Worcester Cathedral
he history of Worcester goes back a long way. In 672, a council of the English Church was held, Worcester became the centre of five new dioceses formed. In the ninth century invasions from the Danes brought fighting to England, but Worcester being on the edge of the conflict escaped without much damage. In 983, Oswald founded a monastery at Worcester under the Benedictine rule, dedicated to St. Mary the Virgin. Wulfstan, in 1040 became a monk at Worcester and made such an impression, he became Bishop of Worcester in 1062. Wulfstan was the only Anglo-Saxon bishop to remain at his post after the Norman Conquest of 1066. In 1084, Wulfstan began rebuilding Worcester Cathedral, starting with the crypt, some of which still survives. He was canonised in 1203. Building work continued for some time, including rebuilding the two western bays of the nave in 1170 and around 1202 the central tower collapsed and there was a serious fire. In 1216, King John was buried at Worcester and he seems to have a devotion to St. Wulfstan. In 1224, Bishop William de Blois built the Lady Chapel, where he was buried when he died in 1236. In the fourteenth century the nave was completely rebuilt apart from the western bays. The central tower and the cloisters were completed built by 1374.
Pershore Abbey
he earliest date in the history of Pershore Abbey is around 689 when a monastery was founded by Oswald who was given the land by his uncle Ethelred of Mercia. In 972 a charter given by King Edgar confirmed the abbey's lands and shortly after St. Oswald, the Bishop of Worcester founded a Benedictine Abbey. The principal saint remembered by the abbey was St. Edburga (Eadburgas) who was the daughter of Edward the Elder, the son of Alfred the Great. When Edburga died some of her remains were brought to the abbey to provide a focus for pilgrims visiting the abbey. In 1065 Edward the Confessor took lands from Pershore and allocated them to the new abbey at Westminster. The town of Pershore came under the influence of the two abbeys and the new church of St. Andrews was built for the Westminster tenants who lived there.
Two major fires caused great damage to the abbey buildings and resulted in large-scale rebuilding work. The first fire in 1223 destroyed the choir and resulted in the reconstruction of the choir and presbytery. The fire of 1288 started in the abbey bakehouse and spread not only to the abbet itself but to many surrounding houses as well.
Worcester Castle
Worcester Castle was a motte and bailey type castle and was located just to the south of the Cathedral on the right hand bank of the River Severn. It was built in around 1068 or 1069 by the Norman Urse d'Abetot. In 1113 the castle and cathedral were damaged by fire. The castle played an important role during the period of the Anarchy, the civil war that involved King Stephen and Henry Henry I's daughter Matilda. During the reigns of King Henry II and King John and Henry II the castle continued to be an important location. After the death of King John the land that the castle was built on was granted back to the Cathedral. The owner of the castle at that time preferred to spend his time at the local Elmley Castle and so Worcester castle started to fall into disrepair. In later years the castle was used as a prison before a more suitable location was found. Apart from Edgar's Tower, which can still be seen, nothing of the castle or its defences remain.
Strensham Castle
Earthworks remains of a moated fortified manor house located near the M5 motorway that inorporates some English Civil War defences. Only the earthworks including sections of the two concentric moats remain.in 1388 Sir John Russell was granted a license to crenellate his home by King Richard II. During the English Civil War the castle was the property of Sir William Russell who was the Royalist Governor of Worcester. The house was destroyed at the end of the war.
