Pershore
Pershore is a small 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. The population of Pershore is approximately 8,000. The town is best known for
Pershore Abbey, and is also known for the
plums grown locally. It is also popularly thought that a town centre pub "the three tuns" which is now a video shop is alleged to have been the inspiration for the design of a well known confectionery tin which depicts a soldier standing on a balcony. Although the fact of this is a topic of speculation there is a remarkable resemblance to this artwork and the building which is easily recognisable today and stands in the town square.
Pershore is 6 miles east of
Evesham and 6 miles west of
Upton-upon-Severn. The town lies on the
A44 nearly 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.
Pershore is famous for its elegant
Georgian architecture and important as the centre of a district rich in fruit and vegetable production (it is in the
vale of Evesham). Pershore has been designated as a town of major architectural importance by the Council of British
Archaeology, and listed as an outstanding
conservation area.This is because it contains-in Bridge Street- the first row of houses built entirely of
brick in Britain.
The River Avon runs through Pershore and is a popular stop off for boat traffic and fishermen alike.
Pershore's crowning glory is its Abbey, an architectural gem, parts of which date back to the 11th century. The current structure is far smaller than the original building, which was damaged when the Abbey was plundered during the reign of
Henry VIII, when 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 stands in a large expanse of public grassland close to the centre of the town.
Pershore has its own
morris dance tradition. [
1]
*
Pershore Abbey*
Wychavon District Council (accessed Oct. 2005).
*
Pershore group of colleges*
Pershore high school
