Leaving the Midlands

My final day in Worcester included a visit to the magnificent cathedral—where King John of Magna Carta fame is interred—and tea at Greyfriars before boarding the train for Paddington Station in London.

Worcester Cathedral

Massive church bells line the entryway to the cathedral, which dates to 640 CE, the time of the Normans. Monks trained here, King John is buried here, and the church played a role in the Civil War, with Charles I using a tower to observe the battle and Royalist troops under Cromwell looting the building. Arthur, the brother of Henry VIII, died early and is interred in the cathedral, a fact that saved the cathedral from destruction during the English Reformation.

The Gothic architecture amazed me, with vaulted ceilings seemingly stretching to infinity and multiple monuments to knights and their ladies lining the aisles. The cathedral remains active, with services, organ recitals, and Evensong on a daily basis.

Greyfriars

Worcester was home to a Franciscan friary from the 13th to the 16th centuries, closing when Henry VIII dissolved the monasteries. (The name Greyfriars refers to the grey habits of the Franciscans.) The building probably housed a merchants business. Managed by the National Trust today, its timbers provide a strong historical addition to the modern streetscape. Its gardens offer a most pleasant place for tea.

Traveling to Paddington Station

The train from Worcester provided a comfortable two-hour journey to Paddington Station in London. The compartment filled gradually, with most commuters and tourists joining the train at Slough and Reading.

Worcester Shrub Hill Station

Paddington Station was a madhouse, with commuters scrambling for trains and examining route boards for their trains. I took some minutes to visit Paddington the Bear’s statue on Platform 1. I could understand Michael Bond’s story of a bear arriving in London with a sign to “Please look after this bear.” The story resonates with those of child evacuees during World War II, who sought safety in the country,