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Cathedral Church of Christ and St MaryCathedral Church of Christ and St Mary · Photo: SimonWiseman · CC0
A−History Grade
History of Worcester · Historic England

699 listed buildings, 13 of them Grade I

On the Historic England list, all of them stand inside Worcester’s built-up area, 66 for every 10,000 residents. It also has 17 scheduled monuments. We have photos of 49 of its listed buildings and 8 old views of the town. 18% of its homes were built before 1919. Worcester grades A− for history: #5 of 22 in Worcestershire.

Listed buildings
699
66 per 10,000 residents
Grade I
13
exceptional interest
Grade II*
39
more than special interest
Scheduled monuments
17
2 registered parks & gardens
Homes built before 1919
18%
typical UK town 15%
In pictures

Worcester in 64 photos and old views

Nearly every Grade I and II* building, photographed, and the town before 1950. Tap a photo to step through them full screen.

Photos from Wikimedia Commons and Geograph, copied to our own server, each credited to its photographer with its licence; names open the building’s page or its official list entry.

Through time

Worcester from 1890 to 1903

8 old photos and postcards, in date order. All public domain, made before 1950.

Cathedral, S. E., Worcester, England1890
VictorianCathedral, S. E., Worcester, EnglandPhoto: The Library of Congress · No restrictions
General view, Worcester, Englandc. 1890
VictorianGeneral view, Worcester, EnglandPhoto: Photochrom Print Collection · Public domain
Promenade, Worcester, Englandc. 1890
VictorianPromenade, Worcester, EnglandPhoto: Photochrom Print Collection · Public domain
Severn Bridge, Worcester, Englandc. 1890
VictorianSevern Bridge, Worcester, EnglandPhoto: Photochrom Print Collection · Public domain
To the Electors of the City of Worcester1892
VictorianTo the Electors of the City of WorcesterPhoto: LSE Library · No restrictions
Diglis Lock & Weir, Worcester1903
EdwardianDiglis Lock & Weir, WorcesterPhoto: Unknown photographer · Public domain
Worcester Cathedral1903
EdwardianWorcester CathedralPhoto: Unknown photographer · Public domain
Worcester. The Bridge and River1903
EdwardianWorcester. The Bridge and RiverPhoto: Unknown photographer · Public domain

Public domain, from Wikimedia Commons, copied to our own server. Each credit opens the image’s page with its full description and history.

The map

Where Worcester’s history is

Every Grade I and II* building, monument and historic park, over the age of each neighbourhood’s homes.

