Worcester

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City of Worcester
Worcester Cathedral across the Severn
Worcester Cathedral across the Severn
Coordinates 52 ° 12 ′  N , 2 ° 13 ′  W Coordinates: 52 ° 12 ′  N , 2 ° 13 ′  W
OS National Grid SO849548
City of Worcester (England)
City of Worcester
City of Worcester
Residents 103,753 (as of 2016)
surface 33.28 km² (12.85  mi² )
Population density: 3118 inhabitants per km²
administration
Post town WORCESTER
ZIP code section WR1 - WR5
prefix 01905
Part of the country England
region West Midlands
Shire county Worcestershire
ONS code 47UE
Website: www.worcester.gov.uk
Location in Worcestershire

Worcester  [ ˈwʊstə ] is a city in the West Midlands of England . With a population of 103,753 (as of 2016), Worcester is the administrative seat of the county of Worcestershire . Please click to listen!Play

geography

location

The city is about 30 miles southwest of Birmingham and 29 miles north of Gloucester . The River Severn runs through the center of the city.

Neighboring communities

Worcester has the following suburbs:

Astwood, Arboretum, Barbourne, Battenhall, Bevere, Blackpole, Blanquettes Estate, Brickfields, Cherry Orchard, Claines, Copperfields, Diglis, Dines Green, Fort Royal, Henwick, Henwick Park, Merrimans Hill, Perdiswell, St Peter The Great, St John's, Tolladine, Trotshill, Red Hill, Rainbow Hill, Lower Wick, Shrub Hill / Tallow Hill, Spetchley Estate, Ronkswood, Northwick, Warndon Villages, Warndon and Woodgreen

history

Settlement of what is now Worcester dates back to the Neolithic , on the east bank of the Severn a defensive walled village from around 400 BC was found. The place where a ford crosses the river was used by the Romans in the 1st century to set up a fortified camp on the military road between Glevum ( Gloucester ) and Viroconium ( Wroxeter ). After the border of the empire was shifted towards the west, the camp soon developed into an industrial town with its own kilns and blast furnaces .

Roman Worcester (which may have been mentioned as Vertis in the Ravenna cosmography ) was a thriving center of trade and manufacturing for about three centuries , but after the Roman retreat from Britain in 407 the city lost population and became a population until the mid 7th century Not mentioned in the 19th century when sources mentioned an Anglo-Saxon settlement. The fact that Worcester 680, unlike the much larger Gloucester and the royal center of Winchcombe , was chosen as the Episcopalian seat of a new diocese to cover the area suggests that a well-known and powerful congregation of English Christians must have lived there when the place fell into English hands.

After the Benedictine Oswald , who was trained in Fleury , became Bishop of Worcester in 961 , the Benedictine priory of St. Mary was founded, which was directly assigned to the cathedral and thus to the bishopric. The monastery was particularly distinguished by its extensive library inventory and existed until it was abolished in 1540.

In 1041 the city was almost destroyed after a rebellion against the harsh taxation by Hardiknut . The city ​​was also frequently attacked during the civil war between King Stephan and Empress Matilda , the daughter of Heinrich I (1139, 1150 and 1151).

By the late Middle Ages, the population had risen to 10,000 when clothing making began to become a large local industry. The city received its first rights of self-determination.

Worcester was the site of the Battle of Worcester (September 3, 1651) when Charles II's attempt to regain the Crown of England by force failed once and for all. The exact site of the battle is southwest of the city towards the village of Powick . After the defeat, Charles II returned to his headquarters in Kornmarkt, now known as King Charles House , before escaping in disguise to Boscobel House in Shropshire and then escaping to France for good. Worcester was one of the cities that were loyal to the king in this war, which is why it was nicknamed "The Faithful City".

The Royal Worcester Porcelain Company factory was founded in 1750 by Dr. John Wall founded. No goods are manufactured there today, but the museum is still open.

In the 18th century, Worcester's trade weakened compared to more modern cities in the West Midlands . In 1815 the canal between Worcester and Birmingham was opened, which allowed Worcester to transport the manufactured goods to a larger area by means of so-called narrowboats .

The British Medical Association (BMA) is believed to have been founded in the old Worcester Hospital on Castle Street around 1860.

In the 1950s and 1960s, large areas of the central center of the city were demolished and rebuilt as a result of decisions made by city planners. There are still medieval houses, but most of them fell victim to the renovations .

The city's current boundaries date back to 1974 when the Local Government Act 1972 incorporated the parishes of Warndon and St. Peter the Great Counties into the city.

politics

The city council is currently controlled by the Conservative Party , which holds 18 of the 35 seats.

Worcester has a Member of Parliament, Michael Foster of the Labor Party .

