Upton-upon-Severn
Encyclopedia
Upton-upon-Severn is a small town
and civil parish in the Malvern Hills District
of Worcestershire
, England, on the River Severn
. According to the national census 2001 it had a population of 2,859. Located 5 miles (8 km) from Malvern
, the bridge
at Upton is the only one across the river Severn between Worcester
and Tewkesbury
. The present bridge was built in 1940.
Upton was founded in 897. Oliver Cromwell
's soldiers crossed the Severn here before the Battle of Worcester
in the English Civil War
. The town has a distinctive tower and copper-clad cupola
known locally as the Pepperpot and the only surviving remnant of a former church.
Low lying areas of Upton suffered serious flooding in 2000. In the 2007 United Kingdom floods
, levels exceeded those in 2000, and the town was inaccessible by road. The town has been dubbed 'Upton under Severn'. However it should be borne in mind that the overall proportion of properties that were flooded remains low - the large majority of properties in Upton were not flooded.
The town has three major music festival
s, with the spring folk festival
, and the summer jazz
and blues
festivals.
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"., these rooms retain many of their original features.
Upton on Severn Sports Field is the home of Upton on Severn Rugby Club, as well as being used for Welland Junior Swifts matches and other community functions.
to Malvern
, with the intermediate stations Tewkesbury, Ripple, Upton upon Severn and Malvern Wells
(Hanley Road). The Upton to Malvern section closed in December 1952 and the rest in August 1961, before the Beeching Axe
.
Upton Marina
is home to Mercia Inshore Search and Rescue
.
52°03′45"N 02°12′54"W
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
and civil parish in the Malvern Hills District
Malvern Hills (district)
Malvern Hills is a local government district in Worcestershire, England. Its council is based in the town of Malvern, and its area covers most of the western half of the county that borders Herefordshire. It was originally formed in 1974 and was subject to a significant boundary reform in 1998...
of Worcestershire
Worcestershire
Worcestershire is a non-metropolitan county, established in antiquity, located in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire" NUTS 2 region...
, England, on the River Severn
River Severn
The River Severn is the longest river in Great Britain, at about , but the second longest on the British Isles, behind the River Shannon. It rises at an altitude of on Plynlimon, Ceredigion near Llanidloes, Powys, in the Cambrian Mountains of mid Wales...
. According to the national census 2001 it had a population of 2,859. Located 5 miles (8 km) from Malvern
Malvern, Worcestershire
Malvern is a town and civil parish in Worcestershire, England, governed by Malvern Town Council. As of the 2001 census it has a population of 28,749, and includes the historical settlement and commercial centre of Great Malvern on the steep eastern flank of the Malvern Hills, and the former...
, the bridge
Bridge
A bridge is a structure built to span physical obstacles such as a body of water, valley, or road, for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle...
at Upton is the only one across the river Severn between Worcester
Worcester
The City of Worcester, commonly known as Worcester, , is a city and county town of Worcestershire in the West Midlands of England. Worcester is situated some southwest of Birmingham and north of Gloucester, and has an approximate population of 94,000 people. The River Severn runs through the...
and Tewkesbury
Tewkesbury
Tewkesbury is a town in Gloucestershire, England. It stands at the confluence of the River Severn and the River Avon, and also minor tributaries the Swilgate and Carrant Brook...
. The present bridge was built in 1940.
Upton was founded in 897. Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell was an English military and political leader who overthrew the English monarchy and temporarily turned England into a republican Commonwealth, and served as Lord Protector of England, Scotland, and Ireland....
's soldiers crossed the Severn here before the Battle of Worcester
Battle of Worcester
The Battle of Worcester took place on 3 September 1651 at Worcester, England and was the final battle of the English Civil War. Oliver Cromwell and the Parliamentarians defeated the Royalist, predominantly Scottish, forces of King Charles II...
in the English Civil War
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
. The town has a distinctive tower and copper-clad cupola
Cupola
In architecture, a cupola is a small, most-often dome-like, structure on top of a building. Often used to provide a lookout or to admit light and air, it usually crowns a larger roof or dome....
known locally as the Pepperpot and the only surviving remnant of a former church.
Town today
The 2005 population is about 3,000. It is in the West Worcestershire parliamentary constituency.Low lying areas of Upton suffered serious flooding in 2000. In the 2007 United Kingdom floods
2007 United Kingdom floods
The 2007 United Kingdom floods were a series of destructive floods that occurred in various areas across the country during the summer of 2007. The most severe floods occurred across Northern Ireland on 12 June; East Yorkshire and The Midlands on 15 June; Yorkshire, The Midlands, Gloucestershire,...
, levels exceeded those in 2000, and the town was inaccessible by road. The town has been dubbed 'Upton under Severn'. However it should be borne in mind that the overall proportion of properties that were flooded remains low - the large majority of properties in Upton were not flooded.
The town has three major music festival
Festival
A festival or gala is an event, usually and ordinarily staged by a local community, which centers on and celebrates some unique aspect of that community and the Festival....
s, with the spring folk festival
Folk festival
A Folk festival celebrates traditional folk crafts and folk music.-Canada:Alberta*Calgary Folk Music Festival*Canmore Folk Music Festival*Edmonton Folk Music Festival*Jasper Folk Festival*Wild Mountain Music FestOntario*Barriefolk...
