Visit Archers' country - Tor McIntosh

discoverarchers’ countryListen toThe Archersat 7pm, Sundayto FridayVisitArchers’countryWith The Archers celebrating60 years on our airwaves thismonth, Tor McIntosh sets outto discover the real county onwhich fictional Borsetshire isbased: WorcestershireThe Old Bull in Inkberrow is thought to be the inspirationfor The Archers fictional pub, The Bull. It’s also the perfectplace to stop off for a drink while exploring Archers’ countryPhoto: Leon TannerEvery listener to BBC Radio 4’s longrunningdrama The Archers has his orher own image of Borsetshire. I certainlydo. It’s a rural haven created in my mindthat I escape to the moment I hear the opening“dum-di-dum-di-dum-di-di…” of the soap opera’sinstantly recognisable theme tune. Of course, thecounty of Borsetshire, the village of Ambridge, themarket town of Borchester and the cathedral city ofFelpersham only exist in the imagined world ofThe Archers. But, as the home county to theprogramme’s creator, the late Godfrey Baseley,Worcestershire certainly stakes the strongest claimto being Archers’ country.With fictional Brookfield Farm modelled onGodfrey’s sister-in-law’s Summerhill Farm inHanbury, many believe that this small village nearthe town of Droitwich Spa in mid-Worcestershire isthe likeliest real-life candidate for Ambridge, theepicentre of goings-on in the radio drama.But fuelled by the success of The Archers over thepast 60 years, other villages in the area also vie forthe status of being the real Ambridge. One of theseis the village of Inkberrow, eight miles south ofHanbury, where Godfrey’s regular watering hole»20 COUNTRYFILE June 2010 June 2010COUNTRYFILE 21

discoverarchers’ countryhe ArchersJust after the 7pm news bulletin on BBC Radio4, The Archers’ theme tune – Barwick Green byYorkshire composer Arthur Wood – reverberatesfrom radios across the nation as millions tune into the world’s longest-running radio dramaseries. For 12½ minutes every evening (exceptSaturday), listeners follow the complicated andentertaining lives of the rural folk living in thefictional village of Ambridge in Borsetshire. After60 years on our airwaves and more than 16,000episodes, the show still draws in five millionlisteners each week in the UK alone.It was during Whit Week in May 1950 that fivepilot episodes of The Archers were transmittedon the Midland Home Service. The series wasbroadcast nationally on New Year’s Day 1951 onThe Light Programme, now Radio 2, beforemoving to its current slot on Radio 4.Despite The Archers’ true-to-life reflection ofrural life, the show is recorded at the BBC’sMailbox studios in the centre of Birmingham,three to six weeks prior to broadcast. However,in order to ensure topical events are included,such as the sudden outbreak of foot and mouthABOVE In 1961 The Old Bull in Inkberrow wasturned into The Bull for the day, complete withan Ambridge-bound bus LEFT The full cast ofThe Archers in 2006disease and this winter’s chaotic cold snap,there’s sometimes a flurry of last minuterewriting, re-recording and editing required tokeep things current.On 19 June 2010, a Diamond Jubileecelebration is being held at the Three CountiesShow in Worcestershire to mark 60 years sincethe first pilot episodes of The Archers werebroadcast in the Midlands. For more informationand tickets visit www.visitworcestershire.org, orthe official Archers fan club, Archers Addicts, atwww.archers-addicts.co.uk.BELOW YsanneChurchman and NormanPainting, playing Graceand Phil Archer, recordingat BBC’s Pebble Millstudios in 1975»The Old Bull – a black and white half-timberedpub overlooking Inkberrow’s village green – isremarkably similar in name to the only pub inAmbridge, The Bull. And it wasn’t just the nameof his local that inspired Godfrey; the bar atThe Old Bull was also a rich source of stories.Rosemary Kennedy, a postmistress who lived inthe village for 45 years, once said: “At one time, assoon as something happened in Inkberrow youcould bet that it would turn up in The Archers afew weeks later.”Lower Loxley Hall?Archers-related landmarks are thick on the groundas you explore this richly agricultural area ofcentral Worcestershire. The National Trust-ownedHanbury Hall on the outskirts of Hanbury villageis thought to be a prototypefor Lower Loxley Hall, thestately home of Nigel andElizabeth Pargetter. Itmay not offer visitorsfalconry courses, atreetop walk or Nigel’shomemade wineas in the radioshow, but theWilliam andMary-stylehouse