Worfield is a village and

civil parish In England, a civil parish is a type of administrative parish used for local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties, or their combined form, the unitary authorit ...

in Shropshire in the West Midlands, England. It is northwest of London and west of

Wolverhampton Wolverhampton () is a city, metropolitan borough and administrative centre in the West Midlands, England. The population size has increased by 5.7%, from around 249,500 in 2011 to 263,700 in 2021. People from the city are called "Wulfrunians ...

. It is north of

Bridgnorth Bridgnorth is a town in Shropshire, England. The River Severn splits it into High Town and Low Town, the upper town on the right bank and the lower on the left bank of the River Severn. The population at the 2011 Census was 12,079. Histor ...

and southeast of

Telford Telford () is a town in the borough of Telford and Wrekin and ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county of Shropshire, England, about east of Shrewsbury, south west of Stafford, north west of Wolverhampton and from Birmingham in t ...

. The parish, which includes the

hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depicts ...

of Chesterton, is an extensive one which lies on the

River Worfe The River Worfe is a river in Shropshire, England. The name Worfe is said to derive from the Old English meaning to wander (or meander) which the river is notable for in its middle section. Mapping indicates that the river begins at Cosford Bri ...

. The name ''Worfield'' comes from its location on the river Worfe and the surrounding countryside (fields). The manor of Worfield is mentioned in

Domesday Book Domesday Book () – the Middle English spelling of "Doomsday Book" – is a manuscript record of the "Great Survey" of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086 by order of King William I, known as William the Conqueror. The manusc ...

, where it formed part of the

Seisdon Seisdon is a rural village in the parish of Trysull and Seisdon, Staffordshire approximately six miles west of Wolverhampton and the name of one of the five hundreds of Staffordshire. The population recorded at the 2011 census does not distingu ...

Hundred 100 or one hundred (Roman numeral: C) is the natural number following 99 and preceding 101. In medieval contexts, it may be described as the short hundred or five score in order to differentiate the English and Germanic use of "hundred" to des ...

Staffordshire Staffordshire (; postal abbreviation Staffs.) is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. It borders Cheshire to the northwest, Derbyshire and Leicestershire to the east, Warwickshire to the southeast, the West Midlands C ...

and was held by

Hugh of Montgomery, 2nd Earl of Shrewsbury Hugh of Montgomery, 2nd Earl of Shrewsbury (died 1098), was an Anglo-Norman aristocrat and member of the House of Bellême. He was also known as Hugh the Red. Life He was the second surviving son of Roger de Montgomerie, 1st Earl of Shrewsbury ...

History

The earliest evidence of settlement that is recorded in the Parish is not in Worfield itself but at Chesterton, which today is a

to the east of the village The people living in the Parish between 600BC and 47AD were part of the Celtic tribe,

Cornovii The Cornovii is the name by which two, or three, tribes were known in Roman Britain. One tribe was in the area centred on present-day Shropshire, one was in Caithness in northernmost Scotland, and there was probably one in Cornwall. The name h ...

. The economy of the Parish started with the Cornovii tribe and was based on agriculture, breeding and trading cattle. The area also gained considerable wealth from controlling the South Cheshire salt-making industry.

Governance

electoral ward A ward is a local authority area, typically used for electoral purposes. In some countries, wards are usually named after neighbourhoods, thoroughfares, parishes, landmarks, geographical features and in some cases historical figures connected to ...

in the same name exists. This ward stretches north to

Kemberton Kemberton is a village and civil parish located in Shropshire, England. The population of the civil parish at the 2011 Census was 244. See also * Listed buildings in Kemberton References External links Civil parishes in Shropshire Vil ...

. the total population of the ward taken at the 2011 Census was 3,711.

Places of interest

Davenport House

Davenport House is a Grade I

listed building In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern I ...

built around 1727. It was built by the architect

Francis Smith of Warwick Francis Smith of Warwick (1672–1738) was an English master-builder and architect, much involved in the construction of country houses in the Midland counties of England. Smith of Warwick may refer also to his brothers, or his son. Architectura ...

for Henry Davenport. It is now used for events such as weddings, conferences and private parties. It is located southwest of Worfield.

Golf club

Worfield Golf Club has a modern 18 hole course in the

Shropshire Shropshire (; alternatively Salop; abbreviated in print only as Shrops; demonym Salopian ) is a landlocked historic county in the West Midlands region of England. It is bordered by Wales to the west and the English counties of Cheshire to ...

countryside. The course opened in 1991 and has been continuously developed since then. The course allows play all year round and trolleys or buggies can be used most of the year. The club co-hosted the English Men's Senior Championship in 1999.

