Pershore
Encyclopedia
Pershore is a market town
in Worcestershire
, England, on the banks of the River Avon
. Pershore is in the Wychavon
district and is part of the West Worcestershire parliamentary constituency. At the 2001 census the population was 7,304. The town is best known for Pershore Abbey
, Pershore College (now a campus of Warwickshire College
), and the plums
and pears
grown locally.
Pershore is situated on the River Avon
, 6 miles west of Evesham and 6 miles east of Upton-upon-Severn
in the Vale of Evesham, a district rich in fruit and vegetable production The town lies near the A44
midway from Worcester
to Evesham. The nearest motorway junctions are junction 7 of the M5
(South Worcester) or junction 1 of the M50
. There is a railway station
on the Cotswold Line
, enabling direct travel to Paddington station
, London, via Evesham, Moreton-in-Marsh
, Oxford
, Didcot
and Reading
, although Pershore station is more than a mile from the centre of the town towards Pinvin
.
The town has been designated as a place of major architectural importance by the Council for British Archaeology
, and listed as an outstanding conservation area
. Parts of the abbey
, which stand in an expanse of public grassland close to the centre of the town, date from the 11th century. The current structure is far smaller than the original building, which was plundered during the reign of Henry VIII
at the Dissolution
. The original nave
was destroyed. The north transept
collapsed later. The present nave occupies the western part of what would originally have been the choir.
The Abbey Park includes a bowls club, children's play area and skate board park (2006), consisting of a mini ramp and a street section. The town also contains much elegant Georgian architecture
.
first school
(ages 5–9), middle school
(ages 9–12), high school
(ages 12–18) system practised by Wychavon District Council. Pershore High School
has a sixth form
with all-weather sports pitches and sports hall.
Abbey Park First School and Abbey Park Middle School is on Abbey Road, they are both situated down the same drive. Pershore High School is on Station Road, which is on the outskirts of Pershore, bordering Pinvin
, a small village.
Holy Redeemer Roman Catholic Primary School, situated on Priest Lane beside Holy Redeemer, Pershore's only Catholic Church, stands outside the 3-tier model. It is a primary school (ages 5–11) which acts as a feeder school to Blessed Edward Oldcorne Catholic College
in Worcester
. Pershore College, a school of agriculture and horticulture, became an agricultural campus for Warwickshire College
following a merger in 2007.
tradition.
revived The Land O’Plums Chase from 72 years ago.
The festival won the Best Tourism Event and Festival in the Worcestershire Welcome Awards 2011.
, belongs to the Midland Football Combination
league. The Pershore Sports club is situated at The Bottoms on Defford Road. It also has a women's team, Pershore Town Ladies, who play in the new Herefordshire and Worcestershire Women’s County Football League. Pershore Rugby Club has a clubhouse and pitches by the river in nearby Wyre Piddle
. Multiple BTCC
title winning team, Team Dynamics
, is also based there. A kayak club is situated on the river.
is situated in the main town and a Co-operative Food on the outskirts.
Natives
Residents
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
in Worcestershire
Worcestershire
Worcestershire is a non-metropolitan county, established in antiquity, located in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire" NUTS 2 region...
, England, on the banks of the River Avon
River Avon, Warwickshire
The River Avon or Avon is a river in or adjoining the counties of Leicestershire, Northamptonshire, Warwickshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire in the Midlands of England...
. Pershore is in the Wychavon
Wychavon
Wychavon is a local government district in Worcestershire, England. Its council is based in Pershore. Other towns in the district include Droitwich Spa, Evesham and Broadway. The district extends from the south-east corner of Worcestershire north and west...
district and is part of the West Worcestershire parliamentary constituency. At the 2001 census the population was 7,304. The town is best known for Pershore Abbey
Pershore Abbey
Pershore Abbey, at Pershore in Worcestershire, was an Anglo-Saxon abbey and is now an Anglican parish church.-Foundation:The foundation of the minster at Pershore is alluded to in a spurious charter of King Æthelred of Mercia...
, Pershore College (now a campus of Warwickshire College
Warwickshire College
Warwickshire College is a large further and higher education college in England. It provides National Curriculum courses and vocational education in a broad range of subjects to students aged 16 and over...
), and the plums
Plum
A plum or gage is a stone fruit tree in the genus Prunus, subgenus Prunus. The subgenus is distinguished from other subgenera in the shoots having a terminal bud and solitary side buds , the flowers in groups of one to five together on short stems, and the fruit having a groove running down one...
and pears
Pear
The pear is any of several tree species of genus Pyrus and also the name of the pomaceous fruit of these trees. Several species of pear are valued by humans for their edible fruit, but the fruit of other species is small, hard, and astringent....
grown locally.
Pershore is situated on the River Avon
River Avon, Warwickshire
The River Avon or Avon is a river in or adjoining the counties of Leicestershire, Northamptonshire, Warwickshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire in the Midlands of England...
