat
Eurostat is a Directorate-General of the European Commission located in Luxembourg. Its main responsibilities are to provide the European Union with statistical information at European level and to promote the integration of statistical methods across the Member States of the European Union,...
purposes it is a NUTS 3 region (code UKG12) and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire" NUTS 2 region
NUTS 2 statistical regions of the United Kingdom
In the NUTS codes of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland , there are 38 level 2 statistical regions.-List of NUTS 2 statistical regions:-See also:* NUTS of the United Kingdom...
. In 1974 it was merged with the neighbouring county of Herefordshire
Herefordshire
Herefordshire is a historic and ceremonial county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire" NUTS 2 region. It also forms a unitary district known as the...
to form the county of Hereford and Worcester
Hereford and Worcester
Hereford and Worcester was an English county created on 1 April 1974, by the Local Government Act 1972 from the area of the former administrative county of Herefordshire, most of Worcestershire and the county borough of Worcester.It bordered Shropshire, Staffordshire and the West Midlands to the...
; which was divided in 1998, re-establishing Worcestershire once more as an independent entity. Following the 1998 reform, the crest of the Malvern Hills
Malvern Hills
The Malvern Hills are a range of hills in the English counties of Worcestershire, Herefordshire and a small area of northern Gloucestershire, dominating the surrounding countryside and the towns and villages of the district of Malvern...
forms the east–west border between the two counties, with the exception of the parish of West Malvern
West Malvern
West Malvern is a village and a civil parish on the west side of the north part of the Malvern Hills at the western edge of Worcestershire, administered by the Malvern Hills District , and part of the informally defined area often referred to as the Malverns...
in Worcestershire.
The county borders Herefordshire
Herefordshire
Herefordshire is a historic and ceremonial county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire" NUTS 2 region. It also forms a unitary district known as the...
, Shropshire
Shropshire
Shropshire is a county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. It borders Wales to the west...
, Staffordshire
Staffordshire
Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...
, West Midlands
West Midlands (county)
The West Midlands is a metropolitan county in western central England with a 2009 estimated population of 2,638,700. It came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972, formed from parts of Staffordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire. The...
, Warwickshire
Warwickshire
Warwickshire is a landlocked non-metropolitan county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, although the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare...
, and Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn, and the entire Forest of Dean....
. To the west, the county is bordered by the Malvern Hills, and the spa town of Malvern
Malvern, Worcestershire
Malvern is a town and civil parish in Worcestershire, England, governed by Malvern Town Council. As of the 2001 census it has a population of 28,749, and includes the historical settlement and commercial centre of Great Malvern on the steep eastern flank of the Malvern Hills, and the former...
. The southern part of the county is bordered by Gloucestershire and the northern edge of the Cotswolds
Cotswolds
The Cotswolds are a range of hills in west-central England, sometimes called the Heart of England, an area across and long. The area has been designated as the Cotswold Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty...
, and to the east is Warwickshire. There are two major rivers flowing through the county, the Severn
River Severn
The River Severn is the longest river in Great Britain, at about , but the second longest on the British Isles, behind the River Shannon. It rises at an altitude of on Plynlimon, Ceredigion near Llanidloes, Powys, in the Cambrian Mountains of mid Wales...
and the Avon
River Avon, Warwickshire
The River Avon or Avon is a river in or adjoining the counties of Leicestershire, Northamptonshire, Warwickshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire in the Midlands of England...
.
The cathedral city of Worcester
Worcester
The City of Worcester, commonly known as Worcester, , is a city and county town of Worcestershire in the West Midlands of England. Worcester is situated some southwest of Birmingham and north of Gloucester, and has an approximate population of 94,000 people. The River Severn runs through the...
is the largest settlement and administrative seat of the county, which includes the principal settlements of Bromsgrove
Bromsgrove
Bromsgrove is a town in Worcestershire, England. The town is about north east of Worcester and south west of Birmingham city centre. It had a population of 29,237 in 2001 with a small ethnic minority and is in Bromsgrove District.- History :Bromsgrove is first documented in the early 9th century...
, Stourport-on-Severn
Stourport-on-Severn
Stourport-on-Severn, often shortened to Stourport, is a town and civil parish in the Wyre Forest District of North Worcestershire, England, a few miles to the south of Kidderminster and down stream on the River Severn from Bewdley...
, Droitwich, Evesham
Evesham
Evesham is a market town and a civil parish in the Local Authority District of Wychavon in the county of Worcestershire, England with a population of 22,000. It is located roughly equidistant between Worcester, Cheltenham and Stratford-upon-Avon...
, Kidderminster
Kidderminster
Kidderminster is a town, in the Wyre Forest district of Worcestershire, England. It is located approximately seventeen miles south-west of Birmingham city centre and approximately fifteen miles north of Worcester city centre. The 2001 census recorded a population of 55,182 in the town...
, Malvern
Malvern, Worcestershire
Malvern is a town and civil parish in Worcestershire, England, governed by Malvern Town Council. As of the 2001 census it has a population of 28,749, and includes the historical settlement and commercial centre of Great Malvern on the steep eastern flank of the Malvern Hills, and the former...
, and the largest town, Redditch
Redditch
Redditch is a town and local government district in north-east Worcestershire, England, approximately south of Birmingham. The district had a population of 79,216 in 2005. In the 19th century it became the international centre for the needle and fishing tackle industry...
, and a number of smaller towns such as Pershore
Pershore
Pershore is a market town in Worcestershire, England, on the banks of the River Avon. Pershore is in the Wychavon district and is part of the West Worcestershire parliamentary constituency. At the 2001 census the population was 7,304...
, Tenbury Wells
Tenbury Wells
Tenbury Wells is a market town and civil parish in the north-western extremity of the Malvern Hills District administrative area of Worcestershire, England. The 2001 census reported a population of 3,316.-Geography:...
, and Upton upon Severn. The northern part of the county includes the beginnings of the vast urban sprawl of the industrial West Midlands
West Midlands conurbation
The West Midlands conurbation is the name given to the large conurbation that includes the cities of Birmingham and Wolverhampton and the large towns of Dudley, Walsall, West Bromwich, Solihull, Stourbridge, Halesowen in the English West Midlands....
agglomeration, while the remainder and the south of the county is largely rural.
