Tenbury Wells
'The Town in the Orchard'
Tenbury Wells
|
Tenbury Wells had the 'Wells' added to its name last century to
help promote the Mineral Water Wells that had been found in the
town from 1840 onwards. Since the 18th century it has also been
known as the 'Town in the Orchard' after the many cider apple
orchards that surround the town.
Tenbury lies in the northern part of the Malvern Hills District
and borders Shropshire in the north and Herefordshire to the south
and west.
|
 |
It is on the south side of the Teme Valley and is built on the
flood plain of that valley. There is a smaller brook, the Kyre,
that comes in from the south and joins the Teme on the east of the
town. There are hills surrounding Tenbury on all sides which tend
to keep the climate fairly equable.
The most famous of the hills are the Clee Hills, about 5 miles
north of Tenbury. These balsatic hills are very ancient and are the
only hills in England mentioned on the Mappa Mundi. The Dhu Stone
(Black Stone) was popular as kerb stones as it is very hard. The
hills are still being quarried, although the well known shape of
the escarpment is being preserved. There are magnificent views of
the surrounding area from the top of the Dhustone Road, with a
viewing point that may be reached by car.
It is a wonderful place for walking, cycling and for car tours
along the lanes to take in the unspoilt scenery. Tenbury is on the
eastern edge of the Welsh Marches which was ruled from Ludlow -
hence its Castle.
The Teme Valley still has many Hop Yards (local name for hop
fields) and most farms have Hop Kilns attached to them. Many of the
Kilns are now being converted into houses. The Hop Yards tend to be
in the flood plain of the Teme.
The mineral waters which were found in 1840 brought about the
building in 1862 of the now restored Tenbury Spa. This may be seen
at the rear of the Crow Hotel.
The Spa, or Pump Rooms as it is generally known, has been
described as 'Chinese Gothic' and was designed by James Cranston of
Birmingham after some greenhouses he had designed, replacing the
glass by wrought iron sheets. It was one of the earliest examples
of prefabrication, with the sheets being made in Birmingham and
assembled on site.
The worthies of the town tried at the time to make it a going
concern, but it never paid its way. It has been resurrected again
at regular intervals as others tried to make money out of a Spa
that came too late to emulate the larger Spas, like Bath and
Leamington.
What to see
St, Mary's Church, much
restored in the 19th century after flood damage, has a Norman Tower
and inside the well preserved Acton Tombs and the shaft of an Anglo
Saxon Cross.
There are several 17th century half timbered buildings left in
Tenbury, although many are obscured by Victorian brick frontages.
The obvious 17th century buildings are the pubs of which the most
ornate is the Royal Oak, with the oldest probably being the
Pembroke House. There is the usual Round Market built by James
Cranston to enable farmers' wives sell their butter and poultry
inside, with walls to keep out the winds and rain.
The shopping centre is in Teme Street, Market Street, Market
Square and Cross Street with a wide variety of local shops. There
is a good selection of cafes, restaurants, pubs and take-aways
serving reasonably priced food.
The cattle / sheep market is held on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Not
to be missed are the annual Holly and Mistletoe sales held on the
Tuesdays before Christmas.
|
There are the remains of the Canal built in 1793, which went
from Mamble to Leominster as part of a project intended to link
with the Severn at Stourport. The scheme was never completed, but
the part that was built provided, among other things, half price
coal for the poor of Tenbury. The Tenbury Railway was built on the
same bed, but closed under the 'Beeching Axe' in 1962. These lie on
the north side of the River Teme.
Within a mile lies Burford House and Gardens, and the area is
also central for exploring the National Trust properties of
Berrington Hall, Croft Castle and Lower Brockhampton as well as the
English Heritage properties of Stokesay Castle and Witley Court,
with the magnificent Baroque Witley Church next door.
|
 |
Tenbury Wells supports a Business Park on the Bromyard Road. It
has a thriving community with plenty of activities and associations
for people to join. There are many sports activities including
golf, fishing, bowls, tennis, cricket, hockey, soccer, swimming and
rugby. Tenbury supports a Cottage Hospital, fire station, library
and indoor swimming pool.
Visitors are made very welcome to the Town. Contact the Tourist Information Centres for
advice about the facilities in the Town and to suggest what to do
in the beautiful Teme Valley and beyond.
Further information is available from http://www.tenburywells.info/