Town twinning

Economy and Infrastructure

The industry today is relatively diverse. Worcester was a major glove manufacturing center in the 19th and early 20th centuries , but the industry has largely declined. The late Victorian period saw the development of iron foundries such as Heenan & Froude , Hardy & Padmore and McKenzie & Holland and the years between the world wars saw the rapid growth of the production of machine tools ( James Archdale , HWWard ), parts for the motor industry ( Worcester Windshields and Casements ), Mining machines ( MECO ) and others. Also worth mentioning are the royal porcelain factory (near the cathedral) and just outside the center the factory that makes Worcester's most famous product: Worcestershire sauce . The engineering industry is still represented by Joy Mining Machinery and Carnaud Metalbox and Crown Holdings , both US companies . The town's foundry legacy is carried on by Morganite Crucible , which produces graphite molded products and cement . The Kays mail order business was founded in Worcester in the 1880s. Worcester is also home to what describes itself as the oldest newspaper in the world: Berrow's Worcester Journal , which traces its origins back to a newspaper that first appeared in 1690. The city is also a retail center with many shopping malls where almost every retail chain is represented. Another of the old companies is Froude Hofmann , originally Heenan & Froude . This construction company has hijacked numerous facilities across the city, including buildings near Shrub Hill station and the Worcester City Football Club facilities .

Companies

Main employers in Worcester are:

  • Amdac Carmichael - manufactures fire fighting vehicles
  • Bosch Thermotechnology , provides boiler and heating ago
  • Central Networks (still known locally as MEB ; energy company)
  • Crown Holdings (formerly CarnaudMetalbox , still locally known as Metalbox )
  • Faithful , manufacturer of workwear and industrial protective clothing
  • First Midland Red Buses (still known locally as Midland Red ; bus company)
  • Froude Hofmann
  • Goodman Baylis , Lithographic Prints, Folders and Shipping
  • Lea & Perrins , maker of Worcestershire sauce
  • Mazak , Japanese machine tool manufacturer
  • Holden Aluminum Worcester (formerly Hydro Aluminum Worcester , part of Norsk Hydro )
  • npower , energy company
  • Nutricia
  • Open GI Limited , software company
  • Royal Mail
  • Tesco
  • University of Worcester
  • West Mercia Constabulary (Police)
  • Wolseley plc
  • City council
  • County Worcestershire Council
  • Worcestershire Primary Care Trust (includes the Worcestershire Royal Hospital )

education

Worcester is home to the University of Worcester, which received university status in 2005. Between 2001 and 2005 it was known as University College Worcester ( UCW ), before that as Worcester College of Higher Education .

Worcester is also home to the following educational institutions:

State high schools and colleges

  • Worcester Sixth Form College
  • Worcester College of Technology

State high schools

  • Bishop Perowne Performing Arts College CE
  • Blessed Edward Oldcorne Catholic College
  • Christopher Whitehead Language College
  • Elgar Technology College
  • Nunnery Wood High School

Worcester is also home to two very old schools: the Royal Grammar School Worcester has existed continuously since 1291 and the King's School was re-established in 1541 under King Henry VIII . Both schools claim to be rooted in the spiritual school of the 8th century, which was roughly on the site of today's cathedral. Other schools are the Alice Ottley School and the Saint Mary's Convent School .

The New College Worcester ( RNIB ) is aimed at blind and partially sighted students aged between 11 and 18 years.

traffic

Shrub Hill train station

Worcester is close to the M5 Motorway and is connected to it by terminals 6 and 7. This makes the city easily accessible from most parts of the country, for example London is only about an hour and a half away. The city is partially surrounded by a ring road, which is formed by one and two-lane carriageways.

The city has two train stations, namely Worcester Foregate Street and Worcester Shrub Hill . Although the former actually has 2 tracks, it consists of two individually working lines, one of which is part of the Birmingham-Malvern-Hereford line and the other is the end of the Cotswold line, which also serves Shrub Hill . There are frequent trains from both stations to Birmingham and other nearby cities. Even London can be reached from both stations via the Cotswold Line.

As the larger of the two stations and because of its location, Shrub Hill is often used as a depot and transit route for freight trains.

The main operator of bus services in and around the city is First , which was previously called Midland Red West before mergers and acquisitions . A handful of smaller operators also provide Worcester services, the main ones being the Astons and the Bromyard Omnibus Company . The final / transfer stop of many lines is the CrownGate stop.

Culture and sights

Buildings

Probably the most famous sight in Worcester is the imposing cathedral . The crypt of the building, officially named The Cathedral Church of Christ and the The Blessed Virgin Mary, dates back to the 10th century. After the destruction of the first cathedral by the Vikings in 1041, the second cathedral, which is still standing today, was started around 1048 and was completed in 1218. The chapter house is the only round one in the country, while the cathedral also contains the tomb of King John . The attached Benedictine monastery had a large library.

Pope Clement VII , who refused King Henry VIII to annul his marriage to Catherine of Aragón , was formerly Cardinal Giulio de 'Medici from 1521 to 1522 Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of Worcester , so he practically exercised the function of bishop (see also: List of Bishops of Worcester ).

Theater, music and cinema

Famous 18th century actress Sarah Siddons made her debut at the Theater Royal on Angel Street . Her sister, the writer Ann Julia Kemble Hatton , also known as Ann of Swansea, was born in Worcester - as was Matilda Alice Powles, better known as Vesta Tilley , a leading actress of male characters.

