Medieval and Georgian Bewdley

Sunday 17th April, 2011
Walk led by Sue Brown, local historian and author

map

A good crowd of SWAG members met outside Bewdley Museum for what proved to be a very interesting walk and a great start to the SWAG summer season.

Bewdley is known for its Georgian buildings and its history as a river port, but we were there to also see what remains of its medieval past. Sue started off by giving us a potted history of the town. It is not mentioned in Domesday, but may have been considered part of the manor of Wribbenhall then.

Lower Park

High Street

The town was granted a market in 1376, on Wyre Hill a mile or so to the west of the river crossing, but by the late Middle Ages there was a town centre in the current location, with a timber chapel and medieval shambles (the demolition of which gives the main Load Street its modern width). The chapel was probably built around 1460 and is likely to be the chapel of ease described by Leland as “surrounded by a huddle of shops.” It was replaced in 1745 by the modern church. During Tudor times the town was known for the making of caps and hats.

We saw the exteriors of several fine 17th century timber framed buildings in Load Street as well as being told about hidden features, including a medieval building behind the current HSBC bank and a wattle and daub panel preserved within an opticians. Within the former, a stay busk was found: a long, thin piece of wood inserted down the front of a corset as a stiffener. These were popular gifts from a man to his wife or sweetheart, often carved with initials and love symbols. The one found here bore the date 1771, the initials MM and carved hearts and kisses.

From Load Street, we walked along High Street, so called not for being the main street but for being above it. Here we saw the fine timber framed Bailiff’s House, now a pub, with the date 1610 above the door, and number 44, which appears to be a simple brick terraced house from the outside but which was revealed as a medieval open hall during modernisation which uncovered fire blackened roof timbers.

25 High Street, the site of the former Bewdley Bank

Church House, High Street

The Bailiff's House

We turned back towards the river at the position of one of the four old town gates (whether the town was ever walled is disputed, and the gates may have been simply to regulate trade). We walked down Lax Lane, once site of stinking tanning pits alongside the town ditch.

Reaching the river, Sue talked about the river trade and the bridges. A ford is mentioned in the 14th century and a timber bridge seems to have been first built in the mid 15th century, soon replaced by the Old Bridge of 1483 which lasted until a flood of 1797. Telford designed the current bridge, which was opened in 1801. This completed our circuit of Bewdley proper, though it was noted that on the opposite side of the river there is Bridge House, originally an open hall building dating to 1623.

Report written by Bruce Officer, from newsletter no. 113, May 2011.
Photographs ©2011 Rob Lythe