Gheluvelt Park, registered park or gardenSpetchley Park, registered park or gardenCity walls: section S of The Butts, extending 100ft (30m) E from Rack Alley, scheduled monumentCity walls: section S of The Butts, extending 150ft (50m) between Angel Place and Bath Cottage, scheduled monumentCity walls: section extending 130ft (40m) between Charles Street and Portland Place, scheduled monumentCity walls: section extending 130ft (40m) from the back of No 27 New Street to Windsor Row, scheduled monumentCity walls: section extending 280ft (90m) W and SW of Clare Street, scheduled monumentCity walls: section extending 50ft (15m) between Windsor Row and Nash's Passage, scheduled monumentCity walls: section extending 85ft (30m) along W side of Talbot Street, scheduled monumentCity walls: section extending 90ft (30m) under the E walls of Nos 2-5, No 1 Court, New Street, scheduled monumentCivil War fieldwork at Tamar Close, Worcester, scheduled monumentEdgar Tower entrance to the Cathedral Close, scheduled monumentFort Royal, scheduled monumentPowick Old Bridge, scheduled monumentRefectory of St Mary's Priory in Cathedral Close, scheduled monumentRemains of Guesten Hall, scheduled monumentSt Alban's Church, scheduled monumentWestern range of monastic buildings of the Cathedral Priory, scheduled monumentWorcester city centre, scheduled monumentBattenhall Mount (former St Mary's Convent School), Grade II*Boundary Walls to East Side of River Severn Extending North from the Water Gate, Grade II*Boundary Walls to East Side of River Severn Extending South from the Water Gate, Grade II*Britannia House (Alice Otley School), Grade II*Bushwackers, Grade II*Church of All Saints, Grade II*Church of St George (Roman Catholic), Grade II*Church of St Helen, Grade II*Church of St John, Grade II*Church of St Martin, Grade II*City Museum and Library with Gates, Grade II*Former Church of St Nicholas, Grade II*Huntingdon Hall, Grade II*Judges Lodgings and Attached Railings, Grade II*King Charles House, Grade II*King Charles House, Grade II*Monastic Ruins, Grade II*No 15 and Wall Adjoining to East, Grade II*No 9 and Attached Wall to Left at Rear, Grade II*Old Assembly Room, Grade II*Powick Mills, Grade II*Queen Elizabeth House, Grade II*Royal Worcester Porcelain Works: Pan Grinding Shop and Attached Buildings, Grade II*Shire Hall, Grade II*Shrub Hill Station: Waiting Room to East Platform, Grade II*South African War Memorial, Grade II*St Andrew's Church Tower, Grade II*The Deanery (No 10) and Office (10A) with Attached Walls, Grade II*The Pheasant, Grade II*Tudor House Museum, Grade II*Warndon Court, Grade II*Water Gate House and Attached Walls and Gate to East, Grade II*Whiteladies House at Worcester Grammar School, Grade II*14, 16 and 18, Friar Street, Grade II*2 the Cross, Grade II*26-32, Friar Street, Grade II*3, Edgar Street, Grade II*6, 7 and 7A (Nash House), New Street, Grade II*61, Broad Street, Grade II*Berkeley's Hospital: Almshouses with Gatelodges, Piers and Gates, Grade IBerkeley's Hospital: Chapel, Grade ICathedral Church of Christ and St Mary, Grade ICathedral of St Mary: Cloister Range, Chapter House and Undercroft with Refectory, Grade IChurch of St Nicholas, Grade IChurch of St Swithun and attached railings, Grade IEdgar Tower, Grade IGuildhall, Grade IKing's School Hall, Grade IThe Commandery, Grade IThe Greyfriars, Grade IThe Old Palace, Grade IWrought Iron Gates and Railings to Forecourt at Guildhall, Grade I
Grade IGrade II*Scheduled monumentPark or garden400 m from Worcester Cathedral
Homes built before 1919, by neighbourhoodunder 10%10–25%25–50%50%+
9 of 13Grade I buildings stand within 400 m of Worcester Cathedral, a five-minute walk. So do 178 of the 699 listed buildings.
8 of 66neighbourhoods have mostly pre-1919 homes; in the oldest, 91% were built before 1919.

Hover a dot for its name; tap one with a photo to open it.

699 listed buildings by grade
13 Grade I39 Grade II*647 Grade II

Historic England lists buildings in three grades: Grade I for buildings of exceptional interest (about 2.5% of all listed buildings), Grade II* for particularly important buildings of more than special interest (about 5.8%), and Grade II for buildings of special interest (about 91.7%). Listing protects the whole building, inside and out.

Every entry on the National Heritage List for England whose point lies inside the ONS 2022 built-up-area boundary. One list entry can cover a terrace or a group of buildings. Neighbourhood dots: the population-weighted centre of each Census 2021 output area, coloured by its neighbourhood’s (LSOA’s) share of homes built before 1919 (Valuation Office Agency, March 2025).

Grade I

The 13 Grade I listed buildings in Worcester

Buildings of exceptional interest, about 2.5% of all listed buildings; 9 of these stand within 400 m of Worcester Cathedral. Every one is photographed. Each opens its own page, with the official list entry.

Cathedral · listed 1954Worcester CathedralOn the list as Cathedral Church of Christ and St MaryPhoto: SimonWiseman · CC0
Public · listed 1954GuildhallPhoto: Richard Nicholls · CC BY-SA 3.0
Church · listed 1954St Swithun's ChurchOn the list as Church of St Swithun and attached railingsPhoto: Bob Embleton · CC BY-SA 2.0
House · listed 1954Edgar TowerPhoto: Bob Embleton · CC BY-SA 2.0
House · listed 1954GreyfriarsOn the list as The GreyfriarsPhoto: Philip Halling · CC BY-SA 2.0
Walls & gates · listed 1971Worcester Guildhall gatesOn the list as Wrought Iron Gates and Railings to Forecourt at GuildhallPhoto: Philip Halling · CC BY-SA 2.0
Grade II*

The 39 Grade II* listed buildings in Worcester

Particularly important buildings of more than special interest. 33 are photographed.

