Latest news

  • 8th July 2024
From petty crimes to ‘poor man’s bread’ – the surprising value of watercress revealed in the Worcestershire Petty Sessions

  Stealing of watercress recorded in the Stourport on Severn-Petty sessions at Ref 499.1 BA8470/28 p.73 Petty Sessions and Magistrates Court records are amongst some of the huge variety of public records held with Worcestershire Archives on behalf of Worcestershire County Council as part of The Public Records Act. The Public Records act requires certain...

  • 5th July 2024
Brass Bands

While enjoying Pershore Midsummer Brass Festival this month we thought we would look through the archives for material on brass bands. Pershore Midsummer Brass is held on the first Saturday of July each year, in various venues through Pershore, Worcestershire. It has been running now for over 20 years. We know that many people in...

  • 25th June 2024
Celebrating Gypsy, Roma, Traveller Roots in Worcestershire

This Gypsy, Roma and Traveller History Month, we look back at the lives, histories and culture of a community crucial to the development of our county. Established in June 2008, the month celebrates, educates and raises awareness of the Gypsy, Roma and Traveller community across wider society to tackle prejudice and challenge misconceptions. Nomadic peoples...

  • 26th May 2024
Redditch New Town Archives: Heritage and the ‘Old Town’

This is the fourth and final blog of this Redditch New Town series. In this blog we explore the work the Corporation did to spread the word of the town’s history and the work of one special charity that raised money to enhance and preserve historical sites and recreational areas for all to enjoy. Redditch...

  • 22nd May 2024
The New Burdens project

Worcestershire Archive and Archaeology Service (WAAS) is embarking on an exciting 2 year project to catalogue a range of public records as a result of New Burdens funding. The funding made available from central government compensates local authorities for increased activities that places of deposit such as WAAS may experience due to changes in legislation with the Public Records Act.

  • 18th May 2024
Body on the Bromyard Line 5 – Can you help?

This is the fifth and last in a series of five posts exploring the story behind the human skeleton found buried within an embankment of the Worcester, Bromyard and Leominster railway line in 2021, close to Riverlands Farm in Leigh, to the west of Worcester. Over this mini-series we explore the discovery, and what we...

  • 17th May 2024
Body on the Bromyard Line 4 – The Research

This is the fourth in a series of five posts exploring the story behind the human skeleton found buried within an embankment of the Worcester, Bromyard and Leominster railway line in 2021, close to Riverlands Farm in Leigh, to the west of Worcester.  Over this mini-series we explore the discovery, and what we have learnt...

  • 16th May 2024
Body on the Bromyard Line 3 – The Isotope Results

This is the third in a series of five posts exploring the story behind the human skeleton found buried within an embankment of the Worcester, Bromyard and Leominster railway line in 2021, close to Riverlands Farm in Leigh, to the west of Worcester.  Over this mini-series we explore the discovery, and what we have learnt...

  • 15th May 2024
Body on the Bromyard Line 2 – The Osteological Analysis

This is the second in a series of five posts exploring the story behind the human skeleton found buried within an embankment of the Worcester, Bromyard and Leominster railway line in 2021, close to Riverlands Farm in Leigh, to the west of Worcester.  Over this mini-series we explore the discovery, and what we have learnt...

  • 15th May 2024
Body on the Bromyard Line 1 – The Discovery

This is the first in a series of five posts exploring the story behind the human skeleton found buried within an embankment of the Worcester, Bromyard and Leominster railway line in 2021.  Over this mini-series we explore the discovery, and what we have learnt through the archaeological excavation, scientific analyses and documentary research. In the...