Tenbury Wells

'The Town in the Orchard'

• What to see
• Map of Tenbury Wells  (140.46 KB)
• Teme Valley Tour
• Tenbury Wells Museum

Tenbury Wells

Tenbury Wells had the 'Wells' added to its name last century to help promote the Mineral Water Wells that had been found in the town from 1840 onwards. Since the 18th century it has also been known as the 'Town in the Orchard' after the many cider apple orchards that surround the town. Tenbury lies in the northern part of the Malvern Hills District and borders Shropshire in the north and Herefordshire to the south and west.

It is on the south side of the Teme Valley and is built on the flood plain of that valley. There is a smaller brook, the Kyre, that comes in from the south and joins the Teme on the east of the town. There are hills surrounding Tenbury on all sides which tend to keep the climate fairly equable.

The most famous of the hills are the Clee Hills, about 5 miles north of Tenbury. These balsatic hills are very ancient and are the only hills in England mentioned on the Mappa Mundi. The Dhu Stone (Black Stone) was popular as kerb stones as it is very hard. The hills are still being quarried, although the well known shape of the escarpment is being preserved. There are magnificent views of the surrounding area from the top of the Dhustone Road, with a viewing point that may be reached by car.

It is a wonderful place for walking, cycling and for car tours along the lanes to take in the unspoilt scenery. Tenbury is on the eastern edge of the Welsh Marches which was ruled from Ludlow - hence its Castle.

The Teme Valley still has many Hop Yards (local name for hop fields) and most farms have Hop Kilns attached to them. Many of the Kilns are now being converted into houses. The Hop Yards tend to be in the flood plain of the Teme.

The mineral waters which were found in 1840 brought about the building in 1862 of the now restored Tenbury Spa. This may be seen at the rear of the Crow Hotel.

The Spa, or Pump Rooms as it is generally known, has been described as 'Chinese Gothic' and was designed by James Cranston of Birmingham after some greenhouses he had designed, replacing the glass by wrought iron sheets. It was one of the earliest examples of prefabrication, with the sheets being made in Birmingham and assembled on site.

The worthies of the town tried at the time to make it a going concern, but it never paid its way. It has been resurrected again at regular intervals as others tried to make money out of a Spa that came too late to emulate the larger Spas, like Bath and Leamington.

What to see
St, Mary's Church, much restored in the 19th century after flood damage, has a Norman Tower and inside the well preserved Acton Tombs and the shaft of an Anglo Saxon Cross.

There are several 17th century half timbered buildings left in Tenbury, although many are obscured by Victorian brick frontages. The obvious 17th century buildings are the pubs of which the most ornate is the Royal Oak, with the oldest probably being the Pembroke House. There is the usual Round Market built by James Cranston to enable farmers' wives sell their butter and poultry inside, with walls to keep out the winds and rain.

The shopping centre is in Teme Street, Market Street, Market Square and Cross Street with a wide variety of local shops. There is a good selection of cafes, restaurants, pubs and take-aways serving reasonably priced food.

The cattle / sheep market is held on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Not to be missed are the annual Holly and Mistletoe sales held on the Tuesdays before Christmas.

There are the remains of the Canal built in 1793, which went from Mamble to Leominster as part of a project intended to link with the Severn at Stourport. The scheme was never completed, but the part that was built provided, among other things, half price coal for the poor of Tenbury. The Tenbury Railway was built on the same bed, but closed under the 'Beeching Axe' in 1962. These lie on the north side of the River Teme. Within a mile lies Burford House and Gardens, and the area is also central for exploring the National Trust properties of Berrington Hall, Croft Castle and Lower Brockhampton as well as the English Heritage properties of Stokesay Castle and Witley Court, with the magnificent Baroque Witley Church next door.

Tenbury Wells supports a Business Park on the Bromyard Road. It has a thriving community with plenty of activities and associations for people to join. There are many sports activities including golf, fishing, bowls, tennis, cricket, hockey, soccer, swimming and rugby. Tenbury supports a Cottage Hospital, fire station, library and indoor swimming pool.

Visitors are made very welcome to the Town. Contact the Tourist Information Centres for advice about the facilities in the Town and to suggest what to do in the beautiful Teme Valley and beyond.

Further information is available from www.tenburywells.info