Church · listed 1954St George's ChurchOn the list as Church of St George (Roman Catholic)Photo: Philip Halling · CC BY-SA 2.0
Show the other 27
Public · listed 1954Shire HallPhoto: Elliott Brown · CC BY 2.0
Church · listed 1954Glover's NeedleOn the list as St Andrew's Church TowerPhoto: Stephen McKay · CC BY-SA 2.0
House · listed 19542 the CrossPhoto: No Swan So Fine · CC BY-SA 4.0
Historic streets

The High Street and The Tything have the most listed buildings

Streets by the listed entries with an address on them. One entry can be a whole terrace, so long rows count once.

High Street30 listed
The Tything30 listed
Foregate Street26 listed
Britannia Square25 listed
Broad Street23 listed · 1 II*
61, Broad Street
Friar Street21 listed · 2 II*
14, 16 and 18, Friar Street26-32, Friar Street
St Johns19 listed
London Road15 listed
St Georges Square15 listed
Sidbury14 listed
Edgar Street13 listed · 1 II*
Mealcheapen Street11 listed

Of the 699 entries, 410 are named by a street address; the rest are named buildings such as churches, halls and bridges.

What’s protected

Most of Worcester’s listed buildings are homes

Every listed building sorted by what its list name says it is.

Houses, terraces & villas533
Walls, gates & bridges61
Public & civic buildings40
Churches, chapels & priories28
Inns, shops & warehouses21
Street furniture10
Memorials, crosses & tombs6

533 entries (76%) are houses, terraces and villas. 28 are churches, chapels and priories, including 4 of the 13 Grade I buildings.

Buildings are sorted by words in each entry’s name (church, gate, inn, memorial…): the list’s open data has no building type. An entry named only by its address counts as a house.

Grade II

647 Grade II listed buildings

Most listed buildings are in this grade, which covers buildings of special interest. Open any building to read its official list entry.

