Bewdley ( pronunciation) is a small town in Worcestershire, England, along the Severn Valley a few miles to the west of Kidderminster. It lies on the River Severn, and at the time of the 2001 census had a population of 10,689. Image File history File links Loudspeaker. ... Worcestershire (pronounced ; abbreviated Worcs) is a county located in the West Midlands region of central England. ... Motto (French) God and my right Anthem God Save the King (Queen) England() – on the European continent() – in the United Kingdom() Capital (and largest city) London (de facto) Official languages English (de facto) Government Constitutional monarchy  -  Queen Queen Elizabeth II  -  Prime Minister Tony Blair MP Unification  -  by Athelstan 967  Area... The Severn Valley between Highley and Arley // Geography and Geology The Severn Valley is a rural area of mid-western England UK, through which the River Severn runs and the Severn Valley Railway steam heritage line operates, starting at its northernmost point in Bridgnorth Shropshire and running south for 25km... Statistics Population: 55,348 Ordnance Survey OS grid reference: SO831767 Administration District: Wyre Forest Shire county: Worcestershire Region: West Midlands Constituent country: England Sovereign state: United Kingdom Other Ceremonial county: Worcestershire Historic county: Worcestershire Services Police force: West Mercia Police Fire and rescue: Hereford and Worcester Fire & Rescue Service Ambulance... Severn redirects here. ... 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1870 US Census for New York City A census is the process of obtaining information about every member of a population (not necessarily a human population). ...

History and Government

The Guildhall

The settlement of Wribbenhall, on the eastern side of the Severn and now part of Bewdley, was recorded in the Domesday Book as being part of the manor of Kidderminster. By the 14th century, the town had come to be known as Beau lieu, French for "Beautiful place" - a compliment that fits well with John Leland's statement in his Itinerary two centuries later that "a man cannot wish to see a towne better". Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1224x1632, 471 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Bewdley ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1224x1632, 471 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Bewdley ... A line drawing entitled Domesday Book from Andrew Williamss Historic Byways and Highways of Old England. ... Statistics Population: 55,348 Ordnance Survey OS grid reference: SO831767 Administration District: Wyre Forest Shire county: Worcestershire Region: West Midlands Constituent country: England Sovereign state: United Kingdom Other Ceremonial county: Worcestershire Historic county: Worcestershire Services Police force: West Mercia Police Fire and rescue: Hereford and Worcester Fire & Rescue Service Ambulance... This 14th-century statue from south India depicts the gods Shiva (on the left) and Uma (on the right). ... John Leland (September 13, 1502–April 18, 1552) was an English antiquary. ...

Bewdley was granted borough status, as well as a weekly market, by King Edward IV in 1472, and retained this status until local government reorganisation in 1974. Look up Borough in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Edward IV (April 28, 1442 – April 9, 1483) was King of England from March 4, 1461 to April 9, 1483, with a break of a few months in the period 1470–1471. ... February 20 - Orkney and Shetland are returned by Norway to Scotland, due to a defaulted dowry payment Possible discovery of Bacalao (possibly Newfoundland, North America) by João Vaz Corte-Real. ... 1974 (MCMLXXIV) was a common year starting on Tuesday. ...

A parliamentary report of 1777 listed Bewdley as having a parish workhouse accommodating up to 80 inmates.

Bewdley is now governed by three tiers of local government; in increasing order of size: Bewdley town council, Wyre Forest district council and Worcestershire county council. In the United Kingdom, town councils are civil parish councils, where the civil parish is a town. ... For the woodland in Shropshire and Worcestershire, see Wyre Forest - for the district in Lancashire, see Wyre Wyre Forest is a local government district in Worcestershire, England, covering the towns of Kidderminster, Stourport-on-Severn and Bewdley. ... The District Councils (區議會 and formerly District Boards) are district organizations in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR). ... In the British Isles, a county council is a council that governs a county. ...

For many centuries Bewdley had its own Member of Parliament (MP), but in 1950 the Bewdley constituency was abolished and the town was included in the Kidderminster constituency. In 1983, the Kidderminster constituency itself was absorbed into the Wyre Forest constituency, which currently encompasses all of Bewdley. The MP for Wyre Forest is Richard Taylor of Independent Kidderminster Hospital and Health Concern (often simply Health Concern), a local organization. The seat was previously a Conservative Party stronghold, though the Labour Party had won it in their landslide 1997 victory. A Member of Parliament, or MP, is a representative elected by the voters to a parliament. ... Alfred Baldwin was elected as MP for Bewdley in Worcestershire in 1892, holding the seat until his death, on 13 February 1908. ... Kidderminster was a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. ... Wyre Forest is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. ... There are several people called Richard Taylor: Richard Taylor (UK politician), independent Member of Parliament Richard Taylor (mathematician), involved in completing the proof of Fermats Last Theorem Richard Taylor (physicist), Canadian winner of the 1990 Nobel Prize Richard Taylor (movies), head of Weta Workshop Richard Taylor (musician), former member... Independent Kidderminster Hospital and Health Concern (often known by the shorter name Health Concern) is a political party based in Kidderminster, England. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... The Labour Party has been, since its founding in the early 20th century, the principal political party of the left in the United Kingdom. ... The UK general election, 1997 was held on 1 May 1997. ...

