Everything about Tenbury Wells totally explained
Tenbury Wells is a small
market town in
Worcestershire,
England, lying on the south bank of the
River Teme. For over 100 years it was well-known for its
winter auctions of
holly and
mistletoe (and other Christmas products), but these moved out of the town in 2007. It is also known for its "chinese-gothic" Pump Room buildings, built in
1862, which reopened in 2001, following a major restoration
(External Link
).
History
The history of Tenbury Wells is thought to extend 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 to be the remains of an early
Norman motte and bailey castle, is easily seen from the main road (
A456) there are no visible remains of the castle, which may have been constructed to defend and control the original
River Teme crossing.. 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.
The most 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
(External Link),
Shropshire was rebuilt by
Thomas Telford following flood damage in
1795.
The
Victorian era Workhouse, designed by
George Wilkinson, is now used as Council Buildings. The Workhouse's
infirmary survives, but the unique
Victorian era corrugated iron isolation hospital was demolished on October 24th,
2006.
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
(External Link). This heritage is revisited every October, when the Tenbury
Applefest is held - see http://www.applefest.org.uk/
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.
Geography
Tenbury Wells lies on the south bank of the
River Teme, which forms the border between
Shropshire and
Worcestershire. The settlement north of the river, which is in Shropshire (part of the
South Shropshire district), is
Burford.
From
1894 to
1974, it was a
rural district, comprising itself and other villages such as
Stoke Bliss,
Eastham and
Rochford. From 1974 to
1998, it was in the borough of
Leominster. Since then in has been part of the
Malvern Hills District.
Power Station
A proposal by
Oxfordshire businessman
C J Day to build a
power station at Tenbury Wells has caused a lot of controversy and a petition against the scheme has attracted over 2300 signatures The proposal continues to attract protests, most recently on August 9th, 2007.
Local Flooding
Tenbury has been flooded on many occasions over several centuries, most recently on 26 June, 17 July and 20 to 22 July 2007. The first 2007 flood was caused by the River Teme and the Kyre Brook bursting their banks
(External Link). 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
(External Link).
The second flood caused the public toilets on Market Street to lose much of their foundation. The concrete raft the toilets were built on remained intact, but a lot of the ground beneath the raft was washed away, as was a section of wall. No replacement support for the toilets was provided and they capsized in the third flood when more of the ground was washed away. They were demolished on the morning of July 26th, 2007. http://www.bbc.co.uk/herefordandworcester/content/image_galleries/toilet_demolition_gallery.shtml?1
http://www.shropshirestar.co.uk/2007/07/flood-hit-toilets-demolished/
Notable past residents
Further Information
Get more info on 'Tenbury Wells'.
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