St John's, Worcester
| St John's | |
| Worcestershire | |
|---|---|
 St John's Church | |
| Location | |
| Grid reference: | SO840544 |
| Location: | 52°11’19"N, 2°14’4"W |
| Data | |
| Population: | 8,982 (2021) |
| Post town: | Worcester |
| Postcode: | WR2 |
| Dialling code: | 01905 |
| Local Government | |
| Council: | Worcester |
| Parliamentary constituency: |
Worcester |
St John's is a western suburb of Worcester in Worcestershire, standing west of the city centre and the River Severn.[1] St John's is referred to locally as the "Village in the City", which is partly due to being an independent township, before joining the city's civic jurisdiction in 1837.
The name of the village is from the dedication of the parish church to John the Baptist. The parish if 'St John-in-Bedwardine'.
There is still a sense of identity within the community.[2]
The A44 runs through the area and is the most direct route from Worcester City Centre to Hereford. St John's is roughly 1,300 yards west of the city centre. It comprises the area surrounding St John's Church, a short part of Bromyard Road, Bransford Road and Bromwich Lane. However; the area West of the River Severn is often wholly referred to as St John's, therefore encompassing the University, the Worcestershire County Cricket Club ground and Cripplegate Park.
History
St John's played a role in the Civil War. The Parliamentary commander Fleetwood forced his way across the River Teme, to the south of the parish and successfully managed to force his way into St John's, pushing back Royalist forces. Parliamentary soldiers plundered the nearby parish church and set it on fire. The soldiers also used the church walls to sharpen their pikes and even today the scars are still visible on the sandstone. The tower was also used by the soldiers as an observation post, but the spire was shot off by cannon fire from Red Hill and Perry Wood across the river on the western heights of the city. When the Civil War was over, Parliament gave £80 towards its restoration.
Parts of the Parish church of St John in Bedwardine are dated to the late 12th century, although much of the church was rebuilt during the 19th century.[3]
St John's Parish was once an independent township having only been part of Worcester since 1837. St John's was able to expand and flourish because of its location on the roads leading from the city centre, westwards into Mid Wales. It was also situated close to the River Severn Bridge which was a very important crossing on the River Severn linking the city to western areas of the country and other western towns, such as Hereford. This attracted many people to trade and settle in St John's. The parish also provided lodging for Welsh people trading with the city, who were not permitted to sleep on the streets within the city walls. The Parish was allowed its own fayre and bullring, maintaining its independence from the city. The bullring was located on the eastern side of the parish, outside the city walls. In the bullring, cattle were enraged before being slaughtered because this was believed to improve the quality of the meat.
In recent times, St John's has become home to a large student population, as a result of the increased growth of the University of Worcester.
St John's was the first suburb of Worcester to have high-rise flats. These have recently (May 2015) been subject to a £5,000,000 visual overhaul to improve their aesthetics.[4]
Leisure and sport
In 1878 a Public Health Act was passed by the city, declaring that land, now referred to as Cripplegate Park, would become a refuse tip followed by a recreation ground for the enjoyment of the public. In the 1940s a bowling green emerged and it has been maintained to the present day. Along the A44 Bromyard Road there is a bowling alley.
There used to be a house at the park which was an odd shape, almost a circle. It had been a café, a library, issuing ration books and a clinic. It seemed to be the custodian of the park (which used to be its garden and before that its farmland). There was a paddling pool in the garden for the visitors to the park. The house and paddling pool were removed when the high-rise flats were built and the road layout was altered.
There are municipal tennis courts at the park and an interactive game.[5]
The Worcester Music Festival is held there in August.
- Cricket: Worcestershire County Cricket Club has been based in St John's since 1896 when they first played at New Road
- Basketball: Worcester Wolves
- Cycling: Worcester St Johns Cycling Club, founded in 1888
- Football: Oldbury Park Tigers FC
Outside links
References
- ↑ St Johns Worcester properties, Nestoria, UK.
- ↑ "Home". Stjohninbedwardine.co.uk. http://www.stjohninbedwardine.co.uk/.
- ↑ Nikolaus Pevsner: The Buildings of England: Worcestershire, 1968; 2007 Penguin Books ISBN 978-0-300-11298-6page 319
- ↑ "Celebrations as work on St John's high rise flats comes to an end". http://www.worcesternews.co.uk/news/11878349.Celebrations_as_work_on_St_John_s_high_rise_flats_comes_to_an_end/?ref=mr.
- ↑ "Worcester City Council, Worcestershire". Worcester.gov.uk. http://www.worcester.gov.uk.