, 6 miles west of Evesham and 6 miles east of Upton-upon-Severn
Upton-upon-Severn
Upton-upon-Severn is a small town and civil parish in the Malvern Hills District of Worcestershire, England, on the River Severn. According to the national census 2001 it had a population of 2,859. Located from Malvern, the bridge at Upton is the only one across the river Severn between Worcester...
in the Vale of Evesham, a district rich in fruit and vegetable production The town lies near the A44
A44 road
The A44 is a major road in the United Kingdom that runs from Oxford in southern England to Aberystwyth in west Wales.-History:The original route of the A44 was Chipping Norton to Aberystwyth. No changes were made to the route of the A44 in the early years...
midway from Worcester
Worcester
The City of Worcester, commonly known as Worcester, , is a city and county town of Worcestershire in the West Midlands of England. Worcester is situated some southwest of Birmingham and north of Gloucester, and has an approximate population of 94,000 people. The River Severn runs through the...
to Evesham. The nearest motorway junctions are junction 7 of the M5
M5 motorway
The M5 is a motorway in England. It runs from a junction with the M6 at West Bromwich near Birmingham to Exeter in Devon. Heading south-west, the M5 runs east of West Bromwich and west of Birmingham through Sandwell Valley...
(South Worcester) or junction 1 of the M50
M50 motorway (Great Britain)
The M50 is a motorway in Gloucestershire, Worcestershire and Herefordshire, England. It is long and is sometimes referred to as the Ross Spur. It is the only motorway-class road in Herefordshire.-Route:...
. There is a railway station
Pershore railway station
- External links :...
on the Cotswold Line
Cotswold Line
The Cotswold Line is an railway line between and in England.-Route:The line comprises all or part of the following Network Rail routes:*GW 200 from Oxford*GW 310 from Wolvercot Junction*GW 300 from Norton Junction*GW 340 from Worcester Shrub Hill...
, enabling direct travel to Paddington station
Paddington station
Paddington railway station, also known as London Paddington, is a central London railway terminus and London Underground complex.The site is a historic one, having served as the London terminus of the Great Western Railway and its successors since 1838. Much of the current mainline station dates...
, London, via Evesham, Moreton-in-Marsh
Moreton-in-Marsh
Moreton-in-Marsh is a town and civil parish in northeastern Gloucestershire, England. The town is at the crossroads of the Fosse Way Roman road and the A44. The parish and environs are relatively flat and low-lying compared with the surrounding Cotswold Hills...
, Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
, Didcot
Didcot
Didcot is a town and civil parish in Oxfordshire about south of Oxford. Until 1974 it was in Berkshire, but was transferred to Oxfordshire in that year, and from Wallingford Rural District to the district of South Oxfordshire...
and Reading
Reading (process)
Reading is a complex cognitive process of decoding symbols for the intention of constructing or deriving meaning . It is a means of language acquisition, of communication, and of sharing information and ideas...
, although Pershore station is more than a mile from the centre of the town towards Pinvin
Pinvin
Pinvin is a village in Worcestershire, England, a little to the north of Pershore, about 7½ miles south-east of Worcester, and about 6 miles north-west of Evesham and is in fact the location of Pershore railway station. The name is thought to come from 'Penda's fen' after the Mercian King Penda...
.
The town has been designated as a place of major architectural importance by the Council for British Archaeology
Council for British Archaeology
Established in 1944, the is an educational charity working throughout the UK to involve people in archaeology and to promote the appreciation and care of the historic environment for the benefit of present and future generations...
, and listed as an outstanding conservation area
Conservation area
A conservation areas is a tract of land that has been awarded protected status in order to ensure that natural features, cultural heritage or biota are safeguarded...
. Parts of the abbey
Pershore Abbey
Pershore Abbey, at Pershore in Worcestershire, was an Anglo-Saxon abbey and is now an Anglican parish church.-Foundation:The foundation of the minster at Pershore is alluded to in a spurious charter of King Æthelred of Mercia...
, which stand in an expanse of public grassland close to the centre of the town, date from the 11th century. The current structure is far smaller than the original building, which was plundered during the reign of Henry VIII
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
at the Dissolution
Dissolution of the Monasteries
The Dissolution of the Monasteries, sometimes referred to as the Suppression of the Monasteries, was the set of administrative and legal processes between 1536 and 1541 by which Henry VIII disbanded monasteries, priories, convents and friaries in England, Wales and Ireland; appropriated their...
. The original nave
Nave
In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
was destroyed. The north transept
Transept
For the periodical go to The Transept.A transept is a transverse section, of any building, which lies across the main body of the building. In Christian churches, a transept is an area set crosswise to the nave in a cruciform building in Romanesque and Gothic Christian church architecture...
collapsed later. The present nave occupies the western part of what would originally have been the choir.