is worth avisit for the stunning 18th-century formal gardensand the enormous wall paintings by JamesThornhill (1676-1734) that decorate the mainstairwell inside the house.Peeking through the trees behind Hanbury Hallis the hilltop church of St Mary the Virgin, reputedto be St Stephen’s Church in Ambridge. Over theyears, this beautiful red sandstone building hasbeen used for live broadcasts of several Archersweddings and as the backdrop for cast publicityphotos. Recordings of the church bells have oftenfeatured in episodes too, making the bell-ringersjust as famous as the church itself. John Ford, asprightly local farmer “a year shy of 80”,remembers ringing the bells for the first Archerswedding between Grace Fairbrother and PhilArcher in 1955. “It was meant to have been kept asecret, but the location was printed in a nationalpaper,” he recalls. “Some of the cast had to walkto the church because all the roads were blockedwith cars.”Of course, there’s more to Worcestershire thanits association with The Archers. From itscommanding hilltop setting, Hanbury churchoverlooks an expansive floodplain where the riversAvon and Severn meander across a patchwork ofverdant fields in the southernmost corner of thecounty. Just visible to the right is the distinctivehumped outline of the Malvern Hills and, directlysouth, Bredon Hill rises majestically 300m»Photos: (The Old Bull) Photo used by permission of BBC Picture Publicity and BBC copyright,PA/PA Archive/Press Association Images; (opposite page) ImagesEurope/Alamy“The hilltop church of St Marythe Virgin is reputed to be StStephen’s church in Ambridge”22 COUNTRYFILEJune 2010June 2010 COUNTRYFILE 23

Discover | marlborough downsdiscoverarchers’ country»(991ft), both forming striking landmarks in thelargely gentle, farmed landscape. Geologically partof the Cotswolds Hills, Bredon Hill today standsisolated after years of erosion have severed its tiesto its famous neighbours that now melt into thehorizon on its eastern and southern flanks.The Iron Age hill fort of Kemerton Campcrowns Bredon’s summit, and nearby you’lldiscover a pair of standing stones known as theKing and Queen Stones. Local legend has itthat passing between the stones cures individualsof illness. Bredon Hill was immortalised byAbove Built in 1701 byThomas Vernon, a WhigMP for Worcester, HanburyHall is a William and Marystylehouse, now owned bythe National Trust, with arecreated Parterre gardenbased on the originalGeorge London scheme ofthe early 18th centuryWorcestershire-born poet AE Housman in hiscelebrated works A Shropshire Lad, in which hepenned the famous lines: In summertime onBredon/My love and I would lie.Immediately north of Bredon Hill stands themarket town of Pershore – could this be thefictional market town of Borchester? Thispicturesque settlement on the banks of the RiverAvon, complete with medieval abbey and elegantGeorgian architecture, is an ideal place for anafternoon amble after a walk to the summit ofBredon Hill. Particularly delightful is the old-worldcharm of Bridge Street and Broad Street, bothlined with listed buildings displaying elaboratedoorways and cast-iron balconies.The plums of PershoreLying on the western fringes of the Vale of Evesham– a flat and fertile expanse of land sheltered beneaththe Cotswold Hills and watered by the River Avon –the land surrounding Pershore provides perfectconditions for intensive fruit growing. It was in theearly 19th century that wild plums were discoveredgrowing in Tiddesley Wood near Pershore, leadingto the widespread production of the plum varietyPershore Yellow Egg. This was quickly followed in1890 by the Pershore Purple and more recently thePershore Emblem; all of these local varieties are stillavailable today. To celebrate the town’s historicassociation with this sweet juicy fruit, a PlumFestival (www.pershoreplumfestival.org.uk) is heldeach year in August.But before the Vale of Evesham became the fruitbasket of England, its fertile land was the setting formore violent activities: on a hill north of the markettown of Evesham on the 4 August 1265, Simon deMonfort was slain and butchered by the royal forcesof Prince Edward (later King Edward I) in one ofEngland’s bloodiest battles, the Battle of Evesham.Mini mountain rangeCross the imposing M5 motorway that cuts downthe middle of Worcestershire to explore the minimountain range of the Malvern Hills, stompingground of the county’s famous son Sir EdwardElgar. It was this dramatic