IMAGES TAKEN NEAR TO
High Clere, BEWDLEY, DY12 2EX

Part of an extensive housing estate west of the town.

Where the fields meet the built up suburbs of Bewdley.

An unadopted road leading west from Park Lane which eventually leads to a footpath.

Not to be confused with the former Black Boy Hotel on the other side of the River Severn, now the Bewdley Hotel, in Kidderminster Road, in the Wribbenhall part of the town. Both were named after King Charles II. For more information on this, please see the pub's sign:- Image The timber-framed Black Boy pub in Wyre Hill is very old, probably dating from the 15th or 16th century. It is a very traditional pub, concentrating on the sale of drinks, including real ales. It still has two bars and a beer garden. The pub is owned by Marston's and, back in 2008, they had it up for sale. Now it seems to have been taken off the market and rebranded from Banks's to Marston's. There is still one sign outside with Banks's on it, but a few months ago it received a new pub sign with Marstons on it. This is quite encouraging for its future. The pity is that so few people know of its existence, as not many tourists get this far. The approach is by the very steep Sandy Bank (off Welch Gate), and equally steep or steeper Wyre Hill, and parking can be a problem. Anyone making the effort, will be rewarded by stopping awhile at this excellent pub, and also there are many interesting old houses around it.

This splendid new sign has only been up a few months, and replaces the previous much-faded Banks's sign. It shows King Charles II. Bewdley was a strongly Royalist town in the 17th century civil war between the Royalists and Parliament. During the few years the country was a republic under Oliver Cromwell, the Royal Toast was forbidden. It became the custom for Royalists in that period to drink a toast to the health of "The Black Boy Across The Water". This was a reference to the fact that Charles II had a fairly dark complexion. Eventually he was restored to the English throne in 1660. Subsequently quite a number of pubs were named the Black Boy. Bewdley was unusual in having three establishments with this name, one being the former Black Boy Hotel in the Wribbenhall district, now renamed the Bewdley Hotel. The third, long closed, had a statue or model of a black boy attached to the outside. When it closed the model was transferred to the Black Boy on Wyre Hill. It was affixed to the front of the building until eventually it fell off and broke. In the lounge bar is a fascinating old photograph showing the pub with this model. Image

The Civic Society plaque states that these historic old buildings were restored in the early 1990's by the County of Hereford & Worcester Building Preservation Trust Ltd. Good work.

Just part of an interesting street in beautiful Bewdley. The Black Boy pub is obviously an historic old hostelry and looks attractive.