Language
There are many accents and dialectDialect
The term dialect is used in two distinct ways, even by linguists. One usage refers to a variety of a language that is a characteristic of a particular group of the language's speakers. The term is applied most often to regional speech patterns, but a dialect may also be defined by other factors,...
s within Worcestershire. Kidderminster
Kidderminster
Kidderminster is a town, in the Wyre Forest district of Worcestershire, England. It is located approximately seventeen miles south-west of Birmingham city centre and approximately fifteen miles north of Worcester city centre. The 2001 census recorded a population of 55,182 in the town...
in the north of the county has had an influx of the Black Country
Black Country
The Black Country is a loosely defined area of the English West Midlands conurbation, to the north and west of Birmingham, and to the south and east of Wolverhampton. During the industrial revolution in the 19th century this area had become one of the most intensely industrialised in the nation...
accent, whereas Bromsgrove
Bromsgrove
Bromsgrove is a town in Worcestershire, England. The town is about north east of Worcester and south west of Birmingham city centre. It had a population of 29,237 in 2001 with a small ethnic minority and is in Bromsgrove District.- History :Bromsgrove is first documented in the early 9th century...
and Redditch
Redditch
Redditch is a town and local government district in north-east Worcestershire, England, approximately south of Birmingham. The district had a population of 79,216 in 2005. In the 19th century it became the international centre for the needle and fishing tackle industry...
have an accent more closely related to Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
. The rest of the county has retained the distinctive tones of the West Country
West Country
The West Country is an informal term for the area of south western England roughly corresponding to the modern South West England government region. It is often defined to encompass the historic counties of Cornwall, Devon, Dorset and Somerset and the City of Bristol, while the counties of...
accent, typified and made famous by The Archers
The Archers
The Archers is a long-running British soap opera broadcast on the BBC's main spoken-word channel, Radio 4. It was originally billed as "an everyday story of country folk", but is now described on its Radio 4 web site as "contemporary drama in a rural setting"...
, the world's longest running radio soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
, set in a fictional county situated somewhere between the (in reality, bordering) counties of Worcestershire and Warwickshire.
History
Absorbed by the Kingdom of Mercia during the 7th century and then by the unified Kingdom of EnglandKingdom of England
The Kingdom of England was, from 927 to 1707, a sovereign state to the northwest of continental Europe. At its height, the Kingdom of England spanned the southern two-thirds of the island of Great Britain and several smaller outlying islands; what today comprises the legal jurisdiction of England...
from 927 to 1707, it was a separate ealdormanship briefly in the 10th century before forming part of the Earldom of Mercia in the 11th century. In the years leading up to the Norman conquest, the Church, including the cathedral, Evesham Abbey
Evesham Abbey
Evesham Abbey was founded by Saint Egwin at Evesham in England between 700 and 710 A.D. following a vision of the Virgin Mary by Eof.According to the monastic history, Evesham came through the Norman Conquest unusually well, because of a quick approach by Abbot Æthelwig to William the Conqueror...
, Pershore Abbey
Pershore Abbey
Pershore Abbey, at Pershore in Worcestershire, was an Anglo-Saxon abbey and is now an Anglican parish church.-Foundation:The foundation of the minster at Pershore is alluded to in a spurious charter of King Æthelred of Mercia...
, Malvern Priory and other religious houses, increasingly dominated county. The last known Anglo-Saxon sheriff of the county was Cyneweard of Laughern
Cyneweard of Laughern
Cyneweard of Laughern or simply Cyneweard was a mid-11th century Anglo-Saxon thegn and sheriff in Worcestershire, England. Probably the son of Æthelric Kiu and grand-nephew of Wulfstan Lupus, Archbishop of York , he was one of the leading nobles of the county at the Norman Conquest of England...
, and the first Norman sheriff was Urse d'Abetot
Urse d'Abetot
Urse d'Abetot was a Norman as well as a medieval Sheriff of Worcestershire and royal official under Kings William I, William II and Henry I...
who built the castle of Worcester and seized much church land. Worcestershire was the site of the Battle of Evesham
Battle of Evesham
The Battle of Evesham was one of the two main battles of 13th century England's Second Barons' War. It marked the defeat of Simon de Montfort, Earl of Leicester, and the rebellious barons by Prince Edward – later King Edward I – who led the forces of his father, King Henry III...
in which Simon de Montfort
Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester
Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester, 1st Earl of Chester , sometimes referred to as Simon V de Montfort to distinguish him from other Simon de Montforts, was an Anglo-Norman nobleman. He led the barons' rebellion against King Henry III of England during the Second Barons' War of 1263-4, and...
was killed on 4 August 1265. In 1642, the site of the Battle of Powick Bridge
Battle of Powick Bridge
The Battle of Powick Bridge, fought on 23 September 1642, was the first major cavalry engagement of the English Civil War and it was a victory for the Royalists who overthrew the Parliamentary cavalry. According to Hugh Peters it was "where England's sorrows began".-Prelude:King Charles I of...
the first major skirmish of the English Civil War
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
, and the Battle of Worcester
Battle of Worcester
The Battle of Worcester took place on 3 September 1651 at Worcester, England and was the final battle of the English Civil War. Oliver Cromwell and the Parliamentarians defeated the Royalist, predominantly Scottish, forces of King Charles II...
in 1651 that effectively ended it.
During the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
, much of the county's economy was based on the wool trade, and many areas of its dense forests, such as Malvern Chase
Malvern Chase
Malvern Chase occupied the land between the Malvern Hills and the River Severn in Worcestershire and extended to Herefordshire from the River Teme to Cors Forest....
, were royal hunting grounds. In the nineteenth century, Worcester was a centre for the manufacture of gloves; the town of Kidderminster became a centre for carpet manufacture, and Redditch specialised in the manufacture of needles, springs and hooks. Droitwich Spa
Droitwich Spa
Droitwich Spa is a town in northern Worcestershire, England, on the River Salwarpe.The town is situated on massive deposits of salt, and salt has been extracted there since ancient times. The natural Droitwich brine contains 2½ lbs...
, being situated on large deposits of salt, was a centre of salt production from Roman
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
times, with one one of the principal Roman road
Roman road
The Roman roads were a vital part of the development of the Roman state, from about 500 BC through the expansion during the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire. Roman roads enabled the Romans to move armies and trade goods and to communicate. The Roman road system spanned more than 400,000 km...
s running through the town. These old industries have since declined, to be replaced by other, more varied light industry. The county is also home to the world's oldest continually published newspaper, the Berrow's Journal
Berrow's Worcester Journal
Berrow's Worcester Journal claims to be "the oldest surviving newspaper in the World", It is owned by Newsquest, the second largest publisher of regional and local newspapers in the United Kingdom.The common belief that Berrow's Worcester Journal, or its...
, established in 1690. Malvern
Malvern, Worcestershire
Malvern is a town and civil parish in Worcestershire, England, governed by Malvern Town Council. As of the 2001 census it has a population of 28,749, and includes the historical settlement and commercial centre of Great Malvern on the steep eastern flank of the Malvern Hills, and the former...
was one of the centres of the 19th century rise in English spa towns due to Malvern water
Malvern Water
Malvern water is a natural spring water from the Malvern Hills on the border of the counties of Herefordshire and Worcestershire in England. The Hills consist of very hard granite and limestone rock. Fissures in the rock retain rain water, which slowly permeates through, escaping at the springs...
being believed to be very pure, containing "nothing at all".
