Wonderful Worcestershire Trivia Quiz

Answer:

Worcestershire is in the Midlands of England, to the west. It has borders with Shropshire, Staffordshire, and the West Midlands to the north, Gloucestershire to the south, Warwickshire to the east and Herefordshire to the west. The county town and main city is Worcester.

In the south of Worcestershire are Broadway and Evesham. Broadway is often described as the quintessential Cotswold village, and is very close to the Gloucestershire border, where the major parts of the Cotswolds are located. Although classed as a village, its 'picture postcard' setting attracts numerous visitors. Evesham is in an area called the Vale of Evesham. It is renowned for its production of fruit and vegetables, but its proximity to the River Avon means that the region and the town experience frequent floods.

Also in the Vale of Evesham, located on the banks of the River Avon, is another market town called Pershore. Its name derives from being on a 'shore'. It is particularly known for Pershore Abbey, a Benedictine establishment founded originally in the seventh century. The present building dates from the twelfth century although it has been much expanded over the centuries.

Malvern is in the south west of the county, taking its name from the Malvern Hills which overlook the town. Other parts of the region are known as Great Malvern, Malvern Wells and Little Malvern. The area is popular with tourists and is classed as a spa town, The spa water accumulates from rain water which drains though the hills, which are limestone and granite. There is a specific Malvern Spa Association which is responsible for collecting the water from the many wells and fountains in the region.

Another spa town, Tenbury Wells, is situated very close to the border with Shropshire, near Ludlow, and at the extreme edge of the Malvern Hills, The town was originally known only as Tenbury, but the discovery of mineral waters in the 1840s led to the addition of Wells to the name. Powick is a village which lies between Great Malvern and Worcester, quite close to both, The River Teme runs by the village and has two bridges crossing it. One dates from mediaeval times and was the scene of an early battle in the Civil War - it is a Grade I listed monument. It was open for use by cyclists and pedestrians but was closed in 2024 due to concerns about the foundations.

Droitwich Spa is also known for its mineral waters, but is much further north, to the northeast of Worcester and only just over twenty miles (thirty-five km) from Birmingham. The town was known in Roman times and is situated on the River Salwarpe, a tributary of the Severn, and is a source of salt. The outdoor swimming pool contains salt water, even though the town is nowhere near the sea.

In the north of the county are some of the bigger towns. Kidderminster lies southwest of Birmingham and is close to the county's boundaries with both Shropshire and Staffordshire. It lies in the Wyre Forest district. The town is famous for its carpet making, which began in 1785 and still continues into the twenty-first century. Bewdley is also in the Wyre Forest area and is situated on the River Severn. It is known for its bridge, designed by Thomas Telford, a famous British civil engineer.

The final town in the northwest is Stourport-on-Severn, usually known just as Stourport. Located downstream from Bewdley, it is, of course, another town on the banks of the River Severn. The town became established after the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal was built in the second half of the eighteenth century - the town grew around the junction between the new canal and the Birmingham Canal. This explains the use of the word 'port' in its name.

Moving over to the northeast now, where the towns are close to England's second city of Birmingham. Redditch is located here. Although the town has existed since the fourteenth century, it grew dramatically in the 1960s as it was one of the UK's 'new towns', incorporating nearby villages to cover a much larger area. In the twenty-first century it is the second largest place in the county after Worcester itself. Bromsgrove is only thirteen miles (twenty-one km) from Birmingham, and the M5 and M42 motorways run nearby. Its history dates back to Anglo-Saxon times when it was known as Bremesgraf. Because of its proximity to Birmingham, many residents work in the city.

The northernmost parts of Worcestershire have been swallowed up by the city of Birmingham, which was originally itself part of Worcestershire before its expansion. Some parts of southern Birmingham, such as Hollywood and Wythall are still officially in Worcestershire, at least at the time of writing this quiz in 2026.

The incorrect options are Moreton-in-Marsh, which is in Gloucestershire, Kenilworth and Rugby, which are both in Warwickshire, and Tamworth and Hanley, which are Staffordshire.