Worcestershire

I

Introduction

Worcestershire, county, central England; bounded on the north by Staffordshire, Dudley, and Birmingham, on the east by Warwickshire, on the south by Gloucestershire, on the west by Herefordshire, and on the north-west by Shropshire. Under the local government reforms of 1974, the bulk of Worcestershire became the new county of Hereford and Worcester; a small section in the north was included in West Midlands. Following recommendations from the Local Government Commission on the reform of local government, the county of Hereford and Worcester was split to form the administrative bodies of Herefordshire and Worcestershire. On April 1, 1998, Worcestershire reverted to its pre-1974 status as a county with its former boundaries, and the new unitary authority of Herefordshire was created, also with its former county boundaries. Worcestershire has an area of 1,746 sq km (674 sq mi).

II

Land and Resources

Worcestershire is mainly a lowland area of undulating terrain. In the western part of the county, the Malvern Hills, which rise to a height of over 400 m (1,300 ft), form the border with Herefordshire. In the north-east the Lickey Hills consist of Silurian and Cambrian rocks, and the foothills of the Cotswold Hills in the south are Jurassic. There are coal measures in the Wyre Forest in the north, and the fertile Vale of Evesham in the south-east is underlain by clays.

Worcestershire’s main river is the Severn, which flows in a south-easterly direction through the Wyre Forest to Worcester, and continues on to the south, reaching the Gloucestershire border at Tewkesbury. Other important waterways include the Teme and the Stour, both tributaries of the Severn, and the Worcester and Birmingham Canal, which flows north-eastwards from Worcester.

The Malvern Hills, designated by the Countryside Agency as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, is rich in wildlife—its heaths, woods, and streams offer diverse habitats for a wide variety of birds, animals, and insects. The Wyre Forest, near Kidderminster, is home to deer, bats, and many birds of prey. In Ravenshill Wood, west of Worcester, badgers, foxes, and other animals abound, and finches, warblers, kingfishers, and many other birds can be seen.

III

Population and Administration

The population of Worcestershire is 542,107 (2001). The main towns are the cathedral city of Worcester (2001, 93,358) the administrative centre; Bromsgrove (2001, 87,846); and Redditch (2001, 78,813). Other towns of note include Droitwich (1991, 20,966), Evesham (1991, 17,823), Great Malvern (1991, 31,537), Kidderminster (1991, 54,644), and Stourport-on-Severn (1991, 18,283).

The police authority for Worcestershire is the West Mercia Constabulary, with its headquarters in Worcester. A Crown Court sits at Worcester.

IV

Education and Culture

University College Worcester (UCW, founded 1946) was originally a teacher-training institution, but now offers higher education courses in a wide range of disciplines. Notable public schools in the county include the Royal Grammar School (founded 1291) and the King’s School (1541), both in Worcester, and Malvern College for Boys (1862), in Great Malvern.

The author of Hudibras, Samuel Butler, was born in Strensham in 1612. Sir Rowland Hill, who in 1840 began the “Penny Post”, was a native of Kidderminster, where he was born in 1795. Alfred Edward Housman, the poet, was born in Bromsgrove, and much of his poetry is set against the Worcestershire and Shropshire countryside, and he is very much associated with Bredon Hill, south-west of Evesham; A Shropshire Lad is his best-known collection of verse. The Malvern Hills formed an almost continuous background to the life of Sir Edward Elgar, the composer, who was born in Lower Broadheath, and is buried in Little Malvern. The Malvern Festival, which celebrates the works of Elgar and the playwright George Bernard Shaw, takes place annually.

Worcestershire County Cricket Club plays its home games at New Road in Worcester. Kidderminster Harriers FC, based at the Aggborough Stadium, is the county’s only professional football club.