The Old Vicarage Hotel and Restaurant

The Old Vicarage Hotel and Restaurant is located near to Bridgnorth, it is midway between Wolverhampton and Telford only being 1 mile away from the A454 – Wolverhampton to Bridgnorth Road and 2 miles from the A442 – Bridgnorth to Telford Road The Hotel itself has 14 bedrooms and the restaurant at the Old Vicarage is one of the only two restaurants in Shropshire that have three AA rosettes for dining and three red stars. The Inn at Shipley is located in a three-storey Georgian building from 1771, 3.5 miles away from The Old Vicarage and is part of the Brunning and Price chain.

St Peter's Church

St. Peter's church is thought to be of

Saxon The Saxons ( la, Saxones, german: Sachsen, ang, Seaxan, osx, Sahson, nds, Sassen, nl, Saksen) were a group of Germanic * * * * peoples whose name was given in the early Middle Ages to a large country (Old Saxony, la, Saxonia) near the Nor ...

origin and founded by Mercian Earl, Leofric, certainly existing since the 12th Century. The church is perhaps best known for its fine spire, which at one stage was seriously deteriorating along with the six church bells in the tower that were deemed too dangerous to ring. A huge amount of fundraising took place to restore the spire and bells to their present-day condition. Although there have been changes to the church over the centuries some of its original features still remain. The original wooden doors leading into the church date back to the 12th Century. These doors are historically important as they are the earliest evidence of the use of

ironwork Ironwork is any weapon, artwork, utensil, or architectural feature made of iron, especially one used for decoration. There are two main types of ironwork: wrought iron and cast iron. While the use of iron dates as far back as 4000BC, it was the ...

for decoration. The doors in St Peter's Church are one of the only five picture doors left in England. The most prominent features of the interior are the Bromley tombs. The earliest was built for George Bromley, a prominent judge of the Elizabethan period and brother of

Thomas Bromley Sir Thomas Bromley (153011 April 1587) was a 16th-century lawyer, judge and politician who established himself in the mid-Tudor period and rose to prominence during the reign of Elizabeth I. He was successively Solicitor General and Lord Cha ...

, the

Lord Chancellor The lord chancellor, formally the lord high chancellor of Great Britain, is the highest-ranking traditional minister among the Great Officers of State in Scotland and England in the United Kingdom, nominally outranking the prime minister. Th ...

. He acquired property through marriage to Joan Waverton, heiress to the Hallon estate, to the west of Worfield. The later and more impressive tomb was built for their second son,

Edward Bromley Sir Edward Bromley (1563–2 June 1626) was an English lawyer, judge, landowner and politician of the Elizabethan and Jacobean periods. A member of a Shropshire legal and landed gentry dynasty, he was prominent at the Inner Temple and became a ...

, another important judge who was appointed a

Baron of the Exchequer The Barons of the Exchequer, or ''barones scaccarii'', were the judges of the English court known as the Exchequer of Pleas. The Barons consisted of a Chief Baron of the Exchequer and several puisne (''inferior'') barons. When Robert Shute was ...

and is portrayed in judicial dress. There are a variety of war memorials inside the church: * Shield-shaped metal and wood plaque to a man who died of fever serving in the 1885 Egyptian campaign and two men who died in the

Boer War The Second Boer War ( af, Tweede Vryheidsoorlog, , 11 October 189931 May 1902), also known as the Boer War, the Anglo–Boer War, or the South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer Republics (the Sou ...

. * Brass tablet to four Old Boys of the former Worfield Grammar School killed in the Boer War, incorporating image of a

chalice A chalice (from Latin 'mug', borrowed from Ancient Greek () 'cup') or goblet is a footed cup intended to hold a drink. In religious practice, a chalice is often used for drinking during a ceremony or may carry a certain symbolic meaning. R ...

to represent one the school additionally donated to the church. * Wall tablet to Second Lieutenant Eden Marindin, KSLI, died of wounds in

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

. * Brass wall tablet to Major Frank Harvey Corbett,

Royal Field Artillery The Royal Field Artillery (RFA) of the British Army provided close artillery support for the infantry. It came into being when created as a distinct arm of the Royal Regiment of Artillery on 1 July 1899, serving alongside the other two arms of ...

, killed in World War I, with his battlefield grave marker cross removed from his burial place in France. * Stone plaque with marble surround to men of the parish who died serving in World War I. * Stone plaque to those who died in

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

. The old churchyard contains the

war graves War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such as mercenaries, insurgents, and militias. It is generally characterized by extreme violence, destruction, and mortality, using regular o ...

of 3 soldiers of World War I
CWGC Cemetery Report. Period ascertained from casualty records. and the attached church cemetery those of 3

soldiers.
CWGC Cemetery Report. Period ascertained from casualty records. The World War II general, Sir

Oliver Leese Lieutenant-General Sir Oliver William Hargreaves Leese, 3rd Baronet, (27 October 1894 – 22 January 1978) was a senior British Army officer who saw distinguished active service during both the world wars. He is probably most notable during the ...