The first 150 of 647 Grade II listed buildings, A to Z
'Unicorn' with entrance to Crowngate CentreAbbeyfieldAlbany LodgeAlbion HouseAngel CentreAnnesleyBand HouseBank HouseBaptist ChurchBarbourne GrangeBarbourne WorksBarge Lock No 1 Adjacent to River SevernBarge Lock No 2Barn About 50 Metres North-West of Warndon CourtBarn About 50 Metres South-East of Warndon CourtBeechwood HouseBelmont HouseBennetts Farmhouse with Attached Outbuildings and Barn to North SideBevere KnollBishops HouseBoughton VillaBoundary Walls to West and South of Nos 13 and 14 Including Railings Monastic Precinct Wall Abutting No 12ABrown's RestaurantBuilding Adjacent (North Side) to Security HouseBurgage HouseCastle HouseCedar CourtChapel to St Oswald's HospitalChester HouseChoir HouseChoir House and the Old LibraryChurch of St Clement Including Gates and Railings to the WestChurch of St GeorgeChurch of St Mary MagdeleneChurch of St PaulChurch of St StephenChurchyard Cross About 20 Metres North of Church of St NicholasCity Wall, Extending N from Junction of Nash's Passage with City Walls RoadCity Wall, Extending N from Junction of Windsor Row with City Walls RoadCity Wall, Extending S from E Boundary of No.37 Friar StreetCity Wall, Extending S from Junction of Charles Street with City Walls RoadCity Wall, Extending S from Junction of Nash's Passage with City Walls RoadCity Wall, N of Angel RowCity Wall, Stretching Approx 27M E of Rack AlleyCoach House and Stable at the CedarsColumbus HouseComberton HouseCommon Hill HouseCompton BuildingsCow House About 10 Metres West of Upper Battenhall FarmhouseCroft House and Attached Outbuilding and Boundary WallCrown InnDiglis HotelDorset HouseEagle Vaults Public HouseElectricity Junction Box, Beckett DriveElectricity Junction Box, Lavender RoadElim Pentecostal ChurchFarm Building (Incorporating St Cuthbert's Chapel) East of Bennett's Farmhouse (Not Included)Farriers Arms Public HouseFirst World War MemorialFormer Corn Exchange and Attached RailingsFormer H A Saunders Garage, WorcesterFormer Royal Albert OrphanageFormer Stables and Coach House to the Old PalaceFormer Worcester Eye HospitalFriends' Meeting HouseFriends' MewsGardener's Cottage, Battenhall MountGascoyne House (Flat Nos 1-7 Consecutive)Gatehouse to St Mary's Convent School and Attached Wall to NorthGates and Railings to S Entrance to SpringfieldGateway to Church of St GeorgeGheluvelt Park Band Stand, WorcesterGiulio's RestaurantGranary About 100 Metres South-West of Trotshill FarmhouseHallow BankHaresfield HouseHawford CottageHeron LodgeHoly Claines FarmhouseHolywell HouseHorshoe CottageHostel HouseIvy HouseIvygate and Attached Boundary Walls and Gate PiersJohn Gwynn HouseK6 Telephone KioskK6 Telephone KioskK6 Telephone Kiosk Approximately 6 Metres West of Church of St SwithunK6 Telephone Kiosk K6 Telephone Kiosk at Junction with Sidbury and London RoadK8 Telephone Kiosk at Worcester Shrub Hill Railway StationKing's Head Public HouseLansdowne Lodge and Merrimans LodgeLoch Ryan HotelLock Cottage Adjacent to Barge Lock No 2Lock CottagesLyppard GrangeLyttleton HouseMabs CottageMagg's Day CentreMalvern House (No 5) and Lynton House (No 7)Market Hall (Elevation to New Street Only)Merchants HouseMidland Railway Goods Shed and associated weighbridgeMortimer Cottage and Laystone CottageNo 10 with Attached Walls, Railings, Gate and PierNo 21 and Attached Boundary WallNo 33 and 35 (The Bell)No 4 with Attached Area RailingsNo 42 and 43 and Attached Wall and Piers to No 42No 49 and Attached Boundary Wall to RearNo 5 and Attached Boundary WallNo 5 and Attached GazeboNo 50 and Attached Wall to RearNo 51 and Piers and Attached Wall to RearNo 54 and Attached RailingsNo 7 and Attached Wall and Railings and GateNo 8 and Attached Walls, Gatepiers and GateNo 9 and Oddfellows HallNo. 3 Trotshill Lane EastNorth Gate Pier, Quadrant Wall, Railings and Pier at Entrance to Perdiswell ParkNorth LodgeNorth Wing Pavilion at Shire HallNorthwall HouseNorthwick CinemaNorthwick GrangeNos 1 and 2 and Attached Garden Walls and RailingsNos 1 and 2 and Attached WallNos 1 and 3, April Cottage (No 1) and Attached Garden Wall to RearNos 1, 2 and 3 and Adjoining Boundary WallsNos 16 and 17, Green HillNos 19, 21 and 23 and Attached Wall to No 19Nos 20 and 22 and Attached Area Railings to No 22Nos 24 and 25 and Attached GateNos 25 and 26 and Attached Wall to No 25Nos 28 and 30 and Attached Railings to No 30Nos 3 and 4 and Attached Garden Walls and RailingsNos 31 and 33 and Attached Railings and GatesNos 38 and 40 with Attached Boundary Walls and Piers and Gates and Railings to No 38Nos 49, 51A, 51B, AND 53 (THE PIG AND DRUM), LOWESMOORNos 6 and 8 and Attached Area RailingsNos. 1-12 Gheluvelt Park, WorcesterNos. 5 and 5A with Attached Railings and Rear Courtyard WallsOctagonal LodgeOffices to Rear of Huntingdon Hall at No 16Old BaskervilleOutbuilding About 10 Metres South of Upper Battenhall FarmhouseOutbuilding About 11 Metres South of Holy Claines FarmhousePair of Gate Piers to Worcester Golf and Country Club

Search the rest on Historic England’s list →

Conservation areas

19 conservation areas cover 13% of Worcester

Areas the council protects as a whole: demolition and changes to how buildings look need consent, and trees are protected.