eight-mile-long ridgethat inspired the composer to write some of hisgreatest works, including the first movement of thePomp and Circumstance Marches, which laterbecame the flag-waving anthem Land of Hope andGlory. For more on the Malverns and Elgar, seeJulia Bradbury’s Great Days Out on page 72.Equally enthralled by these hills is TrevorHarrison, the actor who has played lovable rogueEddie Grundy in The Archers for three decades andwho lives nearby. “What I love about the Malvernsare the two different views you get from the top –the flat, expansive Severn Valley on the east sideand the rugged, hilly landscape of Wales and theBrecon Beacons to the west,” he says.North of the Malverns lies Leigh Brook Valley,where the Knapp and Papermill nature reserve ishidden away from all but the most intrepid visitors.It’s a gem of a place to visit and home to plentifulflora and fauna. Warden Fergus Henderson liveson site and has unrivalled knowledge of thespecies-rich habitats – orchard, meadow, woodlandand river – that make up the 67-acre reserve. Aguided tour is highly recommended.Travel east from here and you reach the city ofButterfly talesListeners to The Archers will recall LyndaSnell’s excitement at spotting a rare brownhairstreak butterfly in Ambridge lastSeptember. This smallinsect has been indecline over the past30 years due to thepoor management ofits hedgerow habitats.But according to BBC Radio4 presenter and Worcestershirenative Brett Westwood, there hasrecently been an increase in brownhairstreak numbers. “A project run byWorcestershire Wildlife Trust and ButterflyConservation has seen members andvolunteers counting the eggs and alsomaking landowners aware of the need to»Above The panoramicview from St Mary theVirgin parish churchextends over the villageof Hanbury and theexpanse of agriculturallandscape towards theVale of Eveshamprotect the species,” heexplains. Grafton WoodReserve (above), fivemiles west of Inkberrow,has a large colony.Tucked away down a smalllane near Hanbury is Eades MeadowNational Nature Reserve, one of the finesthay meadows in England. From Maythrough until midsummer the meadow is asea of wildflowers.Photos: ImagesEurope/Alamy, NTPL/James Dobson, (butterfly) Malcolm Schuyl/FLPA, (Eades Meadow) Paul Lane24 COUNTRYFILE June 2010 June 2010 COUNTRYFILE 25

discoverarchers’ countryAll you need to knowLocating Archers’ country117826Worcestershire lies in the heart of England, surrounded by the counties ofHerefordshire, Shropshire, West Midlands, Warwickshire and Gloucestershire.The south and centre of the county is predominantly agricultural, whereas thenorthern sector has a more prominent industrial heritage. The busy M5 motorwayslices through the centre of the county, so it is relatively easy to access all ofWorcestershire from anywhere in the UK.Map: OS Landranger 150 and 1385109 41123eat1 The Old Bull, Village Green, Inkberrow WR7 4DZModel for the fictional pub in The Archers, this picturesque half-timbered pubalso claims to have been the stopover for Shakespeare on his way to collecthis wedding certificate in Worcester.01386 7924281walksABOVE From Seckleyviewpoint in the northernsection of the Wyre Forest,you can watch the SevernValley Railway steam traincross Victoria BridgeFurther readingThe Archers Miscellany byJoanna Toye, BBC Books.Features 60 years of Archerstrivia in one volume.»Worcester, nestled between the M5 and the banksof the River Severn. At the heart of the city is themagnificent 11th-century cathedral, where HenryVIII’s elder brother Prince Arthur is buried (if he’dlived, we would have had a King Arthur and,possibly, no Reformation in England), along withKing John, signatory of the Magna Carta in 1215.Of course the city’s most famous export is Lea andPerrins Worcestershire Sauce, which is still madein the city to its original secret recipe.Follow the Severn Valley north of Worcester andthe area becomes much more industrialised as youedge towards the Black Country, with the towns ofRedditch and Kidderminster displaying remnants oftheir industrial past: needle making and carpetproduction respectively. However, tucked in the farwestern corner, and a haven for nature lovers andwalkers alike, is an ancient, wild wood that is largelyunknown beyond Worcestershire’s borders.Centuries ago, this woodland stretched all theway along the Severn Valley from Worcester up toBridgnorth in Shropshire, but today all thatsurvives is the 6,000 acres that make up the