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Flag of Worcestershire	Armorial banner of Worcestershire County Council

Worcestershire (/ˈwʊstərʃər/ ^ⓘ WUUST-ər-shər, /-ʃɪər/ -⁠sheer; written abbreviation: Worcs) is a ceremonial county in the West Midlands of England. It is bordered by Shropshire, Staffordshire, and the West Midlands county to the north, Warwickshire to the east, Gloucestershire to the south, and Herefordshire to the west. The city of Worcester is the largest settlement and the county town.

The county is largely rural, and has an area of 1,741 km² (672 sq mi) and a population of 592,057. After Worcester (103,872) the largest settlements are Redditch (87,036), Kidderminster (57,400), and Malvern (30,462). It contains six local government districts, which are part of a two-tier non-metropolitan county also called Worcestershire. The county historically had complex boundaries, and included Dudley and the southwestern suburbs of Birmingham.

The River Severn flows through the centre of the county from north to south, forming a wide plain. The southwest of the county contains part of the Malvern Hills, a National Landscape which contains Worcestershire Beacon, at 425 m (1,394 ft) the county's highest point. The southwest contains a small part of the Cotswolds, and in the northwest is part of the Wyre Forest, a national nature reserve.

There is some evidence of Roman occupation in Worcestershire; the area later became part of the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Hwicce, and then Mercia. Worcestershire was constituted as a county around 927, as the Kingdom of England formed. During the High Middle Ages the county was the site of the Battle of Evesham, in which Simon de Montfort was defeated, and in 1651 the Battle of Worcester was the last major engagement of the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. During the Industrial Revolution the north of the county was part of the Black Country, a major manufacturing centre, Kidderminster became famous for carpet production, and Worcester for porcelain. (Full article...)

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Edward Elgar, c. 1900

Sir Edward William Elgar, 1st Baronet, OM, GCVO (/ˈɛlɡɑːr/ ; 2 June 1857 – 23 February 1934) was an English composer, many of whose works have entered the British and international classical concert repertoire. Among his best-known compositions are orchestral works including the Enigma Variations, the Pomp and Circumstance Marches, concertos for violin and cello, and two symphonies. He also composed choral works, including The Dream of Gerontius, chamber music and songs. He was appointed Master of the King's Musick in 1924. (Full article...)

List of Featured articles
Battle of Powick Bridge Roger Norreis Urse d'Abetot

General images

The following are images from various Worcestershire-related articles on Wikipedia.

