Worcester Cathedral

Worcester is more than just the home of the famous sauce or being a porcelain manufacturer. It’s also the home of Berrow’s Worcester Journal; which claims to be the world’s oldest newspaper. Plus, it was the location of the final battle of the English Civil War in 1651.

There’s evidence of human activity from Neolithic times onwards in the area. The Romans made charcoal from the trees in the Forest of Dean but there’s no evidence of a Roman town.

It is in the 7th century, when it became a centre for an Anglo-Saxon army, that Worcester as we know it began to be developed. It became a centre for monastic activity and learning. The last Anglo-Saxon Bishop of Worcester was St Wulfstan or Wulstan who died in 1095.

The town grew as a market town due to its position on the road network and river crossings and bridges over the River Seven. In the late 18th and 19th centuries, Worcester became a major manufacturer of gloves. In 1848, Worcester became a city.

Worcester Cathedral or the Cathedral Church of Christ and the Blessed Mary the Virgin, of Worcester, was started in 1084 and completed in 1504. There’s been a church on the site of the current cathedral since 680 and was dedicated to Saints Peter and Paul, nothing of the first church remains.

The cathedral is typical of those of the late medieval English period, in that it has two transepts rather than the single transept of the continental cathedrals of this period. Over the almost 500 years of its building, there are significant parts of it from each century. The Cathedral was extensively restored from 1857 to 1874 by W. A. Perkins and Sir George Gilbert Scott

The Cathedral is the burial place of King John and Prince Arthur (Henry VIII’s older brother).

Both the town and the cathedral are great places to visit. Here are a few photos of the cathedral.