52º22N 2º19W, pop (2000e) 5400. Market town in Worcestershire, WC England, UK; located on the R Severn at the edge of the Wyre Forest; founded by Saxons; given charter (1477) by Edward IV; an important fording point on the river long before the first bridge was built (1447); present bridge completed by Thomas Telford (1798); birthplace of Stanley Baldwin; on the Severn Valley Railway route; Church of St Anne (18th-c); many Georgian buildings.
Bewdley ( pronunciation) is a small town in Worcestershire, England, along the Severn Valley a few miles to the west of Kidderminster.
History and Government
The settlement of Wribbenhall, on the eastern side of the Severn and now part of Bewdley, was recorded in the Domesday Book as being part of the manor of Kidderminster.
Bewdley was granted borough status, as well as a weekly market, by King Edward IV in 1472, and retained this status until local government reorganisation in 1974.
A parliamentary report of 1777 listed Bewdley as having a parish workhouse accommodating up to 80 inmates.
Bewdley is now governed by three tiers of local government; in increasing order of size: Bewdley town council, Wyre Forest district council and Worcestershire county council.
For many centuries Bewdley had its own Member of Parliament (MP), but in 1950 the Bewdley constituency was abolished and the town was included in the Kidderminster constituency. In 1983, the Kidderminster constituency itself was absorbed into the Wyre Forest constituency, which currently encompasses all of Bewdley.
Town Geography
The bulk of Bewdley is situated on the western bank of the Severn, including the main street — Load Street — whose name derives from lode, an old word for ferry. Most of Bewdley's shops and amenities are situated along Load Street, at the top of which lies St Anne's Church, built between 1745 and 1748 by Thomas Woodward of Chipping Campden.
Beyond the church, High Street leads off to the south towards Stourport along the B4194, a road known locally as "the switchback" because of its many undulations.
On the other side of the church, Welch Gate (so called because it once contained a toll-gate on the road towards Wales) climbs steeply up to the west, while a continuation of the B4194 leads north-west towards the Wyre Forest.
The former quayside on the western bank of the river has been much prettified and landscaped over the last few decades, and its rows of Georgian buildings are well seen from the bridge.
River and Bridges
The Severn often bursts its banks in winter, flooding many houses and commercial premises. Bewdley's long experience of dealing with flooding led to the setting up of the National Flood Forum in the town in 2002.
After the 2000 floods, plans were made for flood defences on the western bank, and this work was completed in April 2006.
The current road bridge over the Severn in Bewdley was built in 1798 by Thomas Telford.
There is also a modern road bridge, to the south-east of the town at Blackstone, which carries the Bewdley bypass (opened in 1987 after many decades of campaigning) across the river.
A branch of the Severn Valley Railway, which ran through the Wyre Forest to Tenbury Wells, once crossed the river at Dowles, a little to the north of the town.
Local attractions
Museums and Galleries
Bewdley Museum is situated around the former Shambles area in Load Street and concentrates on local crafts and trades, with several working displays. Bewdley Craft Centre has been situated in a former school in Lax Lane for some years, but in 2006 the district council put the building up for sale, and the centre's future is uncertain.
Events
The Bewdley Festival, featuring a variety of artistic performances, is held in the town each October, and Bewdley also hosts one of the largest inland regattas in the country.
Other
The West Midland Safari Park lies just out of town, on the A456 towards Kidderminster.
Famous residents
British Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin was born at Lower Park House, Lower Park.
Other well-known people to have lived in Bewdley include TV chef Rustie Lee.
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