ISBN: 9780300112986
Worcestershire extends from the dramatic Malvern Hills on the western boundary, through the Severn Valley, to the fringes of the Cotswolds on the east. Its architecture is no less rich than its landscape. The noble Gothic cathedral of Worcester is justly famous; less well-known are the splendid remains of the abbeys and priories at Pershore, Evesham and Malvern. Historic parish churches are plentiful, with especially rich showings of Norman and Georgian work. Also abundant are timber-framed houses, with spectacular examples in both town and country from the Middle Ages until well into seventeenth century. But Worcestershire is also a county of red brick and sandstone, as the many fine country houses show: Jacobean Westwood, with its extraordinary X-plan; Hanbury Hall, a gem of the Wren period; Hagley Hall, grand and Palladian; Witley Court, the seat of the Earls of Dudley, now an unforgettable Victorian ruin. Towns come in all shapes, sizes and moods, including Stourport, the only English town created by the canals, Kidderminster with its sturdy carpet mills, the genteel spa resort at Great Malvern, and the leafy New Town at Redditch.
