Tenbury Wells

infobox UK place
country = England
official_name= Tenbury Wells
latitude= 52.30
longitude= -2.58
population = 3.316 (2001) [http://worcestershire.whub.org.uk/home/cs-research-census-townprofile-tenburywells.pdf]
shire_district= Malvern Hills
shire_county = Worcestershire
region= West Midlands
constituency_westminster= Leominster
post_town= TENBURY WELLS
postcode_area= WR
postcode_district= WR15
dial_code= 01584
os_grid_reference=

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. [cite news | title = Tenbury Refuses to Kiss Goodbye to Mistletoe
url = http://www.bbc.co.uk/herefordandworcester/content/articles/2004/11/30/misteltoe_feature.shtml
last = Carey | first = Jackie | date = 2004-12-01 | publisher = BBC News
accessdate = 2006-07-14 ] "Tenbury Wells and the Teme Valley" 2006 p2] It is also known for its "Chinese-gothic" Pump Room buildings, built in 1862, which reopened in 2001, following a major restoration [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/371361] . They are now owned by Tenbury Town Council, having been transferred from Malvern Hills District Council in September 2008.

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. cite news | title = Ten facts about Tenbury Wells
date = 2006-05-03 | accessdate = 2006-07-14 | publisher = BBC News
url = http://www.bbc.co.uk/herefordandworcester/content/articles/2006/05/02/tenbury_wells_facts_feature.shtml ] . It has also been described as "... the remains of an 11th century Norman Castle." ["Tenbury Wells and the Teme Valley, 2007, p8]

Originally named "Temettebury", the town was granted a Royal Charter to hold a market in 1249. 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. 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.

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. [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/434433] ["Tenbury Wells and the Teme Valley" 2006 p5]

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. ["Tenbury Wells and the Teme Valley" 2007 p2] One of the baths is on show at Tenbury Museum as is the drinking fountain from the Pump Rooms. ["Tenbury Wells and the Teme Valley" 2007 p3]

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, ["Tenbury Wells and the Teme Valley" 2007 p5] linking Tenbury to Burford [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/278913] , Shropshire was rebuilt by Thomas Telford following flood damage in 1795. ["Teme Valley Times" Spring 2007 p2]

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. ["Teme Valley Times" Festive Special 2006 p2]

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 [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/213752] . 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 [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/hereford/worcs/6590225.stm BBC News: Opposition to Power Station] Accessed online: June 20, 2007] The proposal continues to attract protests, most recently on August 9th, 2007. [ [http://worcesternews.co.uk/mostpopular.var.1610775.mostcommented.protestors_concern_over_power_plant.php Worcester News: Protestors concern over power plant] Accessed online: Aug 12, 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 and on 5 September 2008 - see http://tenburywells.blogspot.com. The first flood was caused by the River Teme and the Kyre Brook bursting their banks [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/502160] . 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 [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/502152] .

The second flood caused the public toilets on Market Street to lose much of their foundation, being undermined by the stream in flood. 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?1http://www.shropshirestar.co.uk/2007/07/flood-hit-toilets-demolished/

The 2008 flood 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.

Notable past residents

*Harold "Barehands" Bates, officer in the Royal Navy.
*Henry Hill Hickman, pioneer of anaesthesia.
*Jason King, one half of the Virgin Radio duo JK and Joel.
*Frederick Ouseley, composer, organist and musical scholar.
*Peter Slade, [http://www.english1.org.uk/pslade5.htm] born 7 November 1912; died 28 June 2004, was the youngest "uncle" on BBC Radio Children's Hour and the first British dramatherapist. He opened his first arts centre in Tenbury Wells in 1940.

References

External links

* [http://www.tenburyfire.co.uk/ Tenbury Fire Station]
* [http://uk.geocities.com/TenburyTIC/ Tenbury Tourism Information]
* [http://www.tenburyworkhouse.co.uk/ Tenbury Workhouse]
* [http://www.tenburymuseum.co.uk/ Tenbury Museum]
* [http://www.temevalleytimes.co.uk/ Teme Valley Times = local paper]
* [http://tenburyweb.co.uk/civic/ Tenbury and Burford Civic Society]
* [http://www.pumprooms.co.uk/ The Pump Rooms]
* [http://www.roundmarket.co.uk/ The Round Market]
* [http://www.regaltenbury.co.uk/ The Regal Cinema]
* [http://www.frithphotos.com/search/england/worcestershire/tenbury+wells/photos/tenbury+wells_photos.htm Old Francis Frith photos of Tenbury Wells]
* [http://www.geograph.org.uk/search.php?i=2641872 www.geograph.co.uk : photos of Tenbury and surrounding area]