Coordinates: 52°18′N 2°35′W / 52.30°N 2.58°W
| Tenbury Wells | |
 The Tenbury Wells Pump Rooms. |
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  Tenbury Wells
Tenbury Wells shown within Worcestershire |
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| Population | 3 .316 (2001)[1] |
|---|---|
| District | Malvern Hills |
| Shire county | Worcestershire |
| Region | West Midlands |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | TENBURY WELLS |
| Postcode district | WR15 |
| Dialling code | 01584 |
| Police | West Mercia |
| Fire | Hereford and Worcester |
| Ambulance | West Midlands |
| EU Parliament | West Midlands |
| UK Parliament | West Worcestershire |
| List of places: UK • England • Worcestershire | |
Tenbury Wells is a small market town and civil parish in Worcestershire, England, with a population of 3,316 (2001 census). It is the north-western extremity of the Malvern Hills District administrative area.
Contents |
Geography
Tenbury Wells lies on the south bank of the River Teme, which forms the border between Shropshire and Worcestershire. It is in the north-west of the Malvern Hills District. The settlement Burford in Shropshire lies on the north bank of the river.
History
From 1894 to 1974, it was a rural district, comprising itself and other villages such as Stoke Bliss[2] , Eastham and Rochford. From 1974 Tenbury was in the borough of Leominster until it became part Malvern Hills District when Leominster District Council was taken over by Herefordshire Council in April 1998.[3]
The history of Tenbury Wells is extends as far back as the Iron Age. The town is often thought of as the home to the Castle Tump, but this is now in Burford, Shropshire due to boundary changes. Though the Tump, believed[who?]to be the remains of an early Norman motte and bailey castle, can be seen from the main road (A456) there are no visible remains of the castle, which was constructed to defend and control the original River Teme crossing.[4]. It has also been described as "... the remains of an 11th century Norman Castle."
Originally named "Temettebury", the town was granted a Royal Charter to hold a market in 1249.[4] Over time, the name changed to "Tenbury", and then added the "Wells" following the discovery of mineral springs and wells in the town in the 1840s. [4] The name of the Railway station, which was on the now-defunct Tenbury & Bewdley Railway, was changed in 1912, in an attempt to publicise the mineral water being produced from the wells around the town.
For over 100 years Tenbury was well known throughout the country for its winter auctions of holly and mistletoe (and other Christmas products), but these moved out of the town in 2007. [5] It is also known for its "Chinese-gothic" Pump Room buildings, built in 1862, which reopened in 2001, following a major restoration Photo. They are now owned by Tenbury Town Council, having been transferred from Malvern Hills District Council[6] in September 2008.
Architecture
One notable architectural feature in the town is the unique (often described as Chinese-Gothic) Pump Rooms, designed by James Cranston in the 1860s, to house baths where the mineral water was available. One of the baths is on show at Tenbury Museum as is the drinking fountain from the Pump Rooms. Other notable structures in Tenbury include the parish church with a Norman tower, and a number of monuments.
The part-Mediaeval bridge over the River Teme, linking Tenbury to Burford Photo, Shropshire was rebuilt by Thomas Telford following flood damage in 1795. The Victorian era Workhouse, designed by George Wilkinson, has recently[when?] been sold to a private investor having formerly been used as the local Council Buildings. The Workhouse's infirmary survives, but the unique Victorian era corrugated iron isolation hospital was demolished on October 24, 2006.[7]
Local interest
Markets are held on Tuesday mornings, Friday mornings and most Saturday mornings, in and around the town's Round Market building, which was designed by James Cranston in the 1850s.Photo Tenbury was also known as 'the town in the orchard' due to the large numbers of fruit orchards of apple trees and also pears, quince and plum trees, in the immediate vicinity of the town Photo. This heritage is revisited every October during the Tenbury Applefest.
Tenbury in Poetry
Orchards gay with blossom,
Beauty, there to see,
Hollows where breeze is tender,
Moorlands where wind breaks free;
Sowing, Lambing, and Harvest,
Overlooked by Giant Clee,
Hop Kilns, Farmsteads, and TENBURY,
This is happiness is for me.
