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Abbey Close, WORCESTER, WR2 4HR

The road is mainly residential, but there are a few businesses located along it. In the distance it ends at a junction with Malvern Road and the road known as St. John's. Bransford Road is part of the A4103.

As well as being a newsagents, this is also a general store, and has an off-licence.

Bransford Road has an interesting assortment of buildings, of greatly varying age. Just before the postbox on the right, is a narrow passage aptly called Narrow Walk. It comes out on School Road.

This restaurant may, or may not, be doing a roaring trade, but it would probably do even better if it had a fresh coat of paint outside and in more appealing colours. At the moment the appearance, including the missing "C" in the sign over the front door, is not very inviting. The sign, see Image, even less so. For very many years this used to be the Star Inn. It was listed as such in the 1881 census, and could be even older.

The restaurant is in a building which used to be the Star Inn. This post would have held the Star Inn's sign, and quite possibly the sign was just painted over by the restaurant. The peeling paint does nothing to increase customer appeal. The photographs of the restaurant and this sign, were taken in the middle of a Sunday afternoon, when according to this sign the 20 course Sunday Buffet was being served up. However there were no lights on and no signs of life whatsoever, so possibly the restaurant no longer opens on a Sunday afternoon. If this comment is wrong, I'd be happy to correct it. Image

These post-mounted boxes were used from the early 1980's, in places where previously a box set into a nearby wall would have been used. This one is by Narrow Walk and it can be seen on the right in this view:- Image The box number is WR2 10. Post code is WR2 4EW. Last collections are at 4 pm Monday to Friday, and 11.30 am on Saturday.

It's sad to see yet another pub which has closed, and perhaps surprising in this area, as it has a large student population. At the beginning of July 2010, the pub was on the market for £225,000. Update - the pub re-opened and is known as the Crown rather than the Crown Inn. Image Image Photographed in November 2014:- Image

There are a number of pubs within the city which have "Crown" in their title. Another pub in St. John's, the Crown and Anchor, in Hylton Road, recently re-opened after closing in 2009. Hopefully the Crown Inn will follow their example and re-open again as a pub. Interestingly it appears in the 1891 Census, when there were at least three other inns or pubs in Bransford Road. Update:- the pub re-opened and is known as The Crown. Image Image

The pub has closed but the sign, mounted on a post, remains outside. It was in operation under its present name by 1891, when it appears in the Census for that year. In those days people running pubs and inns usually had other jobs as well. The 1891 census shows that the inn-keeper, Joseph Willmore, was also a coal dealer and a coach builder! Quite a combination of interests and skills. Image Image Update:- The pub re-opened and is now known at the Crown. It has a new sign:- Image