Handbook to the Severn Valley Railway | Page 3

receive
distinguished and even royal patronage; and the show-rooms form one
of the attractions of the city.
The Iron trade, so far as regards the manufacture of bridges, machinery,
and general castings, notwithstanding the distance from the iron
making districts, is well represented by the Vulcan Works, and those of
Messrs. Padmore and Hardy. Other establishments on a large scale
have sprung into existence in the city and its suburbs, in which
chemistry and machinery, singly or combined, produce results the most
astounding. Among them are those of Hill, Evans, and Co., where the
visitor wanders amidst enormous vats, from which as many as
1,208,600 gallons of vinegar have been produced in a single year; and
those of Lewis, Watkins, and Co., where a large portion of the vinegar
is used in preparing pickles, and where hundreds of tons of preserved
fruits and jam are annually produced for sale. There are also those of
the well-known firm of Lea and Perrin; the chemical works of Webb;
the extensive carriage manufactory of McNaught and Smith, and others
upon which space forbids us to dwell.
[Old waterworks: 7.jpg]
The Severn supplies the inhabitants with water, which is purified by
means of extensive filter-beds at the upper end of Pitchcroft, and then
thrown by machinery to the top of Rainbow Hill, a position sufficiently
elevated to ensure its distribution over the upper stories of the highest

houses. The "Old Waterworks" remain, and, as will be seen from our
sketch, form a picturesque object in the landscape. The Severn is,
however, no longer the fast-flowing stream poets have described it, but
what it has lost in speed it has gained in depth, breadth, and majesty;
the locks and weirs at Diglis--the former two abreast, and the latter
stretching 400 feet across the stream--giving to it the aspect of a lake,
an aspect aided by the appearance upon its surface of a number of
swans. Its contrast with itself, whilst yet in its rocky cradle on
Plinlimmon, will be seen from the accompanying sketch of Blaen
Hafren, or the "Head of the River," two miles from its source. Anglers
will find pleasant spots at which to indulge in the "gentle art," near
Henwick, where the old Worcester monks had weirs; also near Bevere
Island, and Holt Castle; at the confluence of the Severn with the Teme
(two miles
[Blaen Hafren: 8.jpg]
below Worcester), thence to the tail of Kempsey Lake; and still better
near the Rhydd (the seat of Sir E. A. H. Lechmere, Bart.). Worcester is
surrounded by very many spots of interest to lovers of natural scenery,
to archaeologists, botanists, and geologists. Among those within easy
reach, and deserving of special notice, may be mentioned Croome
Court, the seat of the Earl of Coventry (nine miles); and Witley Court,
backed by the Abberley and Woodbury hills, (ten miles); also
Madresfield Court, the seat of the Earl of Beauchamp (six miles);
Cotheridge Court, the seat of W. Berkeley, Esq. (four miles); and
Strensham village, the birthplace of Butler, the author of "Hudibras"
(three miles from Duffore station, on the Bristol line). Leaving
Worcester at Shrub Hill--a portion of a long natural terrace
commanding pleasing views of the city and of the Malvern range of
hills--we pass the cemetery; then Hindlip Hall, the residence of Henry
Alsop, Esq., a handsome modern mansion standing in the midst of a
very pleasant country on the left, and approached by an avenue of trees
nearly a mile in length. The "Old Hall," upon the site of which the
present one is built, was constructed by some quaint architect having
less peaceful times in view, who contrived numerous secret chambers,
of which the conspirators Garnet and Oldcorn are known to have

availed themselves. Here also lived the sister of Lord Monteagle,
whose letter to her brother is said to have led to the discovery of
Gunpowder Plot. Near the hall is the old ivy-towered church of the
hamlet, with its rustic graveyard. At a distance of six miles from
Worcester is the borough town of

DROITWICH.
Population, 3,123
Market day--Friday. Fairs--Friday in Easter week, June 18th,
September 24th, and December 18th.
The town, which lies beneath the embankment of the railway, in the
valley of the river Salwarp, on the right, is on weekdays so enveloped
in steam, that little beyond its stacks, and the murky tower of St.
Andrew's Church, are seen. Its staple trade is salt, for the export of
which the canal, the Severn, and modern railways offer great facilities.
From early times, the subterranean river beneath the town has yielded
an uninterrupted supply of the richest brine in Europe; and it is curious
to observe how the vacuum created by the amount raised has caused the
ground to collapse and crack, as shown by the decrepit