Riverside 199297 ha
No data available for publication by HE51 ha
Historic City 196948 ha
Sidbury and Fort Royal 198020 ha
Worcester and Birmingham Canal 198915 ha
Battenhall Villas 200613 ha
Foregate Street and The Tything 198012 ha
St George's Square 198011 ha
Lansdowne Crescent and Raibow Hill Terrace 196910 ha
Britannia Square 19699 ha
St John's 19697 ha
Lowesmoor 19896 ha
Shrubbery Avenue 19936 ha
Lark Hill 19805 ha
Bevere5 ha
Trotshill 19864 ha
Royal Infirmary 20053 ha
Field Terrace 19891 ha
Warndon Court 19861 ha
324 hain conservation areas, of 2,558 ha inside the built-up area.

The first, Historic City, Lansdowne Crescent and Raibow Hill Terrace and Britannia Square, were designated in 1969; the newest, Battenhall Villas, in 2006. 617 of the 699 listed buildings stand in one.

Historic England’s conservation areas layer, supplied by councils (incomplete in places, so a page fact, never graded). Hectares are the part of each area inside the built-up area.

How the list grew

224 of Worcester’s 699 listed buildings were added in 1954

The year each building now on the list was first listed.

1954 · 2241971 · 1921974 · 130
19501960197019801990200020102020

The first 1 entry was listed in 1952. 224 came in 1954. Only 15 have been added in the last 15 years.

Monuments & landscapes

Monuments, parks and gardens

Designations that overlap the town by a tenth of their area or half a hectare.

17 scheduled monuments

Nationally important archaeological sites and monuments, protected by law; work on them needs consent from the Secretary of State, advised by Historic England.

2 registered parks and gardens

1 registered battlefield

History Grade

Worcester grades A− for history

Protected heritage and the age of the town’s homes, against all UK towns.

Protected heritage, for its size and in all (803 points, 76 per 10,000 residents)More than 81% of UK towns
Homes built before 1919 (18%)More than 57% of UK towns

Two measures, each ranked against every UK town of 1,000 or more, with protected heritage counting twice as much as the age of homes. Protected heritage counts each listed building by its grade (Grade I three points, II* two, II one), each scheduled monument and battlefield two, and each registered park or garden by its grade; it is ranked both per 10,000 residents and as a total, so a village with one fine church doesn’t outrank a historic city. The second measure is the share of homes built before 1919, from the Valuation Office Agency’s council tax records. History is a character grade: it describes the town and isn’t part of the overall grade.

Born here

61 notable people born in Worcester before 1900

The 20 best known on one timeline, earliest first.

Egwin of Evesham
Edward Kelley
Francis Moore
William Talbot, 1st Earl Talbot
Hannah Snell
Elizabeth Blower
Ann Hatton
Philip Henry Gosse
John Pyke Hullah
Ellen Wood
Benjamin Williams Leader
Thomas Brock
Carleton Rea
Vesta Tilley
Walter R. Booth
Charles Inglis
William Morris, 1st Viscount Nuffield
Ernest Payne
Muriel Freeman
E. J. Bowen
7509001050120013501500165018001950
EK
Edward Kelley1555–1590 · English alchemist
Philip Henry Gosse
Philip Henry Gosse1810–1888 · English naturalist (1810-1888)
Ernest Payne
Ernest Payne1884–1961 · English racing cyclist (1884-1961)
Ellen Wood
Ellen Wood1814–1887 · English writer, editor (1814-1887)
Muriel Freeman
Muriel Freeman1897–1980 · Fencer (1897–1980)
William Morris, 1st Viscount Nuffield
William Morris, 1st Viscount Nuffield1877–1963 · English motor manufacturer and philanthropist (1877–1963)
Hannah Snell
Hannah Snell1723–1792 · British soldier (1723-1792)
Egwin of Evesham
Egwin of Evesham700–718 · Bishop of Worcester

Everyone born in Worcester → Birthplaces from Wikidata; portraits from Wikimedia Commons.

Towns its size

Worcester has the 11th most Grade I buildings of 103 towns its size

Places of 63,000–169,000 people outside London, by Grade I listed buildings.

Bath102
Worcester13
#7 of 103for listed buildings per resident (66 per 10,000). Bath, Shrewsbury and York lead.

Only Bath, Cambridge, York, Chester, Lincoln, Gloucester, Exeter, Carlisle, Rochester and Shrewsbury have more. Worcester is level with Colchester. The typical town its size has 2.

Neighbours

Listed buildings in the places around Worcester

TownPeopleListedGrade IHistory
Worcester105,43969913A−
Rushwick1,19530C−
Norton (Norton Juxta Kempsey)1,59230D
Fernhill Heath3,295110C+
Lower Broadheath1,88960C
Hallow1,427110B
Collett's Green1,54240C−
Kempsey3,753191B
In brief

Worcester in brief

Measured per resident, Worcester has more listed heritage than 81% of UK towns. All told, the list holds 699 listed buildings, 13 of them Grade I. Its Grade I buildings cluster together: 9 of them stand within 400 m of Worcester Cathedral. Only 10 of the 103 towns nearest its size have more Grade I buildings.

High Street alone has 30 listed buildings. Its older streets lie in 19 conservation areas, the first designated in 1969. Most entries on the list, 76%, are houses, terraces and villas. Beyond that, 18% of its homes were built before 1919, close to the 15% in the typical UK town.

Questions about Worcester’s history

How many listed buildings are there in Worcester?

Historic England lists 699 buildings inside Worcester’s built-up area: 13 Grade I, 39 Grade II* and 647 Grade II.

What are the Grade I listed buildings in Worcester?

13, including Berkeley's Hospital: Almshouses with Gatelodges, Piers and Gates, Berkeley's Hospital: Chapel, Cathedral Church of Christ and St Mary, Cathedral of St Mary: Cloister Range, Chapter House and Undercroft with Refectory, Church of St Nicholas and Church of St Swithun and attached railings.

Which street in Worcester has the most listed buildings?

High Street (30), The Tything (30) and Foregate Street (26) have the most listed entries named by an address. One entry can be a whole terrace.

Are there scheduled monuments in Worcester?

Yes, 17 scheduled monuments, including City walls: section S of The Butts, extending 100ft (30m) E from Rack Alley, City walls: section S of The Butts, extending 150ft (50m) between Angel Place and Bath Cottage, City walls: section extending 130ft (40m) between Charles Street and Portland Place and City walls: section extending 130ft (40m) from the back of No 27 New Street to Windsor Row.

How many conservation areas are there in Worcester?

19, covering about 324 hectares of the town. The largest are Riverside and No data available for publication by HE.

When were Worcester’s buildings listed?

The first in 1952; the most, 224, in 1954.

Are there old photos of Worcester?

Yes: 8 public-domain photos and postcards from 1890 to 1903, all on this page.

Who was born in Worcester?

Among people born before 1900: Edward Kelley (1555), Philip Henry Gosse (1810), Ernest Payne (1884), Ellen Wood (1814) and Muriel Freeman (1897).

How old are the homes in Worcester?

18% of homes were built before 1919 and 31% before 1940, from the Valuation Office Agency’s council tax records (March 2025).

© Historic England 2026. Contains Ordnance Survey data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. The National Heritage List for England is the official, up-to-date register of all nationally protected historic buildings and sites in England; check an entry on Historic England’s website before relying on it.

Sources: Historic England, National Heritage List for England (listed buildings, scheduled monuments, registered parks and gardens, battlefields, World Heritage Sites), October 2026, inside the ONS 2022 built-up-area boundary · Valuation Office Agency, Council Tax: stock of properties by build period (31 March 2025) · TownRatings grades: our own summary of the data, ranked against UK towns only · Historic England conservation areas (supplied by local planning authorities; October 2026). All under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026 (ONS boundaries). Northern Ireland: Source: NISRA; contains Land & Property Services data and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland information, © Crown copyright, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Scotland: contains National Records of Scotland data, Registers of Scotland data and SEPA data, © Crown copyright / © SEPA 2025, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.