\VORCESTERSHIRE, an inland county of Eng land, is bounded on the south by Gloucestershire, on the east by Warwickshire, on the west by Staf fordshire, on the north-west by Shropshire, and on the southwest by Herfordshire, which separate it from Wales.
It is about 30 miles long and 25 broad, and con tains 729 square statute miles, and 466,560 English statute acres. It is the thirty-fourth county in point of size. Its rental is £516,203 and £46,901 of tithes, the annual value of a square mile being £772. It is divided into five hundreds, and contains one city, eleven market towns, about 400 villages and hamlets, and 152 parishes, including one bishopric and three burghs.
The general aspect of Worcestershire is that of a rich and beautiful plain, covered with gentle undulations, which disappear when seen from an eminence. The elevated parts of the county arc the Malvern hills, on the west, 1440 feet high, which, though only a sheep pasture, have yet a fine climate; the Bredon and Broadway hills on the south, about 900 feet high, and the Lickey range on the north, about 900 feet in height, all of which are bleak and inclement. Every part of the county is covered with verdure and cultivation, and the rich orchards and flourishing hop grounds form in teresting objects.
The soil of the county is chiefly a rich loamy sand, with a small proportion of gravel in the cen tral parts. Towards the east the soil is a light sand with some spots of clay, but the eastern dis trict is generally a stony clay. Between Worcester and the vale of Evesham on the south-east, the soil is partly rich marle and partly strong clay, while in some spots the subsoil is limestone. In the beautiful vale of Evesham, watered by the Severn, the soil is a dark earth, and particularly deep. Limestone occurs farther south in the upper lands, and a rich loam in the lower ones. In the south west, between the Severn and the Malvern hills, the soil is clay mixed with sand. No chalk or flint occurs. The vale of the Severn is said to contain 18,000 acres of deep rich sediment, deposited by the river and its tributary streams. The lands of the county were lately distributed thus:— About 43,500 acres are supposed to be sown with wheat, yielding from 20 to 32 bushels per acre. Barley and beans yield remarkable crops. Hops are extensively cultivated, and pear trees are so abundant as to yield perry as the beverage of the peasantry. There is no breed of cattle or sheep in the county. Lean flocks from the poorer districts are fattened on the fine pastures of the county.* The principal rivers are the Severn and the Avor,, described under ENGLAND, Vol. VIII. p. 502-513; and the canals have been described fully in our ar ticle NAVIGATION INLAND, Vol. XIV. p. 282.
The useful minerals of th.: county are coal, lime stone, brick, clay, and excellent freestone. Fine
coal is obtained in the N. W. about Mamble, and at Pensax there are coal mines, where it is used for the hop kilns. The veins, however, are little more than two feet thick, so that the county de pends for its supply on the Staffordshire mines, the coals of which are brought down the Severn. At Dudley there is a vein 10 feet thick.t In the vale of Evesham, the poor burn the bean stubble.
There are mineral wells at Malvern, chalybeate springs at Kidderminster, and a dropping well on Barlisk common; but the most valuable are the salt springs of Droitwich, which have been fully described in our article ENGLAND, Vol. VIII. p. 570.
The principal manufactures are gloves, porcelain, glass, iron, iron nails, table linen, needles, tenter hooks, carpets, oil and oil cake, of which some ac count will be found in our description of the prin cipal town of the county.
The chief towns are Worcester, Dudley, Kidder minster, Broomsgrove, Stourbridgc, Stourport, Bewdley, Evesham, Sec. all of which are described under separate articles, excepting Dudley, Eves ham, and Droitwich. Dudley is an ancient, but a regularly built town, with two parish churches, containing some monuments, one at each end of the largest street. Time manufactures consist of all varieties of hardware. The population of the town and parish in 1821 was 3637 families, 3410 in trade, and total population 18,211. Droitwich is chiefly inhabited by the labourers of the brine pits, and contains no buildings of importance. The manufactures consist of' coarse linens and salt. The population of the burgh in 1821 was 2176 persons, 269 families being employed in trade. Evesham is finely situated on the river Avon, which is crossed with a stone bridge of seven arches. The streets are irregular and the houses ancient and not well built. Its two churches are ancient, and the bells hang in a detached tower The only manufacture is one of knit stockings, the poor being chiefly occupied in gardening. The ivied walls of its once flourishing abbey still adorn the town. The population of the burgh in 1821 was 3437.
This county sends two members to parliament, two are returned by each of the hurghs of Worces ter, Droitwich and Evesham, and one from Bewdley.
Vestiges of Roman roads occur in the county, and various coins of the lower empire have been found near the large camp on \Vitchbury hill. An earthen pot full of coins was taken out of a pool on the side of that hill.
The population of 'Worcestershire, in 1821, was, houses 34,738, families 39,006, families engaged in agriculture 14,926, do. in trade 41,576; males 90,259, females, 94,165. Total population 184,424. See Nlill's .Agricultural Survey of Worcestershire; Nashe's Survey, (S•., and the Beauties of England and Oates, vol. xv. part 1. See also ENGLAND pas sim.