Local government
Worcestershire's boundaries have been fluid for over a hundred years since the abolition of the form of local administrationAdministration (government)
The term administration, as used in the context of government, differs according to jurisdiction.-United States:In United States usage, the term refers to the executive branch under a specific president , for example: the "Barack Obama administration." It can also mean an executive branch agency...
known as the Hundreds in 1889, but the continual expansion of Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
and the Black Country
Black Country
The Black Country is a loosely defined area of the English West Midlands conurbation, to the north and west of Birmingham, and to the south and east of Wolverhampton. During the industrial revolution in the 19th century this area had become one of the most intensely industrialised in the nation...
during and after the Industrial Revolution
Industrial Revolution
The Industrial Revolution was a period from the 18th to the 19th century where major changes in agriculture, manufacturing, mining, transportation, and technology had a profound effect on the social, economic and cultural conditions of the times...
altered the county map considerably.
1884–1911
Worcestershire County Council came into existence following the Local Government Act 1888Local Government Act 1888
The Local Government Act 1888 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which established county councils and county borough councils in England and Wales...
and covered the historic traditional county
Association of British Counties
The Association of British Counties is a non-party-political outsider pressure group formed in 1989 that promotes the traditional counties of the United Kingdom. It claims that the traditional counties are an important part of Britain's cultural heritage and as such should be preserved and promoted...
, except for two designated county boroughs at Dudley
Dudley
Dudley is a large town in the West Midlands county of England. At the 2001 census , the Dudley Urban Sub Area had a population of 194,919, making it the 26th largest settlement in England, the second largest town in the United Kingdom behind Reading, and the largest settlement in the UK without...
and Worcester. The county also had many exclaves and enclaves, which were areas of land cut off from the main geographical area of Worcestershire and completely surrounded by the nearby counties of Warwickshire, Staffordshire, Gloucestershire, Herefordshire and Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....
. The most notable were Dudley, Evenlode, and the area around Shipston-on-Stour
Shipston-on-Stour
Shipston-on-Stour is a town and civil parish on the River Stour about south of Stratford-upon-Avon in Warwickshire. It is in the northern part of the Cotswolds, close to the boundaries with Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire....
. In return, Staffordshire, Warwickshire and Shropshire had their own exclaves within Worcestershire. These were found at Clent
Clent
Clent is a village and civil parish in the Bromsgrove District of Worcestershire, England, southwest of Birmingham and close to the edge of the West Midlands conurbation. At the 2001 census it had a population of 2,600...
, Tardebigge
Tardebigge
Tardebigge is a village in Worcestershire, England.The village is most famous for the Tardebigge Locks, a flight of 36 canal locks that raise the Worcester and Birmingham Canal over 220 feet over the Lickey Ridge. It lies in the historic county of Worcestershire.-Toponymy:The etymology of the...
and Halesowen
Halesowen
Halesowen is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Dudley, in the West Midlands, England.The population, as measured by the United Kingdom Census 2001, was 55,273...
/Oldbury
Oldbury, West Midlands
Oldbury is a town in the West Midlands in England. It is a part of the Black Country and the administrative centre of the borough of Sandwell.-Local government:...
(or the Halesowen Parish
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
area) respectively and were transferred to or rejoined Worcestershire in October 1844 following the Counties (Detached Parts) Act 1844
Counties (Detached Parts) Act 1844
The Counties Act 1844 , which came into effect on 20 October 1844, was an Act of Parliament of the United Kingdom which eliminated many outliers or exclaves of counties in England and Wales for civil purposes....
. This Act of Parliament
Act of Parliament
An Act of Parliament is a statute enacted as primary legislation by a national or sub-national parliament. In the Republic of Ireland the term Act of the Oireachtas is used, and in the United States the term Act of Congress is used.In Commonwealth countries, the term is used both in a narrow...
was designed to eradicate the issue of 'islands' or 'exclaves', however Shipston-on-Stour remained associated with Worcestershire until April 1931 and likewise Dudley until 1966. The southern boundary of the county was also confusing, with parish boundaries penetrating deep into Gloucestershire and vice-versa. This was also eventually resolved following the Counties (Detached Parts) Act 1844.
Birmingham's continuous expansion has been a large contributory factor to Worcestershire's fluid boundary changes and associated housing issues. The district of Balsall Heath
Balsall Heath
Balsall Heath is a working class, inner-city area of Birmingham, England. It is home to a diverse cultural mix of people and the location of the Balti Triangle.-History:...
, which had originally constituted the most northerly part of the Parish of King's Norton, was the first area of the County to be added to the County Borough of Birmingham on 1 October 1891. This was followed by Quinton
Quinton, Birmingham
Quinton is a suburb on the western edge of Birmingham, England. It is a Birmingham City Council ward within the Edgbaston formal district, and forms a part of the Birmingham Edgbaston parliamentary constituency.The area is served by .-Geography:...
Urban District
Urban district
In the England, Wales and Ireland, an urban district was a type of local government district that covered an urbanised area. Urban districts had an elected Urban District Council , which shared local government responsibilities with a county council....
, which was ceded to Birmingham in November 1909, and then by both the Rural District
Rural district
Rural districts were a type of local government area – now superseded – established at the end of the 19th century in England, Wales, and Ireland for the administration of predominantly rural areas at a level lower than that of the administrative counties.-England and Wales:In England...
of Yardley
Yardley
-Sportspeople:* Bruce Yardley, a former Australian cricketer* George Yardley, a former NBA player* George Yardley , Scottish footballer* Jim Yardley , English cricketer* Norman Yardley, an English cricketer...
and the greater part of the Urban District of King's Norton and Northfield, which were absorbed into the City as part of the Greater Birmingham Scheme on 9 November 1911. As a consequence of the transfer to Birmingham, these areas were no longer part of Worcestershire and became associated with Warwickshire. Dudley's historical status within the Diocese of Worcester
Anglican Diocese of Worcester
The Diocese of Worcester forms part of the Province of Canterbury in England.The diocese was founded in around 679 by St Theodore of Canterbury at Worcester to minister to the kingdom of the Hwicce, one of the many Anglo Saxon petty-kingdoms of that time...
and through its aristocratic
Aristocracy (class)
The aristocracy are people considered to be in the highest social class in a society which has or once had a political system of Aristocracy. Aristocrats possess hereditary titles granted by a monarch, which once granted them feudal or legal privileges, or deriving, as in Ancient Greece and India,...
links ensured that the island was governed on a largely autonomous basis. Worcester was also self-governing and was known as The City and County of Worcester.
1966–1974
During the Local Government reorganisation of April 1966, Dudley expanded beyond its historical boundaries and took in SedgleySedgley
Sedgley is an urban village within the West Midlands county of England. Historically a part of Staffordshire, Sedgley was formerly an ancient manor composed of several smaller villages, including Gornal, Gospel End, Woodsetton, Ettingshall, Coseley and Brierley...
, Brierley Hill
Brierley Hill
Brierley Hill is a town and electoral ward of the Metropolitan Borough of Dudley, West Midlands, England. It is one of the larger Black Country towns with a population of 9,631 and is heavily industrialised, best known for glass and steel manufacturing, although the industry has declined...
