Where is Worcestershire?
In our episodes about Worcestershire, we referred to loads of interesting things - and promised links and photos, so here they are:
The Colwall Stone
The Colwall stone has several stories surrounding it. A giant is thought to have hurled it there from Clutter’s cave after seeing his wife with another man, killing her.
Another story says it was due to a boundary dispute between two giants, they agreed that one should throw the stone over the hills and where it landed should be the boundary between their lands.
A third option was told to Alfred Watkins – the Devil was carrying the stone and his apron strings broke at this spot. It is also believed to turn around nine times when it hears midnight strike.
King and Queen stones, Tewkesbury
Nestled amidst the rolling hills of Worcestershire, Bredon Hill offers not just stunning views but also a peek into the past. Among its many historical landmarks are the King and Queen Stones, a pair of imposing natural wonders shrouded in legend and intrigue.
The exact origins of the King and Queen Stones remain shrouded in mystery. Some theories suggest they are the remnants of a collapsed long barrow, an ancient burial chamber. Another theory points to their natural formation, with the stones being large fragments of oolitic limestone cemented together over time.
Legend imbues the stones with a touch of magic. Locals have long believed that passing between the King and Queen Stones can cure illness. This tradition likely stems from a time when people attributed natural landmarks with mystical properties.
Interestingly, the King and Queen Stones played a part in a more official capacity. For centuries, until around 1870, the Court Leet of the Manor of Bredon was held before these very stones. The Court Leet was a local court dealing with minor offenses. The whitewashing of the stones before the court proceedings added a touch of ceremony to these legal gatherings.
The Devil's Spittleful
This impressive heathland is one of the largest areas of the habitat left in Worcestershire; it’s estimated that we’ve lost approximately 90% of heathland in the county over the last 200 years.
The reserve gets its name from the rocky sandstone knoll crowned with Scots pine. It is known as The Devil’s Spittleful or Spadefull; a ‘spit’ was a spade’s depth and the area is thought to have got its name from a digging Diablo. The cave beneath the rock has become unstable and is now no longer safe to view.
The Four Stones at Clent
The Four Stones can be found at the top of the Clent hills and appear to be a megalithic site from prehistory. With magnificent views of the surrounding countryside and seemingly aligned with the setting sun they exude an aura of ancient mystery. It therefore comes as a surprise when people find out that that this mystical site was actually erected around 1763 by workers of the eccentric landowner – George, Lord Lyttleton of Hagley Hall.
The real wonders of the four stones are the exceptional vistas of the Worcestershire countryside including The Malvern Hills, Clee Hill, and the sham castle of Hagley Hall nestled in the valley below. A nearby toposcope identifies all the points of interest. The Clent Hills are just north of the town Bromsgrove and encompass an area of around 400 acres.
The Elephant Stone
A walk up Bredon Hill is a treat in itself. At this time of year, the wildflowers and butterflies are just magical and there is a fine view from the tower at the top, but a very special surprise is in store at the summit. A petrified elephant inhabits a hollow at the foot of the tower.
Approach the beast with care as the ground is uneven and steep in places. Once you have patted its trunk, shared a selfie with it and enjoyed the view, take a closer look at the rock itself. Find a place where the surface is freshly exposed. You will see that it is composed of many rock fragments cemented together just like a lump of coarse concrete.
Worcester Cathedral Misericords
Most of the misericord carvings at Worcester Cathedral date from around 1379 and give a fascinating insight into medieval everyday life. The carvings have been made for a place of Christian worship, and some of the designs reflect this. For example, this amazingly detailed scene on the 28th stall on the North side depicts the Judgement of Solomon (1 Kings 4, 16-27). On either side of the seated figures are the two women being judged, the one on the left holding a child in a shroud and the one on the right clutching a live child who is being seized from its mother. Of particular note here is the finely wrought architectural detail of the canopies above their heads.
The carvings are not limited to just biblical scenes. The misericords of Worcester depict the first almost complete cycle of the labours of the months. Nine months of the year (excepting January, April and November) are represented by a medieval farmer performing some kind of agricultural action, such as haymaking (July), reaping (August) and sowing (March). The 22nd stall on the North side shows a swineherd knocking acorns down from an oak tree as food for his pigs, an image that probably represents September.
It would seem, however, that the carvers were not restricted to just depicting either theological or agricultural scenes. Some churches have misericords which feature alarmingly pagan or subversive images that we might never have expected to find in a place of Christian worship. At Westminster Abbey, for example, one misericord depicts a woman with a handful of birch beating the bare buttocks of her husband, who is holding a winding frame and a ball of wool. In various churches around the country there are representations of the Green Man, a pagan folk deity.