Power Station
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This section may need to be updated. Please update this section to reflect recent events or newly available information, and remove this template when finished. Please see the talk page for more information. (April 2009) |
A proposal by Oxfordshire businessman C J Day to build a biomass power station on a business park has caused controversy, because the residents of Tenbury are concerned about the disruption to local businesses during its construction.[8] The proposal continues to attract protests, and in July 2007 a petition against the plans had been signed by more than 2,300 people. [9][10] In July 2009 it was announced that the £965,000 grant offered to the power station project had been withdrawn. http://www.harriettbaldwin.com/search/article.php?id=337
Local Flooding
For several centuries Tenbury has been subject to regular flooding on many occasions , most recently on 26 June, 17 July and 20 to 22 July 2007 and on 5 September 2008 [11] The first flood was caused by the River Teme and the Kyre Brook bursting their banks Photo. The second was caused by a combination of 15mm (0.59in) of rain falling in an hour and the town's drainage system (much of which was blocked) failing to cope, creating flash flooding. The third flood again involved the River Teme and the Kyre Brook bursting their banks Photo.
The 2008 flood damage was caused by a combination of the drainage not having been upgraded since the 2007 floods and the wall on Market Street (which should hold back the Kyre Brook) not having been rebuilt following the 2007 floods.
A petition has been started seeking funding for flood defences for the town[12].
Notable past residents
- Harold "Barehands" Bates, Royal Navy officer.
- Henry Hill Hickman, pioneer of anaesthesia.
- Anthony Parkin, author, journalist, broadcaster and farmer See Times obituary
- Frederick Ouseley, composer, organist, and musical scholar.
- Peter Slade, (b.1912 d.2004) youngest "uncle" on BBC Radio Children's Hour and the first British dramatherapist. He opened his first arts centre in Tenbury Wells in 1940. See Guardian obituary
- Tom Matthews (politician) long-serving councillor, Mayor and chairman of former Leominster District Council (taken over by Herefordshire Council).
References
- ^ http://worcestershire.whub.org.uk/home/cs-research-census-townprofile-tenburywells.pdf
- ^ British History Online Retrieved 21 May 2009.
- ^ Council web site. Retrieved 21 May 2009.
- ^ a b c "Ten facts about Tenbury Wells". BBC News. 2006-05-03. http://www.bbc.co.uk/herefordandworcester/content/articles/2006/05/02/tenbury_wells_facts_feature.shtml. Retrieved 2006-07-14.
- ^ Carey, Jackie (2004-12-01). "Tenbury Refuses to Kiss Goodbye to Mistletoe". BBC News. http://www.bbc.co.uk/herefordandworcester/content/articles/2004/11/30/misteltoe_feature.shtml. Retrieved 2006-07-14.
- ^ Malvern Hills District official website
- ^ Teme Valley Times Festive Special 2006 p2
- ^ "Opposition to power station plan". BBC News. 2007-04-24. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/hereford/worcs/6590225.stm. Retrieved 2009-04-03.
- ^ Fry, Claire (2007-08-10). "Protestors concern over power plant". Worcester News. Newsquest Media Group. http://worcesternews.co.uk/mostpopular.var.1610775.mostcommented.protestors_concern_over_power_plant.php. Retrieved 2009-04-03.
- ^ "Thousands sign power petition". Shropshire Star. 2007-07-15. http://www.shropshirestar.com/2007/07/15/thousands-sign-power-petition/. Retrieved 2009-04-03.
- ^ Tenbury Blogspot. Retrieved 21 May 2009
- ^ Official site of the Prime Minister’s Office Retrieved 21 May 2009
Further reading
Miller, Howard (2004): Tenbury Wells and the Teme Valley ISBN 978-0752407227
External links
- Tenbury Wells website. Retrieved 21 May 2009.
- Tenbury Fire Station
- Tenbury Tourism Information
- Tenbury Workhouse
- Tenbury Museum
- Teme Valley Times = local paper
- Tenbury and Burford Civic Society
- The Pump Rooms
- The Round Market
- The Regal Cinema
- Old Francis Frith photos of Tenbury Wells
- www.geograph.co.uk : photos of Tenbury and surrounding area
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