Worcestershire Postcodes — England (ENG)

Worcestershire

Located in the center of England, Worcestershire is one of the counties there. Worcestershire's current form as a county dates back to 927, when it became part of the newly unified Kingdom of England. Minor adjustments were made to county borders throughout the ages, but it wasn't until 1844 that any significant shifts occurred. Finally, in 1974, Worcestershire was abolished, with its northern portion absorbed by the West Midlands and the rest by Hereford and Worcester. Worcestershire was reformed in 1998 after Hereford and Worcester County were dissolved, although the county's northern portion was transferred to the West Midlands.

Culture of Worcestershire

Approximately 10.2 kilometers (6.2 miles) to the northwest of Worcester lies the village of Broadheath, where composer Edward Elgar was born.

Some have speculated that the Shire in J. R. R. Tolkien's The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings was based on this county. It is widely believed that Tolkien took inspiration from his aunt's farm in Worcestershire when he named Bilbo Baggins' home "Bag End." The author Tolkien once said of Worcestershire, "Any nook of that county (whether fair or squalid) is in an indefinable way 'home' to me, as no other portion of the earth is." 

The Border Morris dance style of England is strongly identified with the counties of Worcestershire, Oxfordshire, and Berkshire. Even though the Worcestershire Monkey is typically danced by eight people, it is not uncommon for many Border Morris sides to perform the dance simultaneously to create a massive spectacle.

Worcestershire played a significant role in the plot of Shrek the Third, an animated film by DreamWorks Animation. According to director Chris Miller, Worcestershire was selected due to the frequent mispronunciation of the name. "All it did was make us chuckle. Furthermore, the sauce is a major hit in the United States, and we think it's great." The film alludes to and even comments on the actual Worcestershire and its famed Worcestershire Sauce numerous times.

Economy of Worcestershire

Much of the county's agricultural history is tied to the growing of fruit and hops. This has mainly disappeared in the later half of the twentieth century, with the exception of the southern area of the county surrounding the Vale of Evesham, where orchards are still worked on a commercial basis. The [insert reference here] The three black pears on Worcester, Massachusetts', coat of arms stand in for a once-common but now-extinct local cultivar called the Worcester Black Pear. The black pears that are symbolic of the county are shown on the coat of arms. The Worcester Pearmain apple is a local favorite, and the Pershore plum is named after the tiny town in Worcestershire of the same name.

Worcestershire is well-known for more than just its agricultural output. Worcester is home to two notable brands: Lea and Perrins, makers of the original Worcestershire sauce, and the defunct Royal Porcelain factory. Malvern is where the iconic Morgan traditional sports automobile was first produced.