Although Worcester does not have any depictions of medieval gender inversion, a number of the misericords feature mythical beasts, such as stall 14 on the North side, showcasing the imaginative skill of the craftsmen who worked on these scenes. This carving shows a woman’s head on an animal’s body with wings and cloven feet. It could possibly represent a harpy, a mythical monster from ancient Greek and Roman cultures, or a manticore, a legendary Persian creature. The supports either side of the beast depict a scene of a man hunting with a hawk.
Tenbury Pie
Ingredients
For the pastry case:
Plain flour
Suet
Water
For the filling:
1 ox tongue (soaked)
Red wine
1 large rough cut onion
Carrots, chopped into chunks
Celery, chopped into chunks
A bay leaf
A sprig of thyme
Cloves
Black peppercorns
Method
Make the pastry and line a pie tin, pastry case or earthenware pot.
Put the whole ox tongue into a pan, cover it with water and boil until tender.
Cool the tongue in cold water, removing any skin and bones at the tongue's root, then cut the tongue up into chunks, studding these with cloves.
Toss the chunks in flour, then fry them in butter with chopped onion. When browned, add red wine and water and the rest of the vegetables and herbs, then simmer for three hours or so.
When the tongue is stewed and tender, fill the pastry case with the mixture and baking the pie for two hours or so.
Bordesley Abbey
Bordesley Abbey was a 12th-century Cistercian abbey near the town of Redditch, in Worcestershire, England.
The abbey's foundation was an act of Waleran de Beaumont, Count of Meulan, who gave the monks of Garendon Abbey in Leicestershire some more land. However, Empress Matilda laid claim to the patronage of Bordesley once Waleran surrendered to her in about 1141, thus making Bordesley a royal house.
Bordesley Abbey was once an important local ecclesiastical centre, holding political control of the ancient township of Tardebigge. It was demolished by Henry VIII during the dissolution of the monasteries in 1538 and the property was sold.
The ruins are now an archaeological site, undergoing investigation since 1969 by the University of Reading's 'Bordesley Abbey Project'. Many of the excavated items can be seen in a visitor centre and museum at the site, which is joined with the Forge Mill Needle Museum.
Worcestershire Sauce
Worcestershire sauce is a fermented condiment made from a base of vinegar and flavored with anchovies, molasses, tamarind, onion, garlic, and other seasonings. The flavor is savory and sweet with a distinct tang provided by the vinegar.
Worcestershire sauce has a distinct flavor, yet it can be challenging to identify its complex list of ingredients simply by the taste. Enjoyed for generations, it was developed in 1835 by two chemists from Worcester named Lea and Perrins. Worcestershire sauce is a kitchen staple used for marinades and as a condiment. It also serves as a key ingredient in bloody mary mix.
Worcester Black Pears
The iconic Worcester Black Pear appears today in places such as the city coat of arms, the County Council crest and the cricket and rugby club badges, whilst an image of the pear blossom was borne as a badge by the Worcestershire Yeomanry Cavalry until 1956. The earliest reference to any pear associated with a crest is in relation to the Worcestershire Bowmen, depicting a pear tree laden with fruit on their banners at the battle of Agincourt in 1415.
Tradition has it that during the visit of Queen Elizabeth I to Worcester in 1575 she saw a pear tree laden with black pears, which had been moved from the gardens at White Ladies and re-planted in her honour by the gate through which the queen was to enter the city. Noticing the tree Elizabeth is said to have directed the city to add three pears to its coat of arms.
The Battle of Powick Bridge
A substantial cavalry skirmish fought at a bridge across the river Teme near Worcester which confirmed the superiority of the royalist horse at the start of the Civil War.
The battle of Powick Bridge should probably be better described as a skirmish, but its wider military impact far outweighed its scale and direct strategic importance. At Powick the well led, well trained and highly committed royalist cavalry of Prince Rupert, the most charismatic of the King's commanders, were pitted against well equipped put far less effective cavalry under Nathaniel Fiennes.
In the open fields of Wick, between the suburbs of Worcester and Powick bridge, the parlaimentarians were routed, fleeing back across the bridge. Many of the parliamentarian cavalry did not stop until they had reached the main army many miles to the south. Powick was a major propaganda victory for the royalists and a serious warning for the parliamentarians.
The Battle of Worcester
The last major battle of the Civil Wars in England which saw the destruction of an Anglo-Scottish royalist force in the fields south and east of Worcester by the New Model Army.
