Worcester

Cathedral city in west central England on the River Severn, and administrative headquarters of the county of Worcestershire, on the River Severn, 35 km/22 mi southwest of Birmingham; population (2001) 93,350. Industries include the manufacture of shoes, Worcestershire sauce, and Royal Worcester porcelain. The cathedral dates from the 13th and 14th centuries. The birthplace of the composer Elgar at nearby Broadheath is a museum. At the Battle of Worcester in 1651 Oliver Cromwell defeated Charles II.

Much of the city centre was redeveloped in the 1960s.

History Worcester was important as early as the 7th century owing to its situation on a ford in the Severn. The city motto, ‘Faithful in war and peace’, commemorates the royalist support given by Worcester during the civil wars. In 1651 Charles II lodged in the city, and from the cathedral tower watched his forces being routed by Cromwell's troops. Many royalist soldiers were imprisoned in the cathedral after the battle. Worcester has been an episcopal see since 680, but its early history is obscure. In 964 St Oswald founded a new church there for Benedictine monks, and Bishop Wulfstan began rebuilding on a large scale in 1084. King John is buried between the shrines of Oswald and Wulfstan.

The cathedral The Cathedral of Christ and St Mary the Virgin includes a Norman crypt, an impressive geometrical west window, and a Perpendicular cloister with a well-preserved lavatorium and some carved bosses on the vaulted roof. The circular Norman chapter house and the original refectory, now used by the King's School, remain. The external length of the cathedral is 126 m/413 ft and the central tower (completed 1364) is 60 m/197 ft high. The exterior was extensively restored between 1857 and 1874. The building of the Early English choir and Lady chapel began in 1224, and was effected by bishops De Blois and Cantelupe, whose effigies are in the chapel. The last important addition to the cathedral was Prince Arthur's Chantry, with a magnificent Perpendicular screen, erected by Henry VII in memory of his eldest son. The Three Choirs Festival is held here once every three years.

Churches St Helen's is the oldest church in Worcester, dating back to 680, but rebuilt in the 13th and 15th centuries. St Andrew's and St Albans are other medieval ecclesiastical structures, but these three churches are not now used as places of worship.

The Commandery The Commandery, formerly called the Hospital of St Wulfstan, was founded by Wulfstan (1085) for a master, priests, and brethren, under the rule of St Augustine; the present structure is 15th century. At the Battle of Worcester in 1651, the Commandery was the headquarters of the royal forces under the Duke of Hamilton, and the royal standard was raised on the hill known as Fort Royal, which at that time was part of the grounds.

Other features Medieval buildings still remain in New Street and Friar Street, the most important being that built in about 1480 by the Grey Friars. In ‘King Charles's House’ Charles II is said to have hidden after his defeat at Worcester. From ‘Queen Elizabeth's House’, Queen Elizabeth I, according to tradition, addressed the people when she visited Worcester in 1574. Worcester is rich in Georgian buildings. The Guildhall (1721-23) is the work of Thomas White, a native of Worcester. The Royal Grammar School dates back to the 13th century, when it was supported by the merchants of the Trinity Guild; Elizabeth I granted it a charter in 1561. The Worcester Cathedral King's School was established and endowed out of the monastic funds by Henry VIII in 1541, and reorganized in 1884. More modern buildings include the Shire Hall, the Worcester Royal Infirmary, the Victoria Institute, and Crown Gate, a shopping precinct (1992).

Industries past and present From medieval times Worcester was the centre of a prosperous glove trade. The firms of Dent's and Fownes', founded in the 18th century, carry on this tradition. The Royal Worcester Porcelain Factory was founded in 1751 by ‘John Wall, doctor of Physic, and William Davis, Apothecary’; Wall was also connected with Worcester Royal Infirmary, which opened in a house in Silver Street in 1745. Engineering, including electrical engineering, and mining are the principal modern industries in Worcester. There are also iron and brass foundries, pattern shops, and machine and fitting shops. Other industries include printing, and the manufacture of furniture and agricultural machinery. Berrow's Worcester Journal traces its history to 1690, and is therefore one of the oldest newspapers in England.