Town Geography

Load Street

The bulk of Bewdley is situated on the western bank of the Severn, including the main street — Load Street — whose name derives from lode, an old word for ferry. Load Street is notable for its width: this is because it once also served as the town's market place. Most of Bewdley's shops and amenities are situated along Load Street, at the top of which lies St Anne's Church, built between 1745 and 1748 by Thomas Woodward of Chipping Campden. Load Street, Bewdley taken from Bewdley Bridge. ... Load Street, Bewdley taken from Bewdley Bridge. ... The ferryboat Dongan Hills, filled with commuters, about to dock at a New York City pier, ca. ... Chipping Campden is a Cotswold town in Gloucestershire, England, famous for its beautiful terraced High Street, dating from the 14th – 17th centuries. ...

Beyond the church, High Street leads off to the south towards Stourport along the B4194, a road known locally as "the switchback" because of its many undulations. Unlike in many English towns, High Street is so called not because of its importance, but because of its geographical position high above the river. This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... A nearly 180-degree turn in a road, trail, or ramp is called a hairpin turn (also hairpin bend or, if in a trail, a switchback). ...

On the other side of the church, Welch Gate (so called because it once contained a toll-gate on the road towards Wales) climbs steeply up to the west, while a continuation of the B4194 leads north-west towards the Wyre Forest. This article is about the country. ...

The former quayside on the western bank of the river has been much prettified and landscaped over the last few decades, and its rows of Georgian buildings are well seen from the bridge. Since the completion of the flood defences in 2006 (see below), a "Civic Space" has been introduced to replace the old bandstand. It is used on a variety of occasions including the Farmers' market A quay, pronounced key, is a wharf or bank where ships and other vessels are loaded. ... A bandstand built in 1912 stands in the grounds of the Horniman Museum in London Jedforest Instrumental Bandstand built in 2006 stands in the shadow of Jedburgh Abbey Scottish Borders Eastbourne bandstand opened in 1935 A bandstand is a circular or semicircular structure set in a park, garden, or pier...

To the northeast of the town is the wooded hilltop of Wassel Wood in Trimpley, the southern terminus of Shatterford Hill, while to the northwest is the Wyre Forest itself. Both areas provide excellent walking. Bewdley is only a short drive away from the Shropshire Hills, beyond the Wyre Forest, the nearest summit being that of Titterstone Clee Hill at 533m. The view towards the Clee Hills from near the summit of Shatterford Hill Shatterford Hill is an English geographical feature that extends from Bewdley in north Worcestershire to Birdsgreen near Alveley, just over the border in Shropshire. ... Wyre Forest is a local government district in Worcestershire, England, covering the towns of Kidderminster, Stourport-on-Severn and Bewdley. ... The Shropshire Hills area is designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). ... Wyre Forest is a local government district in Worcestershire, England, covering the towns of Kidderminster, Stourport-on-Severn and Bewdley. ... Titterstone Clee Hill, sometimes reffered to as Clee Hill is a hill in the rural English county of Shropshire, rising at the summit to 533 metres above sea level. ...

River and Bridges

Bewdley Bridge

The Severn often bursts its banks in winter, flooding many houses and commercial premises. Among the worst floods in living memory were those in 1947, 1968 and 2000. Bewdley's long experience of dealing with flooding led to the setting up of the National Flood Forum in the town in 2002. Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1280x960, 273 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Bewdley ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1280x960, 273 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Bewdley ... 1947 (MCMXLVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1947 calendar). ... 1968 (MCMLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Monday. ... 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... For album titles with the same name, see 2002 (album). ...

After the 2000 floods, plans were made for flood defences on the western bank, and this work was completed in April 2006. Temporary barriers are also put up to protect properties on the Eastern side of the river in Wribbenhall. For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ...

Bewdley Bridge over the River Severn was built in 1798 by Thomas McNeil. It was erected to replace the 1483 medieval bridge which was swept away in the floods of 1795. There is some speculation locally that its continued ability to carry heavy motor traffic may be thanks to secret strengthening work carried out during the Second World War to allow the bridge to bear the weight of tanks if necessary. Bewdley Bridge Bewdley Bridge is a three-span masonry arch bridge over the River Severn at Bewdley. ... Severn redirects here. ... 1798 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... Mushroom cloud from the nuclear explosion over Nagasaki rising 18 km into the air. ...