The Battle of Worcester, the last battle of the Civil Wars, was fought on 3rd September 1651; nine years earlier the first substantial action of the war had taken place barely two miles to the south of the city, at Powick Bridge. Whereas that first skirmish had been a dramatic success for Prince Rupert's Royalist cavalry, by 1651 it was Parliament's New Model Army that was the dominant military force.
The battle of Worcester destroyed the final hopes of the Royalists regaining power by military force. Charles II was forced into exile and the long and bitter Civil War was over, appropriately ending where it had begun. This was Cromwell's last great victory in battle and it secured his dominant position, political as well as military, contributing to his appointment in 1653 as Lord Protector.
Henwick Holy Well
The Holy Well at Henwick was an exceptional fine spring, which in medieval times had been piped to the Cathedral, and which the Prior had used in the baths which he erected for the use of the monks on Holywell Hill, in return for the transference of St. John's tolls to the Worcester Bailiff in 1461. The water was credited with possessing curative properties for the eyes, and extensively used for that purpose. The lead pipes which conveyed the water to the Cathedral were pulled up by the Parliamentary troops during the siege of Worcester and used as bullets.
Later, a celebrated Porter Brewery in Hylton Road, used the water and acquired a great reputation by it in the Midlands. The brewery was destroyed by fire in 1791. The water was regarded as the purest in Worcester, and sold at 1/2d a can. Yet despite its fame, the well was despoiled in the 1870's and the well bricked up. During the 18th century, the house nearby was used as a public pleasure house where 'tea-parties' and public breakfasts took place, and was well patronised during the weeks of the music festivals and race meetings.
Hanbury Hall
A country retreat in the heart of Worcestershire. The house and garden, originally a stage-set for summer parties, offer a glimpse into life at the turn of the 18th century. The original formal gardens, designed by George London, have been faithfully re-created. They complement the relaxed later gardens, with orangery, orchards and walled garden.
From the Norman Conquest onwards, the Hanbury Estate was within the boundaries of the Royal Forest of Feckenham. When Feckenham’s royal status was lost in 1629, local families bought up land to increase their own estates – including the Vernon family, who began building the hall in 1701. As the estate passed down through the family, the hall and garden evolved with changing fashions, and now present an impressive 18th-century country retreat.
Hartlebury Castle
First given to Bishop Aelhun in 855AD, Hartlebury Castle was the home of the Bishops of Worcester from 855 to 2007. Three of its bishops became saints, two were burned at the stake for their faith, one became the Pope who refused Henry the VIII his divorce and another was present at the execution of Mary Queen of Scots.
When first owned by the Bishops of Worcester, the site at Hartlebury was referred to as a ‘manor’. It officially became a Castle in 1268, when Bishop Giffard was given permission to fortify the site. The fortifications remained for nearly four centuries, until they were destroyed in 1648 at the end of the Civil War ensuring that it was never defendable again. When the Castle was restored in 1675 by Bishop Fleetwood, there was no longer any need for a fortified castle and so the beautiful country mansion that you see before you was created. In more recent centuries, the Castle also became known as the Bishop’s Palace, the official name given to a Bishop’s residence.
Harvington Hall
Harvington’s imposing moat and artificial island can be traced back to the 13th-century, making them even older than the bulk of the 14th-century building work that still, amazingly, survives behind a layer of brick. Visitors will be interested to learn that the Hall’s centre block was most probably the “solar” of a typical H-shaped timber-framed building. But there is more to the Hall than its physical foundations.
Priest hides, more commonly known as priest holes, were secret hiding places built within the house for a priest to hide, sometimes for over a week! Harvington has the country’s finest collection of hides, seven in total. Some are basic in design, others are some of the most ingenious in the country.
Osebury Rock
Osebury Rock (also known as Oseberrow or Rosebury) is a cliff on the River Teme near Lulsley in Worcestershire, England where fragmentary rocks of the Haffield Breccia layer are revealed. Its woodland and vegetation include some restricted varieties including the large-leaved lime and narrow-leaved bitter-cress. It was registered as a Site of Special Scientific Interest in 1990.[1]
The place is traditionally associated with fairies and Bate's Bush was said to be haunted. Bate's Bush was a maple tree at the nearby crossroads which was said to have sprung from a stake used to impale the body of a suicide.