Image 1Detail of buildings and shops in Church Street, Great Malvern (from Malvern, Worcestershire)
Image 2Great Malvern Priory
Image 3Lea & Perrins advertisement (1900) (from History of Worcestershire)
Image 4Caldwall Castle (from Kidderminster)
Image 5Saltworkers by British sculptor John McKenna in the town centre (from Droitwich Spa)
Image 6Welcome to Malvern, on an approach road to the town centre. (from Malvern, Worcestershire)
Image 7The hand axe discovered in 1970s in Hallow. Potentially the first Early Middle Palaeolithic artefact from the West Midlands. (from Worcestershire)
Image 8Honeybourne railway station on the Cotswold Line and the potential Honeybourne Line (from Worcestershire)
Image 9Brintons carpet factory in Kidderminster, c. 1870 (from Kidderminster)
Image 10Malvern Theatres (from Malvern, Worcestershire)
Image 11Priory Park with Malvern Theatres complex and Priory Church tower in the background (from Malvern, Worcestershire)
Image 12Seven shillings a week: this nailmaker in 1896 worked from 7am to 10pm, and turned out 11lbs of nails a week. (from Bromsgrove)
Image 13The Lickey Incline in 1840 (from Bromsgrove)
Image 14Nailmakers in Bromsgrove c.1896 (from History of Worcestershire)
Image 15View across Arrow Valley Lake (from Redditch)
Image 16Grave of Sir Thomas Chavasse (1854–1913) and his family in Bromsgrove (from Bromsgrove)
Image 17The hand axe discovered in the 1970s in Hallow. Potentially the first Early Middle Palaeolithic artefact from the West Midlands. (from History of Worcestershire)
Image 18Bewdley Guildhall (from Bewdley)
Image 19Tithe barn of St Johns, Bromsgrove, shortly before it was sold and demolished in 1844. It was used as a theatre in the 1700s. (from Bromsgrove)
Image 20The Market Place in Evesham, circa 1904 by Edmund Hort New. (from Evesham)
Image 21The former Redditch Bus Station, c. 1996 (from Redditch)
Image 22The flag of the historic county of Worcestershire (from Worcestershire)
Image 23Iron Age earthworks, British Camp
Image 24Qinetiq at the Malvern Hills Science Park, or Malvern Technology Centre; the integrated circuit was invented here in 1952 (from Worcestershire)
Image 25Worcester Bosch; Bosch Thermotechnology are in Warndon (from Worcestershire)
Image 26View of the QinetiQ facility from the Malvern Hills. Malvern College campus in the foreground, and the village of Poolbrook to the rear
Image 27Droitwich transmitting station, Wychbold (from Droitwich Spa)
Image 28Oswald and Eadnoth (from History of Worcestershire)
Image 29Bromsgrove Museum (from Bromsgrove)
Image 30Astley Hall, Stanley Baldwin's home between 1902 and 1947 (from Stourport-on-Severn)
Image 31The former Slingfield Mill (from Kidderminster)
Image 32Classical composer Sir Edward Elgar was born in this house in Broadheath, Worcestershire, currently used as the Elgar Birthplace Museum. (from Worcestershire)
Image 33Grave of Mabel Tolkien (née Suffield, 1870–1904), mother of J. R. R. Tolkien, in Bromsgrove (from Bromsgrove)
Image 34All Saints Church Evesham (from Evesham)
Image 35The Battle of Powick Bridge on the River Teme on 23 September 1642 began the English Civil War. (from Worcestershire)
Image 36Bewdley from the racks, 2019 (from Bewdley)
Image 37The 1906 sandstone and red brick Evesham Methodist Church on the banks of the River Avon (from Evesham)
Image 38Commemorative pavement plaque in Alcester Street (from Redditch)
Image 39The Riverside Shopping Centre (from Evesham)
Image 40Hanbury Hall, completed around 1706 (from History of Worcestershire)
Image 41Evesham Abbey bell tower (from Evesham)
Image 42Victorian pillar box on the corner of Priory Road and Orchard Road
Image 43Sanders Park (from Bromsgrove)
Image 44John's tomb, Worcester Cathedral (from History of Worcestershire)
Image 45Grafton Manor, home of the Catholic Talbot family, holding leading military posts in Worcestershire's Royalist forces in the Civil War (from Bromsgrove)
Image 46Stourport Road Bridge (from Stourport-on-Severn)
Image 47Bewdley Bridge (from Bewdley)
Image 4815th-century Merchant's House formerly located on Bromsgrove's High Street, now at Avoncroft Museum of Historic Buildings (from Bromsgrove)
Image 49William Lloyd (from History of Worcestershire)
Image 50St John's Court: 19th century vicarage, served as council offices from 1920s to 1980s, now a care home. (from Bromsgrove)
Image 51The art deco Regal Cinema (from Evesham)
Image 52The North West View of the City of Worcester (from History of Worcestershire)
Image 53Graves of railway engineers Tom Scaife and Joseph Rutherford, killed in an engine explosion in Bromsgrove in 1840 (from Bromsgrove)
Image 54A.E. Housman, poet, lived at Perry Hall, Bromsgrove (from Bromsgrove)
Image 55Portrait of Sir William Waller, 1643, whose raids thoroughly depleted the Vale of Evesham (from History of Worcestershire)
Image 56Parish church of St John the Baptist (from Bromsgrove)
Image 57The former Bromsgrove railway station (from Bromsgrove)
Image 58The spa town of Great Malvern was laid out and developed largely during the 19th century
Image 59St Stephen's Church (Church of England) (from Redditch)
Image 60James McConnell (from Bromsgrove)
Image 61Interior of a Bromsgrove Nailmaker's shed in 1896; occupied by the tenant and two stallers, the latter worked each on his own account, and paid 6d. a week apiece and one-third of the firing. The oliver, or heavy hammer used for heading the nails, is attached to the bench in front of the little anvil. (from Bromsgrove)
Image 62Council House (built 1874), viewed from Priory Park, is the headquarters of the District Council. (from Malvern, Worcestershire)
Image 63Droitwich Spa High Street on St. Richard's Day 2009 (from Droitwich Spa)
Image 64St John the Baptist's Church (Church of England), built in 1843 (from Kidderminster)
Image 65Prior's Croft, Grange Road (Victorian Gothic architecture)
Image 66Nailmakers in Bromsgrove c.1896 (from Bromsgrove)
Image 67The coat of arms of Worcestershire County Council (from Worcestershire)
Image 68St Ann's Well spout (from Malvern, Worcestershire)
Image 69St Peter's Church, Droitwich (from Droitwich Spa)
Image 70Malvern St James girls school main building (from Malvern, Worcestershire)
Image 71Aggborough is the home ground of the professional club Kidderminster Harriers, formerly of the Football League. (from Kidderminster)
Image 72Worcester Square (from Redditch)
Image 73Hand-drawn map of Worcestershire by Christopher Saxton from 1577. (from Worcestershire)
Image 74Dudley Castle (from History of Worcestershire)
Image 75Bewdley Bridge and Severn Side South, 2003 (from Bewdley)
Image 76Bromsgrove Guild maker's mark on a main gate of Buckingham Palace (from Bromsgrove)
Image 77Richard Baxter, the leading Puritan in Kidderminster, noted the rising opposition to King Charles' policies of taxation and rule without Parliament (from History of Worcestershire)
Image 78The Old Town Hall (from Droitwich Spa)
Image 79Bromsgrove War Memorial (from Bromsgrove)
Image 80Bewdley and surrounding area (Ordnance Survey) (from Bewdley)
Image 81New Road is the home of Worcestershire County Cricket Club, across the River Severn from Worcester Cathedral. (from Worcestershire)
Image 82Bewdley Station, now restored as part of the Severn Valley Railway (from Bewdley)
Image 83Roosevelt plaque, Aldwyn Tower, Malvern (from Malvern, Worcestershire)
Image 84Iron Age earthworks, British Camp
Image 85Council wards of Malvern town (from Malvern, Worcestershire)
Image 86Due to its cathedral (pictured), the county town of Worcester is the only settlement in the county with city status. (from Worcestershire)
Image 87Stafford tomb, St John the Baptist Church, Bromsgrove: one of the most powerful families in Worcestershire, living just south of the town (from Bromsgrove)
Image 88Coat of Arms of the former Bromsgrove Rural District Council (from Bromsgrove)
Image 89The Enigma Fountain and statue of Edward Elgar, a group of sculptures by artist Rose Garrard, on Belle Vue Terrace (from Malvern, Worcestershire)
Image 90The Lickey Incline about 1845 (from History of Worcestershire)
Image 91Thai Gy-Nguang brand Formula 2 Worcestershire sauce (2010) (from Worcestershire sauce)
Image 92Evesham Town Hall (from Evesham)
Image 93Map of Stourport, 1942 (from Stourport-on-Severn)
Image 94Malvern post office, town centre
Image 95Lea & Perrins Worcestershire sauce — the invention of two Worcester chemists (from Worcestershire)
Image 96St Mary's and All Saints Parish Church, seen from the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal (from Kidderminster)
Image 97The Almonry, originally part of Evesham Abbey (from Evesham)
Image 98Halesowen was an exclave of neighbouring Shropshire until 1844 when it was reincorporated into Worcestershire. It is now within the metropolitan county of the West Midlands. (from Worcestershire)
Image 99The Malvhina Fountain in the town centre, a sculpture by artist Rose Garrard. (from Malvern, Worcestershire)
Image 100A bottle of Shanghainese "spicy soy sauce", Taikang Yellow brand (from Worcestershire sauce)
Image 101Chateau Impney, near Droitwich (from Droitwich Spa)
Image 102Summit of the Worcestershire Beacon in the Malvern Hills, the county's highest point (from Worcestershire)
Image 103The Abbey Gateway in the town centre is now the home of the Malvern Museum
Image 104Broadway Tower, one of several Worcestershire follies (from Worcestershire)
Image 105Parkside, headquarters of Bromsgrove District Council (from Bromsgrove)
Image 106Landsdown Methodist Church, Great Malvern (from Malvern, Worcestershire)
Image 107Battle of Worcester (from History of Worcestershire)

