Tenbury Wells

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Tenbury Wells is a small scenic market town in Worcestershire, England, lying on the south bank of the River Teme. It is known for its winter auctions of holly and mistletoe (and other Christmas products) <ref>Carey, Jackie. "Tenbury Refuses to Kiss Goodbye to Mistletoe", BBC News, 2004-12-01. Retrieved on 2006-07-14. </ref> and for its "chinese-gothic" Pump Room buildings.

1 History
2 Geography
3 Notable residents
4 Notes
5 External links

[edit] History

The history of Tenbury Wells is thought to extend as far back as the Iron Age. The town is often thought of as the home to the Castle Tump, though this is actually in Burford, Shropshire. Though the Tump is easily seen from the main road (A456) there are no visible remains of the castle, which may have been constructed to defend the original River Teme crossing.<ref name = "Tenfacts"> "Ten facts about Tenbury Wells", BBC News, 2006-05-03. Retrieved on 2006-07-14.</ref>

Originally named "Temettebury", the town was granted a royal charter to hold a market in 1249.<ref name = "Tenfacts" /> Over time, the name changed to "Tenbury", and then added the "Wells" following the discovery of mineral springs in the town in the 1840s. <ref name = "Tenfacts" /> The name of the Railway station, which was on the line from Woofferton to Bewdley, was changed in 1912, in an attempt to publicise the mineral water being produced from the wells around the town.

The most notable architectural feature in the town is the unique (often described as Chinese-Gothic) Pump Rooms, designed by James Cranston in the 1860s, to house baths where the mineral water was available. One of the baths is on show at the town's museum.

Other notable structures in Tenbury include the parish church with a Norman tower, the part-Mediaeval bridge over the River Teme, linking Tenbury to Burford, Shropshire and the Round Market, where markets are still held on Tuesday and Friday mornings. The town's Victorian era Workhouse, designed by Wilkinson, is now used as Council Buildings. The Workhouse's infirmary and isolation ward (a separate building) also survive, but both are currently disused.

[edit] Geography

From 1894 to 1974, it was a rural district, comprising itself and other villages such as Stoke Bliss, Eastham and Rochford. From 1974 to 1998, it was in the borough of Leominster. Since then in has been part of the Malvern Hills District.