Charlton House
Charlton House, three miles from Evesham, was formerly the property of the Dineley family, and saw the commencement of the bitter family feud between Sir John Dineley Goodere and his brother, Capt Samuel Goodere, which culminated when Sir John was strangled aboard Capt. Goodere's ship, the Ruby, in Bristol Roads,1741.
Tradition affirms that Sir John's ghost frequented Charlton House until it was found necessary that something should be done. Accordingly, twelve clergymen were invited to the mansion, and when the ghost appeared each one began to chant and pray separately, and it is sadi that the ghost mastered each one until the telth, that divine was able to overcome the spectre and lay him in a barrel of wine, which was securely bricked up in a corner of the cellar. Years later, about 1900 the cellar was thoroughly overhauled and greatly enlarged - but the ghost has never been heard of since.
Drakelow Tunnels
Drakelow Tunnels are a former Top Secret underground military complex beneath Kingsford Country Park north of Kidderminster, Worcestershire. The tunnels were built between 1941-1942 as a Shadow Factory for the Rover car company. Parts for aircraft engines were machined in the 3.5 miles of tunnels throughout WWII. After WWII the tunnels began producing parts for tank engines until 1958 when the tunnels were handed over to the Ministry of Supply, and later Ministry of Works.
In 1961 the British Government converted half of the tunnels into a top secret facility, designated: Regional Seat of Goverment 9 (R.S.G. 9). Drakelow, along with 12 other facilities scattered across the U.K. formed a national network of highly classified Nuclear Bunkers, that the British Goverment would operate the country from, in the event of Nuclear War.
In 1980, Drakelow was re-designated: Regional Government Headquarters 9.2 (R.G.H.Q. 9.2). The tunnels were also upgraded and Blast Doors and Air Locks installed to bring the complex upto full Nuclear Bunker status. Through out the 1980's Drakelow operated under complete secracy until the end of the Cold War in 1990. In 1993, the Ministry of Defence deemed the facility surplus to requirements, and the entire complex was decommissioned and sold.
Raggedstone Hill
Raggedstone Hill is situated on the range of Malvern Hills that runs approximately 13 kilometres (8 mi) north-south along the Herefordshire-Worcestershire border. Raggedstone Hill lies close to the borders of Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire. It has an elevation of 254 metres (833 ft). The northern flank of the hill lies on the southern side of the Hollybush pass, from where its summit is a brisk 15–20 minutes steep walk from the nearby Hollybush car park.
According to legend, the hill's shadow casts misfortune upon whomever it falls.
The Shadow of the Ragged Stone Hill is a 19th-century novel by Charles F. Grindrod concerning a monk of Little Malvern Priory. He has been made a monk against his will, and his main object in life is to avenge his father's murder of his mother, a deed incited by false accusations made against his mother by a "wicked knight". The monk disguises himself in borrowed armour, attends a tournament and there kills the knight. Later, he breaks his vow of chastity by marrying a woman who he has rescued from the advances of a "lascivious knight", and is then falsely accused of killing her father in a duel. He is condemned to crawl to the summit of Ragged Stone Hill once a day as punishment. When the monk can no longer bear the punishment he curses the hill and anyone on whom the shadow of the hill should fall.
Avoncroft Museum of Historic Buildings
The Museum is spread over 19 acres of beautiful Worcestershire countryside and includes a wildflower meadow, period gardens, a traditional cider and perry orchard as well as the collection of historic buildings.
In 1967 Avoncroft Museum was opened to the public following the rescue and reconstruction of a medieval merchant’s house from Bromsgrove, and soon became England’s first open-air museum. Then, as now, our priority was to retain historic buildings in their original location. Over five decades, Avoncroft Museum has continued to rescue structures where this had not been achievable and the museum now displays and cares for over twenty five historic buildings that range in date from Worcester Cathedral’s fourteenth century Guesten Hall roof to a post second world war prefab from Birmingham, covering over 700 years of Midlands history.
Avoncroft Museum cares for a collection of over 14,000 objects that reflect the lives of the people who constructed, worked or lived within our buildings and structures. The majority of objects date to the 19th and 20th centuries and range from everyday domestic items to agricultural, industrial and commercial articles. Among our special collections is the National Collection of Telephone Kiosks.
Worcestershire Monkey
Worcestershire Monkey is a famous signature dance which has become a popular Border Morris dance worldwide. The dance was devised by Martin Hallett of Wicket Brood and is danced to the music Weasels Revenge composed by Jan Hurst also of Wicket Brood. Worcestershire Monkey is a dance for eight people with influences from Pershore in Worcestershire while the Monkey Hey is from an old Iffy Morris dance called Chinese Monkey.
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