Wilden, Worcestershire

Wilden
Worcestershire
Alfred Baldwin Clocktower Memorial, Wilden
Location
Grid reference:	SO825725
Location:	52°21’1"N, 2°15’30"W
Data
Post town:	Stourport-on-Severn
Postcode:	DY13
Local Government
Council:	Wyre Forest

Wilden is a small village in Worcestershire about a mile north-east of Stourport-on-Severn. It forms part of the ancient parish of Hartlebury.

It is in the Stour valley and both the River Stour and the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal pass through the parish before joining the River Severn at Stourport. There are the remains of a lock at Pratt's Wharf (misnamed Platt's Wharf by the Ordnance Survey) on the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal, connecting the canal with the river. This enabled canal barges to use the River Stour to deliver timber to a steam saw-mill in Wilden. Later it was used to transport coal and iron to the Wilden Works. The wharf was built by Isaac Pratt from Henwick, Worcester in 1835. He is described as a businessman and a merchant. There were two houses at Pratt's Wharf, one occupied by a lock keeper and the other by a clerk. The link was closed c1950.

In the 17th century there were slitting mills on the River Stour near to the site of present church. Eventually, these mills came into the ownership of the Wilden Iron and Tin Plate Company and the Baldwin family.

Outside links

("Wikimedia Commons" has material about Wilden, Worcestershire)

• S&W Canal