There is also a modern road bridge, to the south-east of the town at Blackstone, which carries the Bewdley bypass (opened in 1987 after many decades of campaigning) across the river. A bypass is a road or highway that avoids (bypasses) a built-up area, town, or village, to let through traffic flow without interference from local traffic, to reduce congestion in the built-up area, and to improve road safety. ... 1987 (MCMLXXXVII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

A branch of the Severn Valley Railway, which ran through the Wyre Forest to Tenbury Wells, once crossed the river at Dowles, a little to the north of the town. The bridge itself no longer exists, although its imposing brick pillars remain. LMS Ivatt Class 2MT 2-6-0 no. ... The Pump Rooms Tenbury Wells is a small scenic market town in Worcestershire, England, lying on the south bank of the River Teme. ...

Local attractions

Bewdley SVR station

Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1280x960, 613 KB) Bewdley station on the Severn Valley Railway. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1280x960, 613 KB) Bewdley station on the Severn Valley Railway. ... LMS Ivatt Class 2MT 2-6-0 no. ...

Museums and Galleries

Bewdley Museum is situated around the former Shambles area in Load Street and concentrates on local crafts and trades, with several working displays. The public library, situated just off Load Street, contains a small gallery room often used for art exhibitions. Bewdley Craft Centre has been situated in a former school in Lax Lane for some years, but in 2006 the district council put the building up for sale, and the centre's future is uncertain. Shambles is an obsolete term for an open-air slaughterhouse and meat market. ... Librarians and patrons in a typical larger urban public library. ...

Events

The Bewdley Festival, featuring a variety of artistic performances, is held in the town each October, and Bewdley also hosts one of the largest inland regattas in the country. The successful Bewdley Beer Festival is held each August Bank Holiday weekend. Bewdley also has a carnival which takes place in June every year: the 40th such carnival was held in 2006. A regatta is a boat race or series of boat races. ... The GBBF beer festival A Beer Festival is an organised event during which a variety of beers will be available for tasting and buying. ... // For the music composition Bank Holiday, see Albert Ketèlbey. ... Carnival or Carnivale is an annual Christian festival season. ...

Other

The West Midland Safari Park lies just out of town, on the A456 towards Kidderminster. Bewdley is also the headquarters of the Severn Valley Railway, a heritage railway running the 16 miles between Kidderminster and Bridgnorth. The Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Gardens (usually abbreviated to simply "Jubilee Gardens") are tucked away between the rear of Bewdley Museum and the river. Bewdley is surrounded by the Wyre forest, and there are many footpaths and cycle routes through the unspoilt woodlands. There is a visitor centre situated just outside Bewdley on the road to cleobury, where many footpaths through the forest start from. Elephants in the Park The West Midland Safari Park is a safari park located between Kidderminster and Bewdley in Worcestershire, England, opened in 1973. ... A main road in England running between Birmingham and Woofferton, Shropshire. ... LMS Ivatt Class 2MT 2-6-0 no. ... A scene on a heritage railway. ... High Town from the River Severn Bridgnorth is a town in Shropshire, England, at grid reference SO717929, along the Severn Valley. ...

Famous residents

British Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin was born at Lower Park House, Lower Park. He served as MP for the town from 1908 for nearly thirty years and later became Earl Baldwin of Bewdley. A prime minister is the very most senior minister of a cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. ... Stanley Baldwin, 1st Earl Baldwin of Bewdley, KG, PC (3 August 1867–14 December 1947) was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom on three separate occasions. ... A Member of Parliament, or MP, is a representative elected by the voters to a parliament. ... Alfred Baldwin was elected as MP for Bewdley in Worcestershire in 1892, holding the seat until his death, on 13 February 1908. ...

Other well-known people to have lived in Bewdley include TV chef Rustie Lee. Rustie Lee was a famous TV chef in the 1980s on UK morning show, TV-AM. She was born in Jamaica. ...

Twin towns

• Clarksville, Indiana, United States
• Fort-Mahon-Plage, France
• Vellmar, Germany

Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Clarksville is a town in Clark County, Indiana, along the Ohio River. ... This article is about the U.S. State. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_France. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Germany. ... Vellmar is a town in the Kassel district, Hesse, Germany. ...

External links

• Bewdley
• The Bewdley Site
• Bewdley Festival
• Bewdley Beer Festival
• 107.2 The Wyre
• National Flood Forum
• The River Severn

Coordinates: 52°23′N, 2°19′W Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ...