Tenbury Wells - Teme Bridge

Many thanks to the folks at the The Riverside Cafe for facilitating this camera's location and to Worcestershire County Council  for capitally funding its installation. Tenbury Wells lies includes the south bank of the River Teme; the river forms the border between Shropshire and Worcestershire. The settlement of Burford in Shropshire lies on the north bank of the river. From 1894 to 1974, it was a rural district, comprising itself and villages such as Stoke Bliss, Eastham and Rochford. From 1974 Tenbury was in the District of Leominster until it became part of Malvern Hills District when Leominster District Council was taken over by Herefordshire Council in April 1998. The history of Tenbury Wells extends as far back as the Iron Age. The town has been described as being the home of the Castle Tump, but the Tump is now in Burford, Shropshire due to boundary changes. The Tump, possibly the remains of an early Norman motte and bailey castle, can be seen from the main road (A456) but there are no visible remains of the castle that was constructed, to defend and control the original River Teme crossing.  It has also been described as '... the remains of an 11th-century Norman Castle.' Originally named 'Temettebury', the town was granted a Royal Charter to hold a market in 1249. Over time, the name changed to 'Tenbury'. A legal record of 1399 mentions a place spelt perhaps as Temedebury which may be a further variation in spelling. Tenbury was in the upper division of Doddingtree Hundred. The 'Wells' element of the name was added following the discovery of mineral springs and wells in the town in the 1840s. The arrival of the railways was a cause of great celebrations; a breakfast, carnival and ball was organised in Tenbury Wells in 1864 when the town was connected to the Kidderminster line. The name of the railway station, which was on the now-defunct Tenbury and Bewdley Railway, was changed to Tenbury Wells in 1912, in an attempt to publicise the mineral water being produced from the wells around the town. The St Michael and All Angels Choir School devoted to the Anglican choral tradition by Frederick Ouseley closed in 1985 after which the buildings served alternative educational purposes. For over 100 years Tenbury has been well known throughout the country for its winter auctions of holly and mistletoe (and other Christmas products). It is also known for its 'Chinese-gothic' Pump Room buildings, built in 1862, which reopened in 2001, following a major restoration. They are now owned by Tenbury Town Council, having been transferred from Malvern Hills District Council in September 2008.