, Coseley
Coseley
Coseley is a town located mostly within the Metropolitan Borough of Dudley in the English West Midlands. Part of the Black Country, it lies south east of Wolverhampton and north of Dudley....
and part of Amblecote
Amblecote
Amblecote is an urban village in the Metropolitan Borough of Dudley in the West Midlands, England. It lies immediately north of the historic town of Stourbridge, extending about one and a half miles from it. As such, it is on the southwestern edge of the West Midlands urban area...
. The Local Government Act redefined its status and the County Borough of Dudley
County Borough of Dudley
Dudley was a local government district in the English Midlands from 1865 to 1974. It was a municipal borough covering the town of Dudley and became a county borough in 1889. Although completely surrounded by Staffordshire, the borough was associated with Worcestershire for non-administrative...
became part of Staffordshire, the county which all of these areas had been part of. At the same time, Worcestershire gained a new county borough
County borough
County borough is a term introduced in 1889 in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland , to refer to a borough or a city independent of county council control. They were abolished by the Local Government Act 1972 in England and Wales, but continue in use for lieutenancy and shrievalty in...
known as Warley
County Borough of Warley
Warley was a county borough and civil parish forming part of the West Midlands conurbation, England, and geographical county of Worcestershire. It was formed in 1966 by the combination of the existing county borough of Smethwick with the municipal boroughs of Oldbury and Rowley Regis Warley was a...
, which was an amalgamation of Oldbury Urban District, Rowley Regis Urban District, the County Borough of Smethwick and parts of Tipton
Tipton
Tipton is a town in the Sandwell borough of the West Midlands, England, with a population of around 47,000. Tipton is located about halfway between Birmingham and Wolverhampton. It is a part of the West Midlands conurbation and is a part of the Black Country....
. The Oakham
Oakham
-Oakham's horseshoes:Traditionally, members of royalty and peers of the realm who visited or passed through the town had to pay a forfeit in the form of a horseshoe...
area of Dudley, which was already in Worcestershire was transferred to the new county borough. During these reorganisations, the area of the county council grew only where Stourbridge
Stourbridge
Stourbridge is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Dudley, in the West Midlands of England. Historically part of Worcestershire, Stourbridge was a centre of glass making, and today includes the suburbs of Amblecote, Lye, Norton, Oldswinford, Pedmore, Wollaston, Wollescote and Wordsley The...
took in the majority of Amblecote Urban District from Staffordshire and the designation of Redditch in 1964 as a New Town
New town
A new town is a specific type of a planned community, or planned city, that was carefully planned from its inception and is typically constructed in a previously undeveloped area. This contrasts with settlements that evolve in a more ad hoc fashion. Land use conflicts are uncommon in new...
. This in turn saw expansion into the area in and around the villages of Ipsley and Matchborough in Warwickshire. The Redditch New Town designation coincided with a considerable programme of social and private house building in Droitwich, Worcester, Bromsgrove, Kidderminster and along the Birmingham boundary at Frankley
Frankley
Frankley is a village and civil parish in the Bromsgrove district of Worcestershire, near the border with Birmingham. The modern Frankley estate is part of the New Frankley civil parish in Birmingham, and has been part of the city since 1995. The parish has a population of 122.-St Leonards...
, Rubery
Rubery
Rubery is a village in the Bromsgrove district of Worcestershire. Part of the village forms a southern suburb of Birmingham, England in the West Midlands. The village is from Birmingham city centre....
and Rednal
Rednal
Rednal is a residential suburb on the south western edge of metropolitan Birmingham, West Midlands, England, 9 miles south west of Birmingham city centre and forming part of Longbridge parish and electoral ward....
. Frankley
Frankley
Frankley is a village and civil parish in the Bromsgrove district of Worcestershire, near the border with Birmingham. The modern Frankley estate is part of the New Frankley civil parish in Birmingham, and has been part of the city since 1995. The parish has a population of 122.-St Leonards...
Parish
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
was later spilt into two parts with New Frankley
New Frankley
New Frankley in Birmingham is the only civil parish in Birmingham, England. As such, it has its own parish council.It was established in 2000 in an area in the south-west of the city, around Bartley Reservoir, transferred from Bromsgrove in 1995, which had previously been part of the Frankley parish...
and the area around Bartley Reservoir
Bartley Reservoir
Bartley Reservoir is a reservoir for drinking water in Birmingham, England. It covers 460,000 square metres.It is known as the place where Bill Oddie did much of his early birdwatching, and features in his books and television programmes...
transferring from Bromsgrove District to Birmingham in April 1995. The small village of Frankley
Frankley
Frankley is a village and civil parish in the Bromsgrove district of Worcestershire, near the border with Birmingham. The modern Frankley estate is part of the New Frankley civil parish in Birmingham, and has been part of the city since 1995. The parish has a population of 122.-St Leonards...
remained in Worcestershire and formed a new Civil Parish
Civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and, where they are found, the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties...
under the same name.
1974–present
From 1974, the central and southern part of the county was amalgamated with Herefordshire and Worcester County Borough to form a single non-metropolitan county of Hereford and Worcester. The County Boroughs of Dudley and Warley along with Stourbridge and Halesowen were incorporated into the new West Midlands Metropolitan countyMetropolitan county
The metropolitan counties are a type of county-level administrative division of England. There are six metropolitan counties, which each cover large urban areas, typically with populations of 1.2 to 2.8 million...
. The West Midlands County Council
West Midlands County Council
The West Midlands County Council was, from 1974 to 1986, the upper-tier administrative body for the West Midlands county, a metropolitan county in England....
existed for only a short period before abolition in April 1986 by the Government, though legally exists to this day as an administrative county
Administrative county
An administrative county was an administrative division in England and Wales and Ireland used for the purposes of local government. They are now abolished, although in Northern Ireland their former areas are used as the basis for lieutenancy....
and ceremonial county.
In the 1990s UK local government reform
1990s UK local government reform
The structure of local government in the United Kingdom underwent large changes in the 1990s. The system of two-tier local government introduced in the 1970s by the Local Government Act 1972 and the Local Government Act 1973 was abolished in Scotland and Wales on April 1, 1996, and replaced with...
, the decision was taken to abolish Hereford and Worcester, with the new non-metropolitan county or shire county
Shire county
A non-metropolitan county, or shire county, is a county-level entity in England that is not a metropolitan county. The counties typically have populations of 300,000 to 1.4 million. The term shire county is, however, an unofficial usage. Many of the non-metropolitan counties bear historic names...
of Worcestershire regaining its historic border with Herefordshire.
The new county still excluded towns such as Stourbridge, Halesowen, Dudley and Oldbury, due to the reorganisation's remit of dealing with only non-metropolitan counties in England. The new County of Worcestershire came into existence on 1 April 1998 as an administrative county and ceremonial county, although some cross-boundary organisations and resources are shared with the Herefordshire unitary authority
Unitary authority
A unitary authority is a type of local authority that has a single tier and is responsible for all local government functions within its area or performs additional functions which elsewhere in the relevant country are usually performed by national government or a higher level of sub-national...
, these include waste management and the youth offending service.