The Abbey Park includes a bowls club, children's play area and skate board park (2006), consisting of a mini ramp and a street section. The town also contains much elegant Georgian architecture
Georgian architecture
Georgian architecture is the name given in most English-speaking countries to the set of architectural styles current between 1720 and 1840. It is eponymous for the first four British monarchs of the House of Hanover—George I of Great Britain, George II of Great Britain, George III of the United...
.
Education
Schools in Pershore follow the three-tierThree-tier education
Three-tier education refers to those structures of schooling, which exist in some parts of England, where pupils are taught in three distinct school types. A similar experiment was also trialled in Scotland....
first school
First School
First school and lower school are terms used in some areas of the United Kingdom to describe the first stage of primary education. Some English Local Education Authorities have introduced First Schools since the 1960s...
(ages 5–9), middle school
Middle school
Middle School and Junior High School are levels of schooling between elementary and high schools. Most school systems use one term or the other, not both. The terms are not interchangeable...
(ages 9–12), high school
Upper school
Upper Schools tend to be schools within secondary education. Outside England, the term normally refers to a section of a larger school. There is some variation in the use of the term in England.-State Maintained Schools:...
(ages 12–18) system practised by Wychavon District Council. Pershore High School
Pershore High School
Pershore High School is a co-educational comprehensive school, with a Sixth Form, in Pershore, Worcestershire, England. It is the only high school in Pershore and also takes pupils from surrounding villages. It has a capacity of 1273 pupils aged between 12 and 18.The school was founded in 1932 as...
has a sixth form
Sixth form
In the education systems of England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, and of Commonwealth West Indian countries such as Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, Belize, Jamaica and Malta, the sixth form is the final two years of secondary education, where students, usually sixteen to eighteen years of age,...
with all-weather sports pitches and sports hall.
Abbey Park First School and Abbey Park Middle School is on Abbey Road, they are both situated down the same drive. Pershore High School is on Station Road, which is on the outskirts of Pershore, bordering Pinvin
Pinvin
Pinvin is a village in Worcestershire, England, a little to the north of Pershore, about 7½ miles south-east of Worcester, and about 6 miles north-west of Evesham and is in fact the location of Pershore railway station. The name is thought to come from 'Penda's fen' after the Mercian King Penda...
, a small village.
Holy Redeemer Roman Catholic Primary School, situated on Priest Lane beside Holy Redeemer, Pershore's only Catholic Church, stands outside the 3-tier model. It is a primary school (ages 5–11) which acts as a feeder school to Blessed Edward Oldcorne Catholic College
Blessed Edward Oldcorne Catholic College
Blessed Edward Oldcorne Catholic College is a school in Worcester, England. It is a co-educational school, in which there are about 1050 students enrolled, aged between 11 and 16...
in Worcester
Worcester
The City of Worcester, commonly known as Worcester, , is a city and county town of Worcestershire in the West Midlands of England. Worcester is situated some southwest of Birmingham and north of Gloucester, and has an approximate population of 94,000 people. The River Severn runs through the...
. Pershore College, a school of agriculture and horticulture, became an agricultural campus for Warwickshire College
Warwickshire College
Warwickshire College is a large further and higher education college in England. It provides National Curriculum courses and vocational education in a broad range of subjects to students aged 16 and over...
following a merger in 2007.
Arts
The town has a community arts centre, a Volunteer Centre, and a morris danceMorris dance
Morris dance is a form of English folk dance usually accompanied by music. It is based on rhythmic stepping and the execution of choreographed figures by a group of dancers. Implements such as sticks, swords, handkerchiefs and bells may also be wielded by the dancers...
tradition.
Plum Festival
The Pershore Plum Festival is held annually in August to celebrate the local tradition of growing plums including the local varieties Pershore Purple, Pershore Yellow Egg Plum and Pershore Emblem. Activities include crowing the plum princess, a family fun run, plum themed art exhibition and the Plum Fayre. There is also a classic car rally and nearby Worcester RacecourseWorcester Racecourse
Worcester Racecourse is a thoroughbred horse racing venue located in the city of Worcester, Worcestershire, England.The course is laid out as an oval circuit of about 13 furlongs in length and situated by the south side of the River Severn....
revived The Land O’Plums Chase from 72 years ago.
The festival won the Best Tourism Event and Festival in the Worcestershire Welcome Awards 2011.
Sport
Pershore's football club, Pershore Town F.C.Pershore Town F.C.
Pershore Town 88 F.C. are an English football club based in Pershore, Worcestershire, England. For the 2011-12 season, they are members of the Midland Combination Premier Division.-History:...
