Worcestershire - More than just the Sauce!

Worcestershire (abbreviated Worcs) is a county in the West Midlands region of England in the United Kingdom. Between 1974 and 1998, it was part of the county of Hereford and Worcester. Worcestershire borders the counties of Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire, and West Midlands. Worcestershire's county town and largest city is Worcester.

Worcestershire has many hills, such as Malvern Hills, Clent Hills, Lickey Hills and Bredon Hill. On its border with Herefordshire, there is a long stretch of the Malvern Hills. The highest point of the Malvern Hills, Worcestershire Beacon, is also the highest point of Worcestershire, with its summit at 425 metres (1,394 feet) high.^[1] Malvern water is the name of natural spring water from the Malvern Hills, which is said to have some beneficial properties. Queen Victoria apparently refused to travel without it, and Queen Elizabeth I drank it in public!^[2] 

There are two main rivers which flow through Worcestershire: River Severn and River Avon. The River Severn is the longest river in the United Kingdom, and flows through Bewdley, Stourport-on-Severn, Upton-upon-Severn and Worcester. The River Avon flows through Pershore and Evesham, and its confluence with the River Severn is at the southern border, near Tewkesbury in Gloucestershire.^[3]

Worcestershire also has a lot of woodland and forested areas. In the southeast of the county, north of the Cotswolds, there is the Vale of Evesham, a garden region known for its fruit and vegetables. Asparagus, Brussels sprouts and peas are able to grow here due to its fertile soil from the River Avon.^[4] Meanwhile, in the northwest of the county on the border with Shropshire, there is the Wyre Forest. It is a large semi-natural woodland, which measures around 26 km². The forest is one of the largest remaining ancient woodlands in Britain.^[5] 

Here are the 10 largest settlements in Worcestershire:^[6]

The population of Worcestershire has increased by over 450,000 since the 1801 census. Here is a chart showing the population over this time:^[7][8]

Worcestershire Sauce is a fermented liquid condiment created in Worcester during the 19th century. It was created by John Wheeley Lea and William Henry Perrins (Lea & Perrins). The original ingredients for Worcestershire Sauce included molasses, barley malt vinegar, anchovies, shallots and spirit vinegar.^[9]

Worcestershire sauce has many names worldwide.^[10]

- "English sauce" = Brazil, Denmark, Portugal, Venezuela

- "Spicy soy sauce" = Shanghai area

- "Worcester sauce" = Taiwan, Japan

- "gip-sauce" = Hong Kong, and the surrounding Chinese area

In Costa Rica, a local variation is called Salsa Lizano, or Lizano Sauce.

In El Salvador, it is known colloquially as salsa inglesa (English sauce) or salsa Perrins (Perrins sauce). It is so popular in El Salvador that, as of 1996, it had the highest per-capita consumption, with 71g consumed per person annually!

In Thailand, Gy-Nguang Worcestershire Sauce has been produced since 1917. There are 2 versions: Formula 1, Asian taste, and Formula 2, international taste.

Worcestershire played a big role in the British Industrial Revolution:

- Dudley, Stourbridge, Netherton and the Wyre Forest specialised in iron and coal production.

- Kidderminster specialised in carpet production.

- Stourbridge specialised in glass production.

- Bromsgrove and southern Birmingham specialised in nail making.

- Redditch specialised in needles and fish hooks.

- Droitwich Spa was a centre of salt production.

- Worcester specialised in glove and porcelain manufacturing, but also the production of Worcestershire Sauce.

Canals and railways aided with the exporting of goods.^[11][12]

During the late 18th and early 19th century, Worcester employed nearly half of the glovers in England (over 30,000 people)!^[13]

Nowadays, there is less industry in Worcestershire. Lea & Perrins is still produced in Worcester. Morgan cars are produced in Malvern - around 800 are made every year, all assembled by hand.^[14]

Worcestershire is a very underrated and unique county, with its urban areas (like Worcester, Redditch and Kidderminster) and its rural areas (like Malvern Hills and the Cotswolds). Worcestershire has played a largely unknown role in 19th and 20th century industry, especially with gloves, needles and glass. It isn't just about the county's sauce, but about its beautiful natural geography and brilliant industrial history.