Worcester   August Bank Holiday 2010

Arrival was lunchtime Friday and an orientation walk around the centre of the city was undertaken about 2.30pm. Weather was fine bright and warm with just the hint of a possible shower.  More members arrived and by dinner at 7.30pm , 50 persons sat down to eat and enjoy the  complementary wine (Well done Gareth!!!)

Roger and Tom,  between two pubs.  At least I think that’s what Tom is saying.

The Guild Hall

Worcester & Birmingham Canal

The rooms, in a series of Flats, were well appointed with onsuite bathrooms  single beds and individual entranmces.. At the end of each flat was a communal kitchen with all mod cons, including a flat screen TV.  Ours failed to work properly after Friday night but mysteriously resumed normal service as we left on Sunday morning.

The campus was well designed (despite the doors not working first thing Sunday morning) and the dining room included a Costa Coffee shop. The meals were first class and all in all it made a huge change from our normal “muck in weekends”.

After dinner on Friday night most of us retired to a local hostelry  enjoying the atmosphere and, of course, some of the local brews.

Saturday  morning was all sunshine (but not too warm) and we set out in two groups to walk to the south of the city, one group walking about 2 miles farther than the other.

Junction of the River Severn and the canal.

Both walks passed over the site of the battle of Worcester 1651 where King Charles 2nd was defeated by the Roundheads. The chimney seen in the background belongs to a mill which became the first  site to generate electricity from water power.

A former water mill, adjacent to Powick Bridge, was converted in 1894 to become the world's first combined steam/hydro electric power station. Electricity from this provided about half the city of Worcester's needs. The Powick site continued generating until the 1950s. In its turn, when it closed, it was converted firstly into a laundry and has again been converted into smart residential apartments.

Battle site

Memorial stone and aerial view of   the battlefield, Powick bridge(where we had lunch) and the mill, now converted into flats

The Flats

The other group also lunching at the same time on the bank of the river Teme

Ripe apples, fortunately out of reach of certain members.

The walk returned to Worcester via a golf course, and always keeping the spire of   St. Andrew in site.

It was good to see that the walk had been designated by the local council, see below.

A further walk was staged on the Sunday, around the area of  Great Comberton just south of Pershaw.

    There were 28 participants and the walk was 8 miles in distance.

River Teme with the Malvern Hills in the distance