Bewdley & the Wyre Forest
Bewdley is a small Georgian town built along a bend of the River Severn, with the Wyre Forest spreading out immediately to its west — the two together make for one of the more compact, self-contained corners of Worcestershire.
The town's Georgian riverfront, lined with brick townhouses facing the water, dates from Bewdley's time as a prosperous river port, and its bridge across the Severn was engineered by Thomas Telford in the early nineteenth century. Bewdley is also a stop on the Severn Valley Railway, a heritage steam line that runs between Kidderminster and Bridgnorth largely alongside the river, and the restored station is one of the town's focal points, especially on running days.
The Wyre Forest itself is one of the largest surviving ancient woodlands in England, much of it now protected as a National Nature Reserve. It's managed for a mix of old broadleaf woodland and open glades, with a network of way-marked trails, and sits right on Bewdley's doorstep on the Worcestershire side of the border with Shropshire.
Where to Stay in Bewdley
Getting around
Bewdley itself is best explored on foot, with the riverfront, bridge and old town all within a few minutes' walk of each other. The Severn Valley Railway is the obvious way to reach Bewdley without driving if you're coming from Kidderminster, which also has a mainline railway station with regular services to Birmingham and Worcester.