Handbook to the Severn Valley Railway | Page 2

one of the Saxon kings. Recent restorations, carried
on under the direction of the Dean and Chapter, have led to the
correction of defects, resulting from time, and ignorance on the part of
past builders, and have disclosed features which add much to the
grandeur of the edifice; so that in addition to impressions its
magnificence creates upon the mind of the general visitor, it now
affords a rich treat to all who delight to trace the boundary lines of
ecclesiastical architecture, as they approach or recede from the present
time. First, there is the Norman or Romanesque of the period of its
erection, of which the crypt and part of the central transept are
specimens; secondly, the First Pointed or Early English, as seen in the
eastern transept; thirdly, the Middle Pointed or Decorated, as in the
tower, guesten hall, and refectory; and, fourthly, the Third Pointed or
Perpendicular, as in the north porch, in the cloisters, and Prince
Arthur's Chapel. Amongst ancient mural monuments, covering the dust
or commemorating the virtues of the great, will be found King John's
tomb, in the centre of the choir; one in white marble of Prince Arthur;
and those of bishops Sylvester, Gauden, Stillingfleet, Thornborough,
Parry, and Hough, the latter a _chef d'oeuvre_ of Roubilliac's; also that
of Judge Lyttleton, "the father of English law;" and others of men
renowned for learning, piety, or bravery. Near this fine old
ecclesiastical edifice once stood the feudal stronghold that protected it,
the only remaining portion of which is a crumbling mass of stone
known as Edgar's Tower. From standing in the college precincts it is
sometimes mistaken for a portion of the cathedral; it is, however, a relic
of the old castle, the keep of which rested on a mound of sand and
gravel, which was found to contain, upon its removal in 1833, Roman

remains of the reigns of Augustus, Nero, Vespasian, and Constantine.
In High Street, leading from the Cathedral to the Cross, is the Guildhall,
erected from a design by a pupil of the great Sir Christopher Wren, and
considered to be one of the most handsome brick-fronted structures in
the kingdom. It is decorated with statues of Charles I., Charles II.,
Queen Anne, and with emblematic figures of Justice, Peace, Labour,
&c.; whilst over the doorway is the city coat of arms, with the motto,
"Floreat semper fidelis civitas." The lower hall contains a collection of
interesting specimens of ancient armour, gleaned from the battlefields
of Worcester, and one of those quaint old instruments of punishment
formerly used for scolds, called a "brank." In the municipal hall, on the
second floor, is a portrait of George III., who presented it to the
inhabitants, and others of citizens who have done good service to the
town, or in some way distinguished themselves, the last added being
that of Alderman Padmore, one of the members for the city.
The churches are fifteen in number, some being ancient edifices, others
recent erections built on the sites of older structures, whilst a few are
copies of the originals. There are nearly as many dissenting and other
chapels, several of which are handsome specimens of modern
architectural skill. Among instances of domestic architecture of past
centuries may be mentioned, "The Old House" in "New Street," from
which Charles II. escaped after the battle of Worcester. It was the house
also in which Judge Berkeley was born, and has over the door the
inscription, "Love God (W. B. 1557, R. D), Honor the King."
Worcester is rich in schools, almshouses, and institutions, whose united
incomes, representing a total of 4,000 pounds, speak much for the
public spirit and large-hearted benevolence of the inhabitants.
The Museum and Natural History Society, in Foregate Street, to which
visitors are admitted on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays, {6}
with its collection of antiquities, fossils, and objects of natural history,
should be visited. Also, the Arboretum and Public Pleasure Grounds,
near Sansome Walk, where fetes are given and bands frequently play.
The grounds are tastefully laid out, portions being set apart for games
of archery, cricket, bowls, and quoits. The usual admission fee is

sixpence, but on Mondays they are free to the inhabitants.
In describing Worcester it would be unpardonable not to allude to its
hops, from 2,000 to 3,000 pockets of which, it is said, not unfrequently
change hands, in the market in the Foregate, during the season.
Glove making also is still one of the staple trades, nearly half a million
being annually manufactured by Messrs. Dent and others.
Worcester is celebrated for Porcelain of a very superior kind; and
facilities are afforded to strangers visiting the manufactory, both in
Diglis, and in Lowesmoor. The productions of the former are highly
esteemed by connoisseurs. The works have the good fortune to