Worcester, the Faithful City on the River Severn

Worcester is a city in the heart of England, set on the banks of the River Severn, the longest river in Great Britain, and crowned by the tower of a magnificent medieval cathedral. The county town of Worcestershire has just over 100,000 inhabitants and is known worldwide for two products that carry its name: Worcestershire sauce and Royal Worcester porcelain. It is also the city of Edward Elgar, the composer who more than any other gave English music its voice, and the scene of the last battle of the Civil War, which earned it the nickname of "the Faithful City".

The train from London Paddington takes just over two hours, while Birmingham is less than an hour away. The nearest airport is Birmingham, about 50 minutes by car.

From Saxon cathedral to Faithful City

There was a settlement at this ford on the Severn in Roman times, but Worcester's story really begins in 680, when a diocese was founded here. In the 11th century Bishop Wulfstan, the only Anglo-Saxon bishop to keep his post after the Norman Conquest, began building the present cathedral, of which the splendid crypt survives. In 1216 King John, the king of Magna Carta, was buried here at his own request, and in 1502 so was Prince Arthur Tudor, elder brother of the future Henry VIII, who died aged only fifteen.

In the 17th century the city sided with the king in the Civil War. On 3 September 1651, in the meadows south of the walls, Oliver Cromwell's army defeated the troops of the young Charles II at the Battle of Worcester, the last of the war. The king escaped in disguise and, according to tradition, hid in the branches of an oak tree in Shropshire before reaching France. After the Restoration, Worcester proclaimed its loyalty with the motto Civitas in bello et pace fidelis, "a city faithful in war and peace".

In the following centuries the city prospered on gloves, porcelain and river trade. In 1815 the canal to Birmingham opened, linking the Severn with the factories of the Midlands, and in 1837 two chemists, John Lea and William Perrins, began selling the sauce that would travel around the world.

What to see in Worcester

The cathedral

Worcester Cathedral has been reflected in the Severn for almost a thousand years and is one of the most famous views in England. The Norman crypt of 1084, with its forest of columns, is among the largest in the country. In the middle of the choir lies the tomb of King John, with the oldest royal effigy in England, and beside the altar stands the delicate Prince Arthur's Chantry, a jewel of late Gothic. Don't miss the cloister, the circular 12th-century chapter house and the medieval library. In summer you can climb the 235 steps of the tower, with views as far as the Malvern Hills.

The Commandery

The Commandery, a timber-framed building that began life as a medieval hospital, was the Royalist headquarters during the battle of 1651. Today it is a museum devoted to the Civil War, with reconstructions, audio narration and painted rooms that tell how soldiers and civilians lived through those dramatic months. The nearby Fort Royal Park, on the hill, preserves the earthworks from which cannons defended the city.

The Museum of Royal Worcester

The Museum of Royal Worcester, in the old factory near the cathedral, holds the largest collection in the world of Worcester porcelain, from the 18th to the 20th century. Hand-painted tea services, vases decorated with fruit and landscapes, figurines and pieces made for European courts show how a small works founded in 1751 became an internationally famous name.

Friar Street and Tudor Worcester

The most picturesque street is Friar Street, lined with timber-framed houses from the 15th and 16th centuries. Here stands Greyfriars, a merchant's house of 1480 cared for by the National Trust, with furnished rooms and a hidden walled garden. Close by, the Tudor House tells the story of daily life in the city through the centuries. In the middle of the High Street rises the Guildhall, an elegant Queen Anne building with statues of Charles I and Charles II on its façade and, above the door, Cromwell's head nailed up by the ears: a small revenge carved in stone.

The river and the canal

Walks along the Severn are one of Worcester's pleasures. On the east bank, the Pitchcroft meadows are home to the racecourse, one of the oldest in the country, and are often flooded in winter. Boats leave from the main bridge for short river cruises. To the south, the Worcester and Birmingham Canal begins at the Diglis locks and makes for quiet walks along the towpath, among colourful narrowboats and old warehouses.

The Hive and the modern city

On the riverside stands The Hive, the library opened in 2012, with its domes clad in gold-coloured panels. It was the first library in Europe shared by a university and the public, and it also houses the county archives. The New Road cricket ground, home of Worcestershire, is considered one of the most beautiful in the world, with the cathedral as its backdrop.

A day in Worcester

A possible itinerary: start early at the cathedral, going down into the crypt and, in summer, up the tower. Continue with the porcelain museum, a few steps away, and then the Commandery. After lunch in a local pub, spend the afternoon on Friar Street, at Greyfriars and the Guildhall, stopping for afternoon tea. Before evening head down to the river for a boat trip or a walk along the Severn, when the sunset lights up the cathedral.

Edward Elgar and music

Edward Elgar was born in 1857 in a cottage at Lower Broadheath, a few kilometres from the city, now a museum devoted to him. The son of a piano tuner who ran a music shop in Worcester, he was almost entirely self-taught and became famous with the Enigma Variations and the Pomp and Circumstance marches. His statue looks towards the cathedral from the end of the High Street. Worcester takes turns with Hereford and Gloucester to host the Three Choirs Festival, founded in the early 18th century and considered one of the oldest music festivals in the world.

Famous people

Besides Elgar, Worcester was the birthplace of Hannah Snell, who in the 18th century joined the British navy disguised as a man and later told the story of her adventures. The diocesan registry holds the 1582 bond that allowed a young William Shakespeare to marry Anne Hathaway after a single reading of the banns.

Food and drink

Worcestershire sauce, made with vinegar, anchovies, tamarind and spices, turns up everywhere, from eggs to cheese on toast. Worcestershire is orchard country: the black pears of Worcester even appear on the county coat of arms, and cider and perry, made from pears, are the local drinks. Friar Street and New Street are the streets of historic pubs and cafés, while the riverside has places with terraces.

Living in Worcester

Worcester is a city on a human scale, with a compact centre that is easy to explore on foot, a growing university and an economy based on services, healthcare, education and small industry. The Worcestershire countryside and the Malvern Hills are minutes away, and Birmingham is close enough to commute, while house prices remain lower than in the south.

Nearby

• The Malvern Hills, about 15 kilometres away, with panoramic trails and the spa town of Great Malvern.
• Stratford-upon-Avon, Shakespeare's town, less than an hour away.
• The golden stone villages of the Cotswolds and Gloucester Cathedral.

Getting there

• By train: from London Paddington in just over two hours; frequent services to Birmingham and Hereford. Worcestershire Parkway station, opened in 2020, is on the line to Bristol.
• By air: Birmingham Airport is about 50 minutes by car, Bristol Airport about an hour and a half.
• By car: the city lies next to the M5 motorway, junctions 6 and 7.

For getting around the rest of the country see trains and transport, and for other cities British cities.

Tips for your visit

• How long: one day for the cathedral, the Commandery and the old town; two days to add the Malvern Hills or the Elgar museum.
• When to go: all year round; in summer for the cathedral tower and the cricket, in autumn for the orchards.
• A tip: for the best photo of the cathedral, cross the bridge and walk down to the opposite bank of the Severn, near the cricket ground.

Worcester on the map

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