WyreForest. Yet, as Richard Boles, a ranger for theForestry Commission remarks: “Natural Englandregards the Wyre Forest as being the third largestancient woodland in England, after the New Forestand the Forest of Dean.”Along with an abundance of birds, mammals,plants and fungi, the forest is also home toEngland’s largest colony of pearl-bordered fritillarybutterflies. In early June, they are just one of manybutterfly species you’re likely to glimpse delicatelyfloating along the woodland rides.Archers atmosphereSixty years ago, Godfrey Baseley set out to create a“farming Dick Barton”, a rural version of thepopular BBC radio programme about a specialagent. The idea was to educate farmers on how toincrease food production after the rationing yearsof the Second World War, but what The Archershas morphed into is a gripping entertainmentseries that authentically reflects rural life in theUK. For those Archers fans reading this article:even if Worcestershire didn’t fit your idea ofBorsetshire before now, take a trip to explore thisMidland county and I’m sure you’ll find theatmosphere of the radio show in the real county’sagricultural landscape and rural communities –rich with history, wildlife and culture.As for non-Archers listeners, exploringWorcestershire and its Archers-inspired landmarksmight encourage you to tune in and listen to “aneveryday story of country folk,” every night onRadio 4 at 7pm. CFTor McIntosh is the picture editor of CountryfileMagazine and an Archers addict. Don’t try andcall her at 7pm as she’ll be glued to the radio.Photos: (opposite page) Don Bishop/TTL; (this page) John Greenwood, Robert Read/Alamy, FC PictureLibrary/Isobel Cameron, Flyfoto/Alamy, English Heritage Photo Library, James Schutte/Alamy2 Jinney Ring Craft Centre, Hanbury B60 4BUOld timbered barns have been beautifully restored and now house 12 craftworkshops, a gift shop, falconry centre and farmhouse restaurant.01527 821272 www.jinneyringcraft.co.uk3 The Fleece Inn, The Cross, Bretforton, Evesham WR11 7JEOriginally built as a longhouse in the time of Chaucer, it was bequeathed tothe National Trust in 1977. Serves homemade food, real ales and ciders.01386 831173 www.thefleeceinn.co.uk45DON’t MISSsleep4 Hill Farm House, Dormston WR7 4JSA beautiful 16th century red brick former farmhouse offering bed andbreakfast in spacious, beamed en-suite rooms with a king size bed.01386 793159 www.hillfarmhouse.co.uk5 Cottage in the Wood, Holywell Road, Malvern Wells WR14 4LGSet in seven acres of wooded slopes, this family owned hotel and restaurantoffers spectacular views across the Severn Valley and has excellent access tothe Malvern Hills.01684 588860 www.cottageinthewood.co.uk6 Chateau Impney Hotel, Droitwich Spa, Worcestershire WR9 0BNThis eye-catching hotel – built in the style of a French chateau in 1875 by awealthy salt-magnet – offers a number of exquisite en-suite rooms.01905 774411 www.chateau-impney.com7 Witley Court, Great Witley WR6 6JTFollowing a fire in 1937, this palatial mansion is a spectacular skeletonsurrounded by landscaped gardens and the Perseus and Andromeda Fountain.www.english-heritage.org.uk8 Astley Vineyards, Astley, Stourport-on-Severn DY13 0RUEstablished in the 1970s, this vineyard produces award-winning white wines.You can visit the vineyard for some wine tasting and a tour of the site.01299 822907 www.astley-vineyards.co.uk9 Spetchley Park Gardens, Spetchley, Worcestershire WR5 1RSThis 30-acre private Victorian garden, owned by the Berkeley family, mixesformal and informal gardening and boasts a vast collection of roses.01453 810303 www.spetchleygardens.co.uk72910 Worcestershire beaconThe eight-mile walk to the highestpoint of the Malverns starts inGreat Malvern. Climb to St Ann’sWell and follow the ridge to thesummit of Worcestershire Beacon.Skirt the base of Table and NorthHill and return to the town alongLady Howard De Walden Drive.11 Wyre ForestThis two-mile circular waymarkedwalk from Hawkbatch car park inthe northernmost corner of theWyre Forest takes you throughmixed woodland to a viewpointwhere you can see the SevernValley Railway steam train cross thecast-iron Victoria Bridge.12 Eckington WharfFrom the Eckington Wharf picnicarea, join the riverside path andfollow the River Avon to StrenshamLock. Continue on the path inlandpast Court End Farm and intoEckington village, before followingPershore Road past the Holy Trinitychurch and back to the start.26 COUNTRYFILE June 2010 June 2010COUNTRYFILE 27