, and the summer jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
and blues
Upton Blues Festival
The Upton Blues Festival is an annual blues festival, centred on Upton-on-Severn in Worcestershire. Formed in 2001, the festival aims to support Blues music in Upton, and support the local community....
festivals.
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
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
, where soldiers from both sides are alleged to have enjoyed the hospitality of this popular local hostelry prior to the Battle of Worcester
Battle of Worcester
The Battle of Worcester took place on 3 September 1651 at Worcester, England and was the final battle of the English Civil War. Oliver Cromwell and the Parliamentarians defeated the Royalist, predominantly Scottish, forces of King Charles II...
. Guests of the hotel can stay in rooms referred to in books VII and VIII of Henry Fielding
Henry Fielding
Henry Fielding was an English novelist and dramatist known for his rich earthy humour and satirical prowess, and as the author of the novel Tom Jones....
's classic 1749 novel "Tom Jones
The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling
The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling, often known simply as Tom Jones, is a comic novel by the English playwright and novelist Henry Fielding. First published on 28 February 1749, Tom Jones is among the earliest English prose works describable as a novel...
" in which he refers to the hotel as "A house of exceeding good repute"., these rooms retain many of their original features.
Upton on Severn Sports Field is the home of Upton on Severn Rugby Club, as well as being used for Welland Junior Swifts matches and other community functions.
Notable people
- Mercy Maris, wife of Philip Doddridge, non-conformist minister, was born here
- William TennantWilliam Tennant (Royal Navy officer)Admiral Sir William George "Bill" Tennant KCB CBE MVO DL was a British naval officer. He was lauded for overseeing the successful evacuation of Dunkirk in 1940. Tennant subsequently served as captain of the battlecruiser HMS Repulse, when it searched for German capital ships in the Atlantic...
, a bust of whom is located in the town centre, in the grounds of The Pepperpot. William Tennant served in the Royal Navy in both World Wars and was the British Commander on the beaches at Dunkirk, during the evacuation of 300,000 British and French troops, fleeing the German advance in 1940. - Nigel MansellNigel MansellNigel Ernest James Mansell OBE is a British racing driver who won both the Formula One World Championship and the CART Indy Car World Series...
, Formula OneFormula OneFormula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
world champion, born in Upton - Maximillion CooperMaximillion CooperMaximillion Fife Alexander Cooper is an entrepreneur, creative director, racing driver, ex-skateboarder, and Founder of the Gumball 3000 brand.- Biography :...
, founder and CEO of the Gumball 3000Gumball 3000The Gumball 3000 is an annual international road rally which takes place on public roads, with a different route around the world each year. Founded in 1999 by Maximillion Cooper, it sees an annual entry of 120 cars, which are mostly exotic and powerful sports cars. However, more unusual entries ...
rally and lifestyle brand, grew up in Upton
Transport
Upton used to have a railway station, on a branch line from AshchurchAshchurch
Ashchurch is a village and former civil parish in the Tewkesbury district of Gloucestershire, England. The parish was originally called Eastchurch, due to its position east of the parish and town of Tewkesbury, and had a population of 6,064 at the 2001 UK census.The former Ashchurch Parish covered...
to Malvern
Malvern, Worcestershire
Malvern is a town and civil parish in Worcestershire, England, governed by Malvern Town Council. As of the 2001 census it has a population of 28,749, and includes the historical settlement and commercial centre of Great Malvern on the steep eastern flank of the Malvern Hills, and the former...
, with the intermediate stations Tewkesbury, Ripple, Upton upon Severn and Malvern Wells
Malvern Wells
Malvern Wells is a village and civil parish in the Malvern Hills District of Worcestershire, England. The parish of Malvern Wells, once known as South Malvern, was formed in 1894 from parts of the civil parishes of Hanley Castle, Welland, and the former parish of Great Malvern, and owes its...
(Hanley Road). The Upton to Malvern section closed in December 1952 and the rest in August 1961, before the Beeching Axe
Beeching Axe
The Beeching Axe or the Beeching Cuts are informal names for the British Government's attempt in the 1960s to reduce the cost of running British Railways, the nationalised railway system in the United Kingdom. The name is that of the main author of The Reshaping of British Railways, Dr Richard...
.
Upton Marina
Marina
A marina is a dock or basin with moorings and supplies for yachts and small boats.A marina differs from a port in that a marina does not handle large passenger ships or cargo from freighters....
is home to Mercia Inshore Search and Rescue
Mercia Inshore Search and Rescue
Mercia Inshore Search and Rescue , also known as Mercia Rescue, is a water rescue team operating from the marina in Upton-upon-Severn, Worcestershire, England....
.
External links
- Upton upon Severn Rugby Club
- Upton upon Severn Community Site
- Upton upon Severn website
- 2000 floods
- 1881 census data
- Mercia Inshore Search and Rescue
Festivals
52°03′45"N 02°12′54"W