Historic Towns and Villages in Worcestershire

There are no less than six 'Malverns' nestled against the bulk of the Malvern Hills. The oldest historic building is Malvern Abbey, founded in 1085 but rebuilt in the 15th century. There was a 12th-century priory at Little Malvern, and the refectory and priory church still survive. Malvern owes its heritage as a spa town to the pure spring waters that tumble down from the hills. More than a million bottles of Malvern Water are sold around the world each year. In the Victorian period people flocked here to drink the waters, and Malvern became a fashionable resort. Atop Herefordshire Beacon, above Little Malvern, is an Iron Age hillfort.
Malvern, Worcestershire, England

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Pershore has a long history as a centre for the cultivation of plums. St Oswald founded an abbey here around 689 AD, and the town of Pershore grew up around the abbey. That Saxon abbey was replaced in the medieval period by a Benedictine one which grew to become one of the largest and richest in the country. Most people come to Pershore to see the Abbey church; saved from destruction at the Reformation by the citizens of the town, who purchased it for their own use. The town is approached over a lovely medieval bridge.
Pershore, Worcestershire, England

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Stourport was traditionally known as the Venice of the Midlands, due to its location at the confluence of the Stour and Severn rivers and the Staffordshire and Worcestershire canal. It was the 18th-century canal that brought prosperity to Stourport and turned a quiet village into a busy inland port. There are few medieval buildings; most of the older houses date to the 18th century, and the church is a 19th-century edifice by Sir Gilbert Scott.
Stourport, Worcestershire, England

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Tenbury is a historic market town on the River Teme, situated in northwest Worcestershire. The Tenbury area has a long tradition as a centre for cider production, which accounts for the Tenbury nickname, the "The Town in the Orchard". In the Victorian period the town was briefly popular as a spa town, and as a result, much of the architecture in the town centre is Victorian, though there are several timber-framed 16th and 17th-century buildings. The parish church of St Mary boasts a piece of a Saxon cross.
Tenbury Wells, Worcestershire, England

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The historic city of Worcester straddles the River Severn, in an area of rich farmland. The city has a long heritage as a centre for glove-making and fine china. Then, of course, there's the famous sauce! Dominating the city is the marvellous medieval cathedral, founded in AD 983 by St Oswald. The oldest part of the current building is the Norman crypt, dating to the late 11th century. Outside the cathedral, numerous historic buildings survive, including the Commandery, used by Charles II as his headquarters before the Battle of Worcester in 1651.
Worcester, Worcestershire, England

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