The post-April 1974 Hereford & Worcester districts of Redditch, Worcester, Bromsgrove, Wychavon
Wychavon
Wychavon is a local government district in Worcestershire, England. Its council is based in Pershore. Other towns in the district include Droitwich Spa, Evesham and Broadway. The district extends from the south-east corner of Worcestershire north and west...
and Wyre Forest
Wyre Forest
Wyre Forest is a large, semi-natural woodland and forest which straddles the borders of Worcestershire and Shropshire, England.The Wyre Forest district of Worcestershire takes its name from the forest, despite the fact that much of the woodland does not lie within the district's boundaries, but...
were retained with little or no change. However the Leominster
Leominster
Leominster is a market town in Herefordshire, England, located approximately north of the city of Hereford and south of Ludlow, at...
and Malvern Hills districts crossed over the historic border, so a new Malvern Hills district was constituted which straddled the pre-April 1974 county boundary to the west, south-west and north-west.
Worcestershire County Council election results
| Year | Conservative Party Conservative Party (UK) The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House... | Liberal Democrats | Labour Party Labour Party (UK) The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after... | Liberal Party Liberal Party (UK, 1989) The Liberal Party is a United Kingdom political party. It was formed in 1989 by a group of individuals within the original Liberal Party who felt that the merger of the party with the Social Democratic Party, to form the Liberal Democrats, had ended the spirit of the Liberal Party, claiming that... | Health Concern Independent Kidderminster Hospital and Health Concern Independent Kidderminster Hospital and Health Concern is a political party based in Kidderminster, United Kingdom... | Independent Independent (politician) In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do... | Wythall Wythall Wythall is a village in the Bromsgrove District, in the north-east corner of the county of Worcestershire, England. It borders Solihull and Birmingham, and has a population of 11,377.... Residents |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 30 | 8 | 15 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 2009 | 42 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
Physical geography
Worcestershire is a fairly rural county. The Malvern HillsMalvern Hills
The Malvern Hills are a range of hills in the English counties of Worcestershire, Herefordshire and a small area of northern Gloucestershire, dominating the surrounding countryside and the towns and villages of the district of Malvern...
, which run from the south of the county into Herefordshire, are made up mainly of volcanic igneous rock
Igneous rock
Igneous rock is one of the three main rock types, the others being sedimentary and metamorphic rock. Igneous rock is formed through the cooling and solidification of magma or lava...
and metamorphic rock
Metamorphic rock
Metamorphic rock is the transformation of an existing rock type, the protolith, in a process called metamorphism, which means "change in form". The protolith is subjected to heat and pressure causing profound physical and/or chemical change...
, some of which date from before 1200 million years ago. For more on the geology
Geology
Geology is the science comprising the study of solid Earth, the rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which it evolves. Geology gives insight into the history of the Earth, as it provides the primary evidence for plate tectonics, the evolutionary history of life, and past climates...
of the Malvern Hills, see the external links below.
Culture, media and sport
Football is the most popular sport in the county, and by far the largest and most successful football club in the county is Kidderminster Harriers F.C.Kidderminster Harriers F.C.
Kidderminster Harriers F.C. are an English football club based in Kidderminster, Worcestershire formed in 1886 They currently play in the Conference National and have played at Aggborough Stadium since they were formed...
. Founded in 1877 as a running club and doubling as a rugby club from 1880, the football club was founded in 1886. In 1987, the club won the FA Trophy
FA Trophy
The Football Association Challenge Trophy, commonly known as the FA Trophy, is a knockout cup competition in English football, run by and named after The Football Association and competed for primarily by semi-professional teams...
for the first time, and seven years later reached the fifth round of the FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
, also winning the GM Vauxhall Conference
Football Conference
The Football Conference is a football league in England which consists of three divisions called Conference National, Conference North, and Conference South. Some Football Conference clubs are fully professional, such as Luton Town, but most of them are semi-professional...
title in 1994 but being denied Football League status as their Aggborough Stadium
Aggborough Stadium
Aggborough is a football stadium in Kidderminster, England which serves as the home ground of Kidderminster Harriers. It has a capacity of approximately 6,238, of which 3,140 can be seated...
did not meet capacity requirements. However, when the club next won the Conference title six years later, their stadium had been upgraded and promotion was granted, giving the county its first Football League members. However, the club's Football League membership was short-lived, as Harriers were relegated back to the Conference in 2005 after just five years in the Football League, and have yet to reclaim their status.
The county is also represented by Worcester City
Worcester City F.C.
Worcester City Football Club is an English football club based in Worcester, Worcestershire. The club are currently members of the Conference North and play at St George's Lane.-History:...
of the Blue Square Premier South
Conference South
Conference South is one of the second divisions of the Football Conference in England, taking its place immediately below the Conference National...
& Bromsgrove Rovers
Bromsgrove Rovers F.C.
Bromsgrove Rovers F.C. were a non-League football club from the town of Bromsgrove in Worcestershire. The peak of the club's success was in 1993 when Rovers finished runner-up in the Football Conference...
of the Southern Football League
Southern Football League
The Southern League is an English football competition featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs from the South West, South Central and Midlands of England and South Wales...
.
The county is home to the Worcestershire County Cricket Club
Worcestershire County Cricket Club
Worcestershire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Worcestershire...
, traditionally first stop on for the touring national side's schedule in England. Worcester Rugby Football Club, the Worcester Warriors, whose ground is at Sixways, Worcester, were promoted to the Guinness Premiership
Guinness Premiership
The English Premiership, also currently known as the Aviva Premiership because of the league's sponsorship by Aviva, is a professional league competition for rugby union football clubs in the top division of the English rugby system. There are twelve clubs in the Premiership...
in 2004.
The village of Broadheath
Broadheath, Worcestershire
Broadheath with Lower Broadheath is a civil parish officially known as Lower Broadheath, in the Malvern Hills district of Worcestershire, England. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 1,713...
, about 6 miles (10 km) North-West of the city of Worcester, is the birthplace of the composer Edward Elgar
Edward Elgar
Sir Edward William Elgar, 1st Baronet OM, GCVO was an English composer, many of whose works have entered the British and international classical concert repertoire. Among his best-known compositions are orchestral works including the Enigma Variations, the Pomp and Circumstance Marches, concertos...
.
It is claimed that the county was the inspiration for The Shire
Shire (Middle-earth)
The Shire is a region of J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional Middle-earth, described in The Lord of the Rings and other works. The Shire refers to an area settled exclusively by Hobbits and largely removed from the goings-on in the rest of Middle-earth. It is located in the northwest of the continent, in...
, a region of J. R. R. Tolkien
J. R. R. Tolkien
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, CBE was an English writer, poet, philologist, and university professor, best known as the author of the classic high fantasy works The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion.Tolkien was Rawlinson and Bosworth Professor of Anglo-Saxon at Pembroke College,...
's fictional Middle-earth
Middle-earth
Middle-earth is the fictional setting of the majority of author J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy writings. The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings take place entirely in Middle-earth, as does much of The Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales....