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This is a Good article, an article that meets a core set of high editorial standards.

Walter de Beauchamp (died between 1130 and 1133) was a medieval nobleman and Sheriff of Worcestershire. Married to the daughter of one of his predecessors as sheriff, nothing is known for sure of his background before he appears as a witness to royal charters between 1108 and 1111. Beauchamp also inherited offices in the royal household from his father-in-law, and also appears to have been a royal forester. He and another nobleman divided some of the lands of his father-in-law, but disagreements about the division lasted until the 12th century between the two families. He died between 1130 and 1133, and one of his descendants later became Earl of Warwick. (Full article...)

List of Good articles
Evolution of Worcestershire county boundaries since 1844 Hanley Castle High School Malvern, Worcestershire Malvern water Julius Harrison Malvern Water (bottled water) Strensham services Battle of Evesham Murder of Céline Figard Philip Smith (criminal) Whittington Tump Worcester Castle

Selected quotes

“

This is his uncle's teaching, this Worcester,

Malevolent to you In all aspects, Which makes him prune himself and bristle up The crest of youth against your dignity.

”

— William Shakespeare

More selections • Read more...

Did you know?

...that Simon de Montfort was killed and had his testicles cut off at the Battle of Evesham (pictured)?
...that Whittington Tump in Worcestershire was the site of a motte castle?
...that the investigation into the murder of Céline Figard saw the UK's first national DNA screening programme in the hunt for a suspect?
...that the medieval nobleman Walter de Beauchamp was granted the right to keep pheasants on his lands and fine any who poached them by King Henry I of England?

Things you can do for WikiProject Worcestershire

WORCS/ToDo is a list of urgent tasks. If they have been addressed, please do not remove them from the list, but check them off with the ((done)) ( Done) template, and sign your name with four tildes: ~~~~ (Full article...)

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