Worcester: What Can You See? Trivia Quiz

Answer: Severn

The River Severn begins at Plynlimon mountain in Wales and empties into the Celtic Sea near Bristol. At over 350km, it is the longest river in Great Britain. The oldest bridge crossing the river in Worcester is the road bridge designed by John Gwynn in 1781. There is also an iron truss railway bridge that was constructed in 1904. Both bridges are Grade II listed. In 1992, the Sabrina footbridge was installed at one end of the city, and in 2010, the Diglis footbridge was constructed at the other.

The River Severn in Worcester is surrounded by fantastic natural scenery. It's well worth a walk, cycle, or boat trip to see its beauty.

Answer: John

The first cathedral on the site was built in 680 CE and was dedicated to St Peter. In 1084, Bishop Wulfstan organised the construction of a new building, parts of which remained into the 21st century. Over the centuries, the church was rebuilt, damaged, and then restored. The current building, like many old churches, is a mixture of architectural styles.

King John, famous for signing the Magna Carta, was buried in the cathedral in 1216. The other monarchs listed were all buried in Westminster Abbey in London.

Answer: English Civil War

The Commandery (originally a medieval almshouse) was the Royalist headquarters during the Battle of Worcester in 1651. Worcester's link to the English Civil War is evident in some of its place names. There is a park called Fort Royal Hill where a sconce used to be. King Charles House is the building that King Charles escaped through before he fled to France.

Answer: 2005

The institution gained full university status in 2005, but its origins date back to 1946 when it was a teacher training college. Over the decades, the college offered more and more courses, including science, art, and nursing qualifications. Soon after gaining full status, the University invested a considerable amount of money in new facilities that were also available for the public to use, such as The Hive and Worcester Arena (home of the basketball team, the Worcester Wolves).

Answer: The Hive

The exterior of The Hive divided opinions in Worcester when it was first constructed in 2012. Its shiny golden panels were a huge contrast to the medieval, Georgian, and Victorian buildings that made up the rest of city centre. Despite the controversy, the library was nominated for a number of architectural awards.

The building was heated using biomass boilers and used river water for cooling. There were huge glass panels in the walls and in the ceilings to allow for as much natural light as possible. Some Roman ruins were uncovered while the library was being built. They, along with other archaeological finds, were left uncovered and could be seen in the Hive's atrium. When it opened, the Hive had a quarter of a million books available to both students and the general public.

Answer: Floods

As the River Severn flows through the middle of Worcester, it can cause problems for the structures on its banks. Before the river reaches Worcester, it passes through land consisting of steep, non-absorbent rocks. When there is a large amount of rainfall, the excess water has nowhere to go until it reaches the villages, towns, and cities of Worcestershire.

A wall near to the river - aptly named the water gate - has a series of markers to show the flood levels since 1672. Two of the highest commemorative stones are from 1770 and 1947.

Answer: Cricket

When it was opened in 1896, New Road was the home of Worcestershire County Cricket Club. The ground was very close to the River Severn and often flooded, sometimes leading to cancelled matches, such as those in July 2007. It was not the only sports venue to frequently flood in Worcester. Worcester Racecourse was also located on the banks of the river and often flooded in winter.

The Worcester Warriors have been a successful rugby team in the city, but their stadium, Sixways, is away from the city centre and is - thankfully - not affected when the Severn overflows!

Answer: Edward Elgar

Edward Elgar was born just outside Worcester in 1857 and died in the city in 1934. His father owned a music shop in Worcester and Elgar himself grew up to be a celebrated composer, despite having no formal training in composition. He spent time in London, Birmingham, and Malvern before returning to Worcester after the death of his wife.

The statue commemorates one of Worcester's most famous offspring.

Answer: A city wall

Centuries ago, any towns or cities of a significant size (like Worcester was) would have had a wall surrounding them to protect the population. Parts of the wall can still be seen today, like the section on City Walls Road. Evidence of the old walls can still be seen in place names like Foregate Street Station and the multi-story car park called St Martin's Gate.

In all, there were nine city gates, and efforts have been made to install a plaques at the location of each one.

Answer: Malvern Hills

Malvern is a spa town in Worcestershire that sits at the foot of the magnificent hills. The Malvern Hills are spread across three counties: Worcestershire, Herefordshire, and Gloucestershire. They can be seen to the south from high places in Worcester. Some of the large windows at The Hive, for example, overlook the hills. It makes for a great place to sit and read!