, described in The Hobbit
The Hobbit
The Hobbit, or There and Back Again, better known by its abbreviated title The Hobbit, is a fantasy novel and children's book by J. R. R. Tolkien. It was published on 21 September 1937 to wide critical acclaim, being nominated for the Carnegie Medal and awarded a prize from the New York Herald...
and The Lord of the Rings
The Lord of the Rings
The Lord of the Rings is a high fantasy epic written by English philologist and University of Oxford professor J. R. R. Tolkien. The story began as a sequel to Tolkien's earlier, less complex children's fantasy novel The Hobbit , but eventually developed into a much larger work. It was written in...
. Tolkien was thought to have named Bilbo Baggins
Bilbo Baggins
Bilbo Baggins is the protagonist and titular character of The Hobbit and a supporting character in The Lord of the Rings, two of the most well-known of J. R. R...
' house "Bag End" after his Aunt Jane's Worcestershire farm. Tolkien wrote of Worcestershire: "Any corner of that county (however fair or squalid) is in an indefinable way 'home' to me, as no other part of the world is."
Radio
BBC Hereford & Worcester, Wyvern FMWyvern FM
Wyvern is a radio station broadcasting to Herefordshire and Worcestershire in England. Wyvern is predominantly music-based, playing pop from the 1980s through to the present day...
and Sunshine Radio
Sunshine 855
Sunshine Radio is a local radio station, based in Ludlow, Shropshire. The station serves South Shropshire, Herefordshire and Monmouthshire-History:...
broadcast to both Herefordshire and Worcestershire. The Wyre
The Wyre
107.2 The Wyre is a local commercial radio station serving Kidderminster, Bewdley Stourport-on-Severn, Stourbridge and Bromsgrove owned by Midlands News Association.The Wyre keeps its output fully for North Worcestershire.....
broadcasts to the north west of Worcestershire. Youthcomm Radio
Youthcomm Radio
106.7 Youthcomm Radio is a youth community radio station, licensed by Ofcom, broadcasting to Worcester, England, on 106.7FM. The station officially launched on FM on Sunday 13 January 2008 after running online for seven years....
, a Community radio
Community radio
Community radio is a type of radio service, that offers a third model of radio broadcasting beyond commercial broadcasting and public broadcasting. Community stations can serve geographic communities and communities of interest...
station, broadcasts to the city of Worcester. Birmingham-based radio stations such as BBC Radio WM and BRMB
Brmb
brmb is a local radio station based in Birmingham, UK, owned and operated by Orion Media. The station broadcasts on 96.4 FM, DAB Digital Radio in the West Midlands and online...
have traditionally considered the bordering areas of Worcestershire as part of their broadcast area. The Birmingham based West Midlands regional stations, such as Heart
Heart
The heart is a myogenic muscular organ found in all animals with a circulatory system , that is responsible for pumping blood throughout the blood vessels by repeated, rhythmic contractions...
and Smooth Radio regionals also cover much of the county.
In 2007 the Office of Communications (Ofcom) awarded a DAB Digital Radio multiplex licence for Herefordshire & Worcestershire to MuxCo Ltd. who aim to provide several new stations in 2009, while also providing a digital platform for Wyvern FM
Wyvern FM
Wyvern is a radio station broadcasting to Herefordshire and Worcestershire in England. Wyvern is predominantly music-based, playing pop from the 1980s through to the present day...
, Sunshine Radio and BBC Hereford & Worcester and area extensions to United Christian Broadcasters
United Christian Broadcasters
United Christian Broadcasters is an international Christian broadcasting and media group. Through affiliates in twenty five countries, it operates radio and television stations and publishes and broadcasts Bob Gass's free daily devotionals The Word for You Today and word4u2day...
and the Highways Agency
Highways Agency
The Highways Agency is an executive agency, part of the Department for Transport in England. It has responsibility for managing the core road network in England...
. In 2008, CE Birmingham
CE Birmingham
CE Birmingham is a DAB digital radio broadcast multiplex covering the city of Birmingham and surrounding areas in central England. It is operated by CE Digital, a DAB multiplex operator jointly owned by Global Radio and Bauer Radio...
, who own and operate the Birmingham local DAB multiplex licencees improved coverage of DAB Digital Radio across other parts of the county to include Worcester and Malvern
Malvern, Worcestershire
Malvern is a town and civil parish in Worcestershire, England, governed by Malvern Town Council. As of the 2001 census it has a population of 28,749, and includes the historical settlement and commercial centre of Great Malvern on the steep eastern flank of the Malvern Hills, and the former...
. Services that can be heard reasonably across much of Worcestershire are: BRMB, Chill
Chill (radio station)
Chill is a British digital radio station dedicated to chill out, ambient and trip-hop music.-The station:Chill is broadcast on DAB in London and Birmingham, across the UK on Sky channel 0177 and also online. The station's aim is to help listeners relax. It is owned by Global Radio...
, Gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
(Birmingham), Magic Radio
Magic Radio
Magic is a music radio and a TV brand in the United Kingdom, run by the German publishing company Bauer.-Magic Radio in United Kingdom:...
, Sunrise Radio
Sunrise Radio
Sunrise Radio is the United Kingdom's first Independent Local Radio station to cater specifically for the Asian community. Dr Avtar Lit is the chairman and chief executive of this media group which also operates kismat radio,buzz asia,punjabi radio as well as sunrise tv-Transmission:It initially...
, Traffic Radio
Traffic Radio
Traffic Radio was a digital radio station based in England.It was a 24 hour rolling traffic and travel service for motorways and major roads in England, run for the Highways Agency by Global Traffic Network....
(Midlands), BBC Radio WM, Xfm
Xfm
Xfm is a brand of two commercial radio stations focused on alternative music, primarily indie pop, and owned by Global Radio.-History:Xfm was created in London in 1992 by Sammy Jacob, who later co-founded NME Radio in 2008. Xfm subsequently expanded to a network of four stations; there are...
(Midlands) and Radio XL
Radio XL
Radio XL is the first 24 hour Asian radio station to broadcast to Birmingham, England. However the station can be heard across the whole West Midlands. With its wide reach Radio XL is available to a potential Asian audience in excess of 250,000 people from the 15+ age group.Radio XL is aimed...
.
