Celtic style cross, corner of Church Drive and Minster Road, Stourport-on-Severn

Image: © P L Chadwick Taken: 19 Aug 2012

At first glimpse this fairly large Celtic style cross looks like a war memorial. However it is not but seems to date from around 1844 and commemorates the fact that this area of the town, then known as Lower Mitton, became part of a new ecclesiastical parish. Previously it had been the chapelry of Lower Mitton in the parish of Kidderminster. On the 19th June 1844 Lower Mitton was joined with the adjoining area of Upper Mitton, to form the new ecclesiastical parish of Stourport. Not Stourport-on-Severn it should be noted, as the town didn't get that name until ninety years later in 1934. That this exciting event should require a memorial to celebrate it, seems rather amazing at this long distance in time, particularly as ecclesiastical parishes these days are being combined rather than sub-divided into new ones. But early Victorian times were very different to ours and it is interesting that this half-forgotten monument should survive, particularly in view of the district council's history of demolishing old structures. Image Image

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