(1894–1978), whose home was at Lower Hall in the village from his marriage in 1930 until 1973, is buried at the church. File:Worfield - St Peter's spire 01.JPG, Spire pictured from immediately below to the south east. File:Worfield - St Peter's stained glass 01.JPG, Medieval glass in St Nicholas's chapel. File:Worfield - George Bromley and Joan Waverton 01.JPG, Effigies of George Bromley, a notable judge of the Tudor period and Joan Waverton of Hallon, his wife. File:Worfield - George Bromley and Joan Waverton 02.JPG, Tomb of George Bromley and Joan Waverton. File:Worfield - George Bromley arms 01.JPG, Arms of George Bromley, depicted on his tomb. File:Worfield - Edward Bromley and Margaret Lowe 01.JPG, Effigies of

, a judge of the 16th and 17th centuries, and Margaret Lowe, his wife.

Literary connection

Stableford, within the parish, became home (at Hay's House) of the parents of novelist

P.G. Wodehouse Sir Pelham Grenville Wodehouse, ( ; 15 October 188114 February 1975) was an English author and one of the most widely read humorists of the 20th century. His creations include the feather-brained Bertie Wooster and his sagacious valet, Jeeve ...

(1881-1975) after previously living in Dulwich, south London. Wodehouse returned there during holidays from boarding school between the ages of 14 and 21, when the family relocated to

Cheltenham Cheltenham (), also known as Cheltenham Spa, is a spa town and borough on the edge of the Cotswolds in the county of Gloucestershire, England. Cheltenham became known as a health and holiday spa town resort, following the discovery of mineral s ...

. He came to know the area quite well and it became one of the major sources for composite settings (with places from other counties) for his novels; he is thought to have based the fictional village of Worbury on Worfield and Eckleton on Ackleton, another hamlet of the parish.

Schools

Worfield has a primary school, Worfield Endowed CE Primary School, established in 1846. It is located on the main high street that leads to St.Peters church. The River Worfe runs through the school grounds. As a ''Church of England school'' the education has a strong Christian base. Worfield's nearest secondary School is

Bridgnorth Endowed School Bridgnorth Endowed School is a coeducational secondary school with academy status, located in the market town of Bridgnorth in the rural county of Shropshire, England. Founded in 1503, The Endowed School is a state school and is a speciali ...

, a specialist technology school which is about 5 miles away from the centre of Worfield.

Climate

The nearest weather station is at

Wyken Wyken, a suburb of Coventry, West Midlands, England, is situated between the areas of Stoke and Walsgrave, three miles east-northeast of Coventry city centre. The population of this Coventry Ward taken at the 2011 census was 16,818. It is a ...

, away from Worfield. This tables shows that the average highest temperature is 21 degrees between July and August and the average lowest temperatures occur between January and February at 0 degrees Celsius.

Crime rates

According to police statistics Worfield's crime and

Anti-social behaviour Antisocial behavior is a behavior that is defined as the violation of the rights of others by committing crime, such as stealing and physical attack in addition to other behaviors such as lying and manipulation. It is considered to be disrupti ...

(ASB) rates are classed as average (68% of areas have an average crime level), compared to the rest of England and Wales. February 2012 had the highest crime rate in over a year, all crimes that occurred in this month were recorded and grouped into crime types: * 2 reported burglaries. * 1 reported anti-social behaviour incident. * 2 reported other thefts (does not include shoplifting)

Television and radio

The main radio stations that are either based in Worfield or broadcast to the area are,

BBC Radio Shropshire BBC Radio Shropshire is the BBC's local radio station serving Shropshire. It broadcasts on FM, DAB, digital TV and via BBC Sounds from studios on Boscobel Drive in Shrewsbury. According to RAJAR, the station has a weekly audience of 61,0 ...

''96FM'',Free Radio Shropshire & Black Country ''103.1FM'', Kic FM, Sunshine 855 Radio and WCR FM The local TV news programmes for Worfield are

BBC Midlands Today ''Midlands Today'' is the BBC's regional television news service for the West Midlands. It was launched in 1964 and is presented by Mary Rhodes, Nick Owen, Elizabeth Glinka, Rebecca Wood and Shefali Oza. Overview ''Midlands Today'' is produc ...

and ITV Central News

References

External links

Worfield Village Hall

Worfield Golf Club

St. Peter's Church Worfield

{{authority control Villages in Shropshire Golf clubs and courses in Shropshire Civil parishes in Shropshire