Upton-upon-Severn

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Upton-upon-Severn
Tudor House Museum, Upton upon Severn - geograph.org.uk - 2533444.jpg
Worcestershire UK location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Upton-upon-Severn
Location within Worcestershire
Population2,881 (2011)
OS grid reference SO852405
•  London 114 miles (183 km)
Civil parish
  • Upton-upon-Severn
District
Shire county
Region
Country England
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Post town Worcester
Postcode district WR8
Dialling code 01684
Police West Mercia
Fire Hereford and Worcester
Ambulance West Midlands
UK Parliament
List of places
UK
England
Worcestershire
52°03′47″N2°12′54″W / 52.063°N 2.215°W / 52.063; -2.215

Upton-upon-Severn (or Upton on Severn, etc. and locally simply Upton) is a town and civil parish in the Malvern Hills District of Worcestershire, England. Lying on the A4104 (formerly A440), the 2021 census recorded a population of 2,903 for the town. [1]

Contents

Upton is situated on the west bank of the River Severn and is located 5 miles (8 km) southeast of Malvern. The town has a distinctive tower and copper-clad cupola – known locally as the "Pepperpot" – the only surviving remnant of the former church. Its replacement, also dedicated to St Peter and St Paul, was designed by Sir Arthur Blomfield. [2]

History

Upton-upon-Severn Memorial Hall Memorial Hall, Upton-upon-Severn - geograph.org.uk - 928228.jpg
Upton-upon-Severn Memorial Hall

Until the later half of the 20th century, the bridge at Upton was the only one across the River Severn between Worcester and Tewkesbury; the present bridge was built in 1940. [3] Oliver Cromwell's soldiers crossed the Severn here to win the battle of Upton before the main Battle of Worcester in the English Civil War. The Upton-upon-Severn Memorial Hall was completed in 1832. [4]

Today

The population of the civil parish in 2021 was recorded at 2,903 [5] - an increase from 2,881 in 2011. [6] The parish extends westward from the town, including the settlement at Tunnel Hill, but does not include the village of Ryall located close to the town, on the other side of the river. Upton is in the West Worcestershire parliamentary constituency.

Upton lies on the banks of the River Severn and is known for its regular flooding. [7] Low-lying areas of Upton suffered serious flooding in 2000. In the 2007 floods, levels exceeded those in 2000, and the town was inaccessible by road. [8] The town's main built up area lies on slightly higher ground than the surrounding countryside, and in the past became an island during severe floods. A connecting causeway now carries the A4104 above the floods to the west, and a viaduct on the other side of the bridge to the east.

The town has three major music festivals, with the spring folk festival, and the summer jazz and blues festivals. [9]

Upton is the home of The White Lion Hotel, a 16th-century coaching inn, where parts of the building date back to 1510. The building has undergone many transformations over the centuries and is easily found on the high street due to its distinctive portico, adorned with its very own lion. Reputed to have played a part in the English Civil War, where soldiers from both sides are alleged to have enjoyed the hospitality of this popular local hostelry prior to the Battle of Worcester. Guests of the hotel can stay in rooms referred to in books VII and VIII of Henry Fielding's classic 1749 novel Tom Jones in which he refers to the hotel as "A house of exceeding good repute"; [10] these rooms retain many of their original features.

Education

Primary education is provided by Upton-upon-Severn CofE Primary School with approximately 194 (2019) pupils on role. [11] Hanley Castle High School, located in a nearby village, provides secondary education for the region.

People

The 'Pepperpot' - remains of the former church of St Peter and St Paul. Its nave was demolished in 1937. Pepperpot Upton.jpg
The 'Pepperpot' – remains of the former church of St Peter and St Paul. Its nave was demolished in 1937.

Transport

The bridge at Upton-upon-Severn Upton-upon-Severn bridge 929084.jpg
The bridge at Upton-upon-Severn

Upton used to be served by Upton-on-Severn railway station, on a branch line Tewkesbury and Malvern Railway from Ashchurch to Malvern, with the intermediate stations Tewkesbury, Ripple, Worcestershire, Upton upon Severn and Malvern Wells (Hanley Road). [16] The Upton to Malvern section closed in December 1952 and the rest in August 1961, before the Beeching Axe.

Bus services 332 and 363 link Upton to Worcester a total of six times per day (Mon-Fri), with four per day on Saturdays. [17]

Although the M5 motorway is close by, the nearest motorway junction is Junction 1 of the M50 (which is 2 miles or 3.2 km from J8 of the M5).

Upton Marina is home to Mercia Inshore Search and Rescue.

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References

  1. ↑ "Upton-upon-Severn (Parish, United Kingdom) - Population Statistics, Charts, Map and Location". citypopulation.de. Retrieved 7 August 2023.
  2. ↑ "History of the Old Church" (PDF). www.upton.uk.net. Retrieved 10 December 2011.
  3. ↑ "The Bridge at Upton" (PDF). www.upton.uk.net. Retrieved 10 December 2011.
  4. ↑ Historic England. "Memorial Hall (1227111)". National Heritage List for England . Retrieved 10 April 2024.
  5. ↑ "Neighbourhood Statistics". Office for National Statistics . Retrieved 23 January 2016.
  6. ↑ ONS 2001 census: parish headcount
  7. ↑ Clare Lissaman, Downpours shocked 'most flooded' town Upton upon Severn, BBC News, 20 July 2012.
  8. ↑ "July 2007 Floods". www.upton.uk.net. Retrieved 10 December 2011.
  9. ↑ "Upton Blues Festival". Upton Blues Festival. Retrieved 4 January 2020.
  10. ↑ Fielding, Henry (1861). Tom Jones. Derby. p.  149 . Retrieved 10 December 2011. tom jones exceeding good repute.
  11. ↑ "Upton-upon-Severn CofE Primary School - Profile (2023)". snobe.co.uk. Retrieved 7 August 2023.
  12. ↑ Fell Smith, Charlotte (1909). John Dee: 1527–1608. London: Constable and Company.
  13. ↑ "House that gave birth to a legend". Worcester News. 8 August 2003. Retrieved 10 July 2021.
  14. ↑ "William Tennant - alias Dunkirk Joe". BBC Hereford and Worcestershire. 24 September 2014. Retrieved 25 March 2018.
  15. ↑ Houtermann, Hans. "British Army Officers, 1939–1945 (G.M.B. Wadsworth to G.A. Weir)". World War II unit histories. Retrieved 28 December 2010.
  16. ↑ "Upton Ticket". www.miac.org.uk. Railways in Worcestershire. Retrieved 10 December 2011.
  17. ↑ Traveline Midlands bus search (searched 2 December 2020)

Further reading

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