Things to Do in Worcester

Worcester is one of the country’s oldest standing cities and is home to a rich and diverse history, steeped in tradition that compliments the city’s only university.

In this guide, we will show you the various things to do in Worcester.

Location

The city of Worcester sits in the West Midlands of England and has a population of roughly 101,328 according to the very most recent figures. It is twenty-seven miles South West of the city of Birmingham and is home to the twelfth-century cathedral Worcester Cathedral and was founded 680!

Things to do in Worcester

There is an awful lot to do in the city of Worcester, whether you’re looking for restaurants, bars, grills, pubs or nightclubs, Worcester has you covered, as do we! We’ve compiled a list of three places that we think will be perfect and essential for you in your time in Worcester!

First up we have, Tramps Nightclub, which features some of the biggest live acts in England performing live and DJ sets too! Some of the best alcohol you’ve ever tasted and an amazing atmosphere that is only available here! We thoroughly recommend you check it out. Bushwackers is next on our list, featuring some of the biggest celebrities from around the UK coming along to visit and considering many of their events are hosted by Nando’s, there is ample reason to come along and enjoy yourself in this amazing nightclub! And finally we have Casablanca Wine Bar, and no we’re not talking about the hugely popular Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman film, we’re talking about one of the most charming wine bars in all of Worcester. The bar has been one of the mainstays of Worcester for some time, and we cannot recommend the great atmosphere and bar enough!

The city of Worcester is one of the oldest in the UK and is particularly proud of the history that they have, and the history is immortalised in one of the many museums that they have. They are all affordable and accessible to everyone including; Worcester City Art Gallery & Museum, Museum of Royal Worcester and Avoncroft Museum of Historic Buildings.

There are a number of cinemas in the city too, which allow you to watch some of the latest and greatest in films right now. Worcester has everything from Odeon cinemas all the way through to Vue Cinemas, all of which are affordable. However, if you’re looking for more independent features, you should look into one of the city’s many film societies.

Worcester has many ways that they bring the community together, one of them being the Worcester Music Festival, which features some of the best local musicians that you’ve ever seen, the tickets are selling out, however, so make sure you grab some quickly! You’ll regret it if you don’t!

Transport

The transport in Worcester is very efficient, offering everything from bus services, to train stops all the way through to cycle paths.

There are a number of bus services in the city, however, the main operator is First Midland Red, with Astons, LMS Travel and DRM making up the other services in the city. The city formerly had two Park & Ride systems, however, one of the systems was closed down and the other’s route now excludes the town centre from the route. The remaining Park & Ride system is provided by the aforementioned LMS Travel.

There are three train stations in the city, Worcester Foregate Street, Worcester Shrub Hill and Worcestershire Parkway, the latter of which opened in 2020. There are services provided by a number of national providers, which means that travel to major cities such as Birmingham, London, Oxford and Kidderminster are all possible.

There is no airport in the city, the closest airport is Birmingham Airport in Birmingham, there is also Gloucestershire Airport in Gloucester, though this one only flies to the British Isles.

Universities in the City

There is only one university in the city, the University of Worcester, which was established in 1946 as the Worcester Emergency Teacher Training College. The college was given degree awarding powers in 1997, which prompted a rebrand to University College Worcester, however, upon receiving university status in 2005, the institute rebranded one more time as the University of Worcester.

The student body of the university is represented by Worcester Students' Union (WSU). The union is a member of the National Union of Students, so students are entitled to an TOTUM Card.

The student union represents a number of the university’s main clubs and societies and also represents elements of the student media as well, such as The Voice, which is the student newspaper.

History and Culture

Worcester is one of the settlements in the UK, Worcester dates back to the early Roman-era and was one of the largest settlements in the Roman empire. In 680, the Weorgoran tribe chose Worcester as their fort ahead of the much larger Gloucester. Worcester also became a very important settlement for monastic learning and for the Church of England, with Oswald of Worcester appointed Bishop of the town in 961.

During the medieval period, Worcester was made a part of the local rural areas as a way for tax purposes, however, the town was still a market town in its own right. A number of different monasteries opened up in the city as well, such as the Penitent Sisters, Benedictine Priory (which is now Worcester Cathedral), Blackfriars and Greyfriars, until the Dissolution of the Monasteries. In 1086, the Domesday Book recorded Worcester as a town. In 1189, the town received its first ever royal charter.

However, the aforementioned charter was not renewed by King John, who then increased taxation in the town, however, in 1227, under King Henry III, the town had its charter reinstated and were granted more freedom regarding operations.

After the outbreak of the civil war, Worcester was still considered a religious centre in the country, however, the time of the nineteenth century, Worcester was a major proponent in the glove-making industry as nearly half of the glovers in the country came from Worcester. Though it was often referred to as a city throughout its history, Worcester did not officially become a city until 1848.

Worcester was also one of the main cities to be chosen for evacuees from major cities and was also used as the main seat for an evacuating government if the German’s ever invaded the country.

Sport

There are a number of different sports clubs in the city.

The city’s main football club is Worcester City FC, who play in the Midland Football League and play at Claines. The club used to play at St. George’s Lane, however, the club moved in June 2013 after the stadium was sold to a housing developer.

Worcester Warriors are the city’s main Rugby Union club, who play at the Sixways Stadium and play in the English Premiership. The club also competes in other competitions such as European Challenge Club.

Cricket is also a big part of the city’s sporting culture, with Worcestershire County Cricket Club being one of the only eight first-class county clubs in England and Wales.

Who’s from Worcester?

There are a number of famous people from Worcester too including; Edward Elgar, Ellen Wood, Dave Mason, Kit Harington, Andrew Hung and Thomas David.