Demography
| Population totals for Worcestershire | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Population | Year | Population | Year | Population | ||
| 1801 | 107,151 | 1871 | 209,850 | 1941 | 294,660 | ||
| 1811 | 119,464 | 1881 | 229,455 | 1951 | 331,943 | ||
| 1821 | 135,658 | 1891 | 240,762 | 1961 | 374,267 | ||
| 1831 | 152,634 | 1901 | 250,620 | 1971 | 422,495 | ||
| 1841 | 159,862 | 1911 | 261,428 | 1981 | 477,538 | ||
| 1851 | 170,638 | 1921 | 261,533 | 1991 | 524,021 | ||
| 1861 | 190,244 | 1931 | 261,960 | 2001 | 542,107 | ||
| Pre-1974 statistics were gathered from local government areas that now comprise Worcestershire Source: Great Britain Historical GIS Great Britain Historical GIS The Great Britain Historical GIS , is a spatially-enabled database that documents and visualises the changing human geography of the British Isles, although is primarily focussed on the subdivisions of the United Kingdom mainly over the 200 years since the first census in 1801... . |
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Economy
This is a chart of trend of regional gross value added of Worcestershire at current basic prices published (pp. 240–253) by Office for National Statistics with figures in millions of British Pounds Sterling.| Year | Regional Gross Value Added | Agriculture | Industry | Services |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | 5,047 | 225 | 1,623 | 3,200 |
| 2000 | 6,679 | 159 | 2,002 | 4,518 |
| 2003 | 7,514 | 182 | 1,952 | 5,380 |
Industry and agriculture
Fruit farming and the cultivation of hopsHop (plant)
Humulus, Hop, is a small genus of flowering plants native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. The female flowers of H. lupulus are known as hops, and are used as a culinary flavoring and stabilizer, especially in the brewing of beer...
were traditional agricultural activities in much of the county. During the latter half of the 20th century, this has largely declined with the exception southern area of the county around the Vale of Evesham, where orchards are still worked on a commercial scale. Worcester City's coat of arms
Coat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
includes three black pears, representing a now rare local pear variety, the Worcester Black Pear. The county's coat of arms follows this theme, having a pear tree with black pears. The apple variety known as Worcester Pearmain originates from Worcestershire, and the Pershore plum comes from the small Worcestershire town of that name, and is widely grown in that area. John Drinkwater, the poet, wrote
Who travels Worcester county takes any road that comes when April tosses bounty to the cherries and the plums.
Worcestershire is also famous for a number of its non-agricultural products. The original Worcestershire sauce
Worcestershire sauce
Worcestershire sauce , or Worcester sauce is a fermented liquid condiment; primarily used to flavour meat or fish dishes.First made at 60 Broad Street, Worcester, England, by two dispensing chemists, John Wheeley Lea and William Henry Perrins, the Lea & Perrins brand was commercialised in 1837 and...
, a savoury condiment made by Lea and Perrins, is made in Worcester, and the now closed Royal Porcelain works was based in the city. The town of Malvern
Malvern, Worcestershire
Malvern is a town and civil parish in Worcestershire, England, governed by Malvern Town Council. As of the 2001 census it has a population of 28,749, and includes the historical settlement and commercial centre of Great Malvern on the steep eastern flank of the Malvern Hills, and the former...
is the home of the Morgan traditional sports car
Sports car
A sports car is a small, usually two seat, two door automobile designed for high speed driving and maneuverability....
. The painting, A Worcestershire Cottage by Arthur Claude Strachan is also of general renown.
Education
Worcestershire has a comprehensive schoolComprehensive school
A comprehensive school is a state school that does not select its intake on the basis of academic achievement or aptitude. This is in contrast to the selective school system, where admission is restricted on the basis of a selection criteria. The term is commonly used in relation to the United...
system with over sixteen independent schools including the RGS Worcester, The King's School, Worcester
The King's School, Worcester
The King's School, Worcester is an English independent school refounded by Henry VIII in 1541. It occupies a site adjacent to Worcester Cathedral on the banks of the River Severn in the centre of the city of Worcester...
, Malvern St James and Malvern College
Malvern College
Malvern College is a coeducational independent school located on a 250 acre campus near the town centre of Malvern, Worcestershire in England. Founded on 25 January 1865, until 1992, the College was a secondary school for boys aged 13 to 18...
. State schools in Worcester, the Wyre Forest District, and the Malvern Hills District are two-tier primary schools and secondary school
Secondary school
Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of schooling, known as secondary education and usually compulsory up to a specified age, takes place...
s whilst Redditch and Bromsgrove have a three-tier system
Three-tier education
Three-tier education refers to those structures of schooling, which exist in some parts of England, where pupils are taught in three distinct school types. A similar experiment was also trialled in Scotland....
of first
First School
First school and lower school are terms used in some areas of the United Kingdom to describe the first stage of primary education. Some English Local Education Authorities have introduced First Schools since the 1960s...
, middle
Middle school
Middle School and Junior High School are levels of schooling between elementary and high schools. Most school systems use one term or the other, not both. The terms are not interchangeable...
and high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
s. Several schools in the county provide Sixth-form education including two in the city of Worcester. Several vocational colleges provide GCSE
General Certificate of Secondary Education
The General Certificate of Secondary Education is an academic qualification awarded in a specified subject, generally taken in a number of subjects by students aged 14–16 in secondary education in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and is equivalent to a Level 2 and Level 1 in Key Skills...
and A-level
GCE Advanced Level
The Advanced Level General Certificate of Education, commonly referred to as an A-level, is a qualification offered by education institutions in England, Northern Ireland, Wales, Cameroon, and the Cayman Islands...
courses and adult education, such as South Worcestershire College, and an agricultural campus of Warwickshire College
Warwickshire College
Warwickshire College is a large further and higher education college in England. It provides National Curriculum courses and vocational education in a broad range of subjects to students aged 16 and over...
in Pershore
Pershore
Pershore is a market town in Worcestershire, England, on the banks of the River Avon. Pershore is in the Wychavon district and is part of the West Worcestershire parliamentary constituency. At the 2001 census the population was 7,304...
. There is also the University of Worcester
University of Worcester
The University of Worcester is a British university, based in Worcester, Worcestershire, England. It was granted university status in September 2005.-History:...
, which is located in the city itself and is home to the National Pollen and Aerobiology Research Unit and five other national research centres.
Towns and villages
The county townCounty town
A county town is a county's administrative centre in the United Kingdom or Ireland. County towns are usually the location of administrative or judicial functions, or established over time as the de facto main town of a county. The concept of a county town eventually became detached from its...
and only city is Worcester. The other major settlements, Kidderminster, Bromsgrove and Redditch are satellite towns of Birmingham. There are also several market town
Market town
Market town or market right is a legal term, originating in the medieval period, for a European settlement that has the right to host markets, distinguishing it from a village and city...
s: Malvern
Malvern, Worcestershire
Malvern is a town and civil parish in Worcestershire, England, governed by Malvern Town Council. As of the 2001 census it has a population of 28,749, and includes the historical settlement and commercial centre of Great Malvern on the steep eastern flank of the Malvern Hills, and the former...
, Bewdley
Bewdley
Bewdley is a town and civil parish in the Wyre Forest District of Worcestershire, England, along the Severn Valley a few miles to the west of Kidderminster...
, Evesham, Droitwich Spa, Pershore, Tenbury Wells
Tenbury Wells
Tenbury Wells is a market town and civil parish in the north-western extremity of the Malvern Hills District administrative area of Worcestershire, England. The 2001 census reported a population of 3,316.-Geography:...
, Stourport-on-Severn and Upton-upon-Severn.
For a full list of settlements, see list of places in Worcestershire.
