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Did You Know?

Worcestershire was founded by an Anglo Saxon churchman known as Archbishop Theodore. The first bishop took up office here in 680 AD and a cathedral was built. Dedicated to St. Peter, there's little surviving evidence as to how it looked.

The Battle of Worcester in 1651 was the final battle of the English Civil War, where Oliver Cromwell's New Model Army defeated King Charles II's Royalists. 

In 961 AD, the post of the Bishop of Worcestershire was taken up by Oswald, later to become Archbishop of York and then St. Oswald. Unfortunately, in 1041, the town came under attack from Danish forces for not paying its taxes.

After the Norman invasion, a new era in history began when William the Conqueror gave the lordship of the manor of Worcestershire to Urso D'Abitot. During the 12th century, the town saw a number of royal visits, including those made by Henry I and Henry II.

It played a key role during the English Civil War. The city started off as a Royalist garrison, with most of its inhabitants being loyal to the king. In 1644, it was occupied by Parliamentarians, only to be taken by Royalists a year later.

Other connections to Worcestershire include that it’s the home of Royal Worcester Porcelain, composer Edward Elgar spent most of his life here, and of course its synonymous with the name of Lea & Perrins.

Just of the sights connected to the composer include the Elgar Statue and Priory Gatehouse, which is now the Malvern Museum in Abbey Road, and you can even follow a suggested driving route around Elgar’s Worcestershire too or Elgar’s Trail on bike or on foot.

The longest river in Britain flows through Worcestershire. The River Severn flows from north to south through the county. The Severn is 354 kilometres long, with its estuary in southern Gloucestershire. Its source is located in Wales. It covers plenty of ground!

The famous ‘ Worcester Sauce’ is an acquired taste! It’s a spicy condiment usually used in savoury dishes. It was invented by two chemists, John Wheeler Lea and William Henry Perrins, in Worcester in the early 1800s.

Edward Elgar, the composer of world-famous classical music, was born six miles north of Worcester on June 2nd, 1857. He gained acclaim as a master of composition during a period of ‘Romanticism’ and his music is still played today, usually annually at the London Proms.

The inventor of the ‘Penny Black’ (which was the first adhesive postage stamp) was Sir Rowland Hill. He was born in Kidderminster.