In what is now Worcester, the Swan Theater features both professional traveling actors and local amateurs. The Countess of Huntingdon's Hall is a former church that is now used as a venue for a variety of musical performances, while the Marrs Bar hosts performances by comedians , for example . Worcester also has two movie theaters, namely the six-screen Vue on Friar Street and the seven-screen Odeon on Forgate Street .

In the northern suburbs, you 'll find the Art Deco Northwick Cinema . Built in 1938, the cinema has one of only two remaining interiors in the UK designed by John Alexander. From 1966 to 1982 it was used as a bingo hall and was then empty until 1991. As a result, it was used for musical performances until 1996, then stood empty for a while and finally became an antiques and lifestyle center in autumn 2006 .

There are also numerous art societies in Worcester, such as C&T . C&T is an educational theater company that specializes in theater for young people.

Worcester Cathedral

Regular events

Every three years the Three Choirs Festival takes place in Worcester , which dates back to the 18th century and is said to be the oldest music festival in Europe. The venue changes each year between the cathedral cities of Gloucester , Hereford and Worcester. The next time Worcester will be from March 6-13. August 2011 will be the turn.

The Worcester Festival is a relatively new project, which was set up of 2003. Held in late August, the festival consists of a variety of musical , theatrical and cinematographic performances as well as workshops . The former Beer Festival is now also known as the Worcester Festival

The Victorian Christmas Market every December is a major tourist draw.

Elton John played at the Worcestershire Cricket Ground on Saturday 9 June 2006 .

The eighth Worcester Beer and Cider Festival, organized by CAMRA , took place around August 17, 2006 for three days as usual on the Pitchcroft circuit. When entering, you can choose between two free beer glasses of different sizes with the label indicating the reference.

Green spaces

There are three major parks in Worcester, namely Cripplegate Park , Gheluvelt Park and Fort Royal Park . The latter was a battlefield of the English Civil War.

There are also two larger forest areas in the city called Perry Wood (12 hectares) and Nunnery Wood (21 hectares). The former is often referred to as the place where Oliver Cromwell met the devil and made a pact with him. The Nunnery Wood , however, is a part of the popular Worcester Woods Country Park , next to the County Hall on the eastern edge of the city.

Leisure activities

Whether it is true or not, Worcester was once called the city with the highest number of pubs or bars per capita in the country . Although many closed in the 1960s and 1970s, there are still many pubs in town. Many are owned by breweries , others like O'Neills , Pitcher and Piano , Lloyds No. 1 Bar and Postal Order ( Wetherspoon ) are part of a chain. Worcester's oldest pub is Cardinal's Hat on Friar Street .

There are two cinemas in Worcester, both on opposite sides of the city center, namely the Vue (has almost 80% market share) and the Odeon .

There are also two bowling centers in Worcester, namely the Worcester Tenpin Bowling and the Bowl Xtreme . There was also a third called the Westside Bowl , but it closed in 2006.

Along with a number of fitness centers and gyms, the city currently has three city-owned sports complexes called Perdiswell Leisure Center , Nunnery Wood Sports Center and St. Johns Sports Center .

Shopping

Like many other cities, Worcester has a traditional main shopping street; this is called the High Street . The high street is home to great stores like Marks & Spencer , Debenhams , Boots Group , WHSmith , Superdrug , River Island , Woolworths , Next , Monsoon etc. Parts of the high street were redone in 2005 amid much controversy, with the greatest excitement being on the planned felling of old trees, the duration of the work (influenced by weather and an archaeological find) and the removal of stone slabs in front of the town's guild house from the 18th century. Still, the renewed area has largely been praised for its appearance, openness and brightness compared to the previous look.

The other major thoroughfares are The Shambles and Broad Street , which have stores like Argos , MK One , Evans , Ethel Austin , Milletts , etc., while The Cross (and the area immediately surrounding it) is seen as the financial center of the city: the majority of the main banks Worcesters is based here.

There are 3 main shopping malls namely CrownGate , Cathedral Plaza and Reindeer Court . CrownGate is the largest center and is divided into two smaller centers. Both include or border on major stores such as House of Fraser , BHS , Debenhams and others. CrownGate also features an open-air market that was previously held in the Kornmarkt. Cathedral Plaza is the second largest mall and was called Lychgate Shopping Center before the redevelopment . Here you can find stores like Next or H&M . Reindeer Court is a traditional shopping center that mostly includes local specialist retailers.

Worcester city center is known for sometimes having more than one branch of one store, which is unusual in cities of this size. Currently there are two Marks & Spencer - , Greggs- and Superdrug branch stores.

religion

Many different religious groups live in Worcester. There are centers of both the Roman Catholic Church and the Anglican Church , a mosque , a Mormon center, a Baptist congregation, and a number of smaller interest groups devoted to Eastern religions such as Buddhism and Hare Krishna .

Sports

Worcester is home to the following sports clubs:

Entrance to King George's Field

You can also find the Pitchcroft horse racing track and King George's Field in memory of George V.

Personalities

Sons and Daughters of the City :

People related to the city :

Web links

Commons : Worcester  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files