Places of interest
- Worcestershire County MuseumWorcestershire County MuseumWorcestershire County Museum is a local museum at Hartlebury Castle in Hartlebury, Worcester, England, run by the Worcestershire County Museum Service, part of the Worcestershire County Council....
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- Croome Court
- Avoncroft Museum of Historic BuildingsAvoncroft Museum of Historic BuildingsAvoncroft Museum of Historic Buildings is an open-air museum of rescued buildings which have been relocated to its site in Stoke Heath, a district of Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, England. Founded in 1963 and opened in 1967, the museum was conceived following the dismantling of a 15th-century...
- Walton HillWalton HillAt 316 metres above sea level, Walton Hill is the highest point in the range of hills in northern Worcestershire known as the Clent Hills. It is the highest point for 21 miles in all directions, and as such commands an excellent panorama...
and the Clent HillsClent HillsThe Clent Hills lie 9⅓ miles southwest of Birmingham city centre in Clent, Worcestershire, England. The closest towns are Stourbridge and Halesowen, both in the West Midlands conurbation. The Clent Hills range consists of, in order from north-west to south-east: Wychbury Hill, Clent Hill , and...
- Malvern Hills – Area of Outstanding Natural BeautyArea of Outstanding Natural BeautyAn Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is an area of countryside considered to have significant landscape value in England, Wales or Northern Ireland, that has been specially designated by the Countryside Agency on behalf of the United Kingdom government; the Countryside Council for Wales on...
- Severn Valley RailwaySevern Valley RailwayThe Severn Valley Railway is a heritage railway in Shropshire and Worcestershire, England. The line runs along the Severn Valley from Bridgnorth to Kidderminster, following the course of the River Severn for much of its route...
at Bewdley. - WadboroughWadboroughWadborough is a small village 2 miles outside Pershore and 7 miles from Worcester. The village is in Worcestershire, England. The village is an old farming community, with its nearest church a mile away in Pirton....
- BewdleyBewdleyBewdley is a town and civil parish in the Wyre Forest District of Worcestershire, England, along the Severn Valley a few miles to the west of Kidderminster...
– Riverside Historic Tudor Town - Worcester CathedralWorcester CathedralWorcester Cathedral is an Anglican cathedral in Worcester, England; situated on a bank overlooking the River Severn. It is the seat of the Anglican Bishop of Worcester. Its official name is The Cathedral Church of Christ and the Blessed Mary the Virgin of Worcester...
- Great Malvern PrioryGreat Malvern PrioryGreat Malvern Priory in Malvern, Worcestershire, England, was a Benedictine monastery c.1075-1540 and is now an Anglican parish church.-History:...
- River TemeRiver TemeThe River Teme rises in Mid Wales, south of Newtown in Powys, and flows through Knighton where it crosses the border into England down to Ludlow in Shropshire, then to the north of Tenbury Wells on the Shropshire/Worcestershire border there, on its way to join the River Severn south of Worcester...
and valley - Tenbury WellsTenbury WellsTenbury Wells is a market town and civil parish in the north-western extremity of the Malvern Hills District administrative area of Worcestershire, England. The 2001 census reported a population of 3,316.-Geography:...
with its unique Pump Rooms. - River SevernRiver SevernThe River Severn is the longest river in Great Britain, at about , but the second longest on the British Isles, behind the River Shannon. It rises at an altitude of on Plynlimon, Ceredigion near Llanidloes, Powys, in the Cambrian Mountains of mid Wales...
at Worcester and Bewdley, River Avon at Pershore or Evesham - Witley CourtWitley CourtWitley Court in Worcestershire, England is a Grade 1 listed building and was once one of the great houses of the Midlands, but today it is a spectacular ruin after being devastated by fire in 1937. It was built by Thomas Foley in 1655 on the site of a former manor house near Great Witley...
at Great WitleyGreat WitleyGreat Witley is a village and civil parish in the Malvern Hills District in the northwest of the county of Worcestershire, England...
. A burnt-out shell of a large English stately homeStately homeA stately home is a "great country house". It is thus a palatial great house or in some cases an updated castle, located in the British Isles, mostly built between the mid-16th century and the early part of the 20th century, as well as converted abbeys and other church property...
, famous for its gigantic fountain, now restored to working order. Currently run by English HeritageEnglish HeritageEnglish Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
.
- West Midlands Safari Park near Bewdley.
- Hanbury HallHanbury HallHanbury Hall was built by the chancery lawyer Thomas Vernon in the early 18th century. Thomas Vernon was the great grandson of the first Vernon to come to Hanbury, Worcestershire, Rev Richard Vernon...
- Forge Mill Needle MuseumForge Mill Needle MuseumThe Forge Mill Needle Museum in Redditch, Worcestershire, is a historic museum depicting Redditch's Industrial Heritage. Opened in 1983 by Queen Elizabeth II, it records how in Victorian times, Redditch was the international centre of the needle and fishing tackle industry and once produced 90% of...
at Redditch, the only remaining working needle mill in the world.
Local groups
- Worcestershire Wildlife TrustWorcestershire Wildlife TrustWorcestershire Wildlife Trust is one of 47 wildlife trusts throughout the United Kingdom. It was founded in 1968 to conserve, protect and restore the county's wildlife....
- 29th Regiment of Foot29th Regiment of FootThe 29th Regiment of Foot was, from 1694 to 1881, an infantry regiment of the British Army. It now forms part of the Mercian Regiment.-Formation:...
- West Midland Bird Club
- Herefordshire & Worcestershire Earth Heritage Trust
See also
- Lord Lieutenant of WorcestershireLord Lieutenant of WorcestershireThis is a list of people who have served as Lord Lieutenant of Worcestershire. Since 1719, all Lord Lieutenants have also been Custos Rotulorum of Worcestershire.-Lord Lieutenants of Worcestershire to 1974:...
- High Sheriff of WorcestershireHigh Sheriff of WorcestershireThis is a list of Sheriff and since 1998 High Sheriffs of Worcestershire.The Sheriff is the oldest secular office under the Crown. Formerly the Sheriff was the principal law enforcement officer in the county but over the centuries most of the responsibilities associated with the post have been...
- Evolution of Worcestershire county boundariesEvolution of Worcestershire county boundariesThe boundaries of Worcestershire, England, have been fluid for over 150 years since the first major changes in 1844. Although the continual expansion of Birmingham and the Black Country during and after the Industrial Revolution altered the county map considerably, even up to the later part of the...
- Worcestershire sauceWorcestershire sauceWorcestershire sauce , or Worcester sauce is a fermented liquid condiment; primarily used to flavour meat or fish dishes.First made at 60 Broad Street, Worcester, England, by two dispensing chemists, John Wheeley Lea and William Henry Perrins, the Lea & Perrins brand was commercialised in 1837 and...
External links
- Worcester City
- Worcestershire County Council main site
- History of the Worcestershire Regiment
- Worcestershire County Cricket Club
- Geology of the Malvern Hills
- Herefordshire & Worcestershire Earth Heritage Trust Source of information on the geology and landscape of the county
- Worcestershire Monkey Worcestershire Monkey is a border morris dance named after the county.