, belongs to the Midland Football Combination
Midland Football Combination
The Midland Football Combination is an English football league covering parts of the West Midlands. It comprises five divisions, a Premier Division, Divisions One and Two and two Reserves Divisions...
league. The Pershore Sports club is situated at The Bottoms on Defford Road. It also has a women's team, Pershore Town Ladies, who play in the new Herefordshire and Worcestershire Women’s County Football League. Pershore Rugby Club has a clubhouse and pitches by the river in nearby Wyre Piddle
Wyre Piddle
Wyre Piddle is a village and civil parish in the Wychavon district of Worcestershire, England. It is on the River Avon, near where that river is joined by the Piddle Brook - between Evesham and Pershore...
. Multiple BTCC
British Touring Car Championship
The British Touring Car Championship is a touring car racing series held each year in the United Kingdom. The Championship was established in 1958 as the British Saloon Car Championship and has run to various rules over the years – "production cars", then FIA Group 1 or 2 in the late 1960s...
title winning team, Team Dynamics
Team Dynamics
Team Dynamics is a UK-based motor-racing team based in Pershore, Worcestershire; best known for their successes as an independent squad in the British Touring Car Championship, including winning the Overall Drivers title in 2005 and 2006 with Matt Neal...
, is also based there. A kayak club is situated on the river.
Economy
There is a main High Street with various retail and food outlets. An AsdaAsda
Asda Stores Ltd is a British supermarket chain which retails food, clothing, general merchandise, toys and financial services. It also has a mobile telephone network, , Asda Mobile...
is situated in the main town and a Co-operative Food on the outskirts.
Notable people
See alsoNatives
- Hugh BennettHugh Bennett (cricketer)Hugh Frederic Bennett was an English cricketer, who played two first-class games for Worcestershire in 1901. He had a reasonable debut, making 24 and 31* against Gloucestershire, but after scoring just 8 in the following game against Derbyshire he never played again.He was born in Pirton,...
(1862-1943), cricketer - Claude ChoulesClaude ChoulesClaude Stanley Choules was the last World War I combat veteran, and was the last military witness to the scuttling of the German fleet in Scapa Flow. He was also the last veteran to have served in both world wars, and the last seaman from the First World War...
(1901-2011), world's last living veteran of both World Wars - Giles CollierGiles CollierGiles Collier , was an English divine.Collier was the son of Giles Collier of Pershore, Worcestershire, in which county he was born in 1622. In Lent term 1637 he became either a battler or a servitor at New Inn Hall, Oxford, taking the degrees of B.A. and M.A. in 1641 and 1648 respectively...
(1622–1678), divine - George DowtyGeorge Dowty-Early life:Dowty was born in Pershore, Worcestershire in 1901. He was sent to the Royal Grammar School Worcester after losing his right eye at the age of 12 playing around making a firework....
(1901-1975), inventor and businessman - George Mason IGeorge Mason IGeorge Mason I was the progenitor of the prominent American landholding and political Mason family. Mason was the great-grandfather of George Mason IV, a Founding Father of the United States.-Early life:...
(1629–1686), progenitor of the American landholding and political Mason family
Residents
- Michael CollieMichael Collie (journalist)Michael Collie is a British television journalist who currently presents for the BBC in the West Midlands. He currently is the joint main presenter of the regional opt-out on the weekly politics programme, the Politics Show, in addition to the weekend editions of BBC Midlands Today, alternating...
(1966-), TV presenter, BBC Midlands TodayMidlands TodayMidlands Today is the BBC's regional television news programme for the West Midlands region, which covers the north of Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire, Worcestershire and the West Midlands county... - Tamara LeesTamara LeesTamara Lees was an Austrian-born English film actress. She appeared in 48 films between 1947 and 1961.-Selected filmography:* A Piece of Cake * Totò sceicco * Canzone di primavera...
, (1924-1999), actor, born Diana Helena Mapplebeck - Maurice McCanlisMaurice McCanlisMaurice Alfred McCanlis was an English sportsman who played first-class cricket for Oxford University and represented England at rugby union....
(1906-1991), sportsman - Charles ShadwellCharles Shadwell (musician)Charles Murray Winstanley Shadwell was a British conductor and bandleader....
(1898-1979), musician - Toyah WillcoxToyah WillcoxToyah Ann Willcox is an English actress and singer. In a career spanning more than thirty years Toyah has had 13 top 40 singles, released 22 studio albums, written two books, appeared in over forty stage plays and ten feature films, as well as voicing and presenting numerous television shows...
, actor, singer, and wife of Robert FrippRobert FrippRobert Fripp is an English guitarist, composer and record producer. He was ranked 42nd on Rolling Stone magazine's 2003 list of the "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time" and #47 on Gibson.com’s "Top 50 Guitarists of All Time". Among rock guitarists, Fripp is a master of crosspicking, a technique...
of rock band King CrimsonKing CrimsonKing Crimson are a rock band founded in London, England in 1969. Often categorised as a foundational progressive rock group, the band have incorporated diverse influences and instrumentation during their history...