PERSHORE is an unspoiled, picturesque market town on the River Avon, famed for its elegant Georgian architecture and magnificent Abbey.

It is surrounded by beautiful countryside, picturesque villages and is a haven for cyclists and ramblers. The town has many specialist shops, an undercover market and welcoming pubs and restaurants. It also has its own Number 8 Community Arts Centre with an exciting programme of events.

Many of the buildings along Bridge Street and Broad Street are listed and poets such as John Betjeman have been inspired by Pershore's beauty and its oldworld charm is sure to entice visitors back time and again.

The Christian heart of the town is the Abbey which began as a monastic community during the 7th Century. The present Norman building was built between 1090 and 1130, but in 1223 a fire destroyed the quire. Another fire in 1288 started in the monastic bakehouse and spread to many houses in the town.

It caused the upper part of the Abbey's Norman tower to fall bringing down the quire vault. The north buttress was built in 1686 to support the tower after the north transept fell and there was more disaster in 1861 when the east parapet blew down in a gale. A restoration committee was formed and the south east transept was rebuilt and most of the present furniture and stained glass was fitted.

The lantern tower was opened up by removing the belfry floor to expose the beautiful internal tracery panelling.

By 1990 it was clear that cracks in the south wall of the south transept were becoming serious and the iron heating pipes were leaking. An appeal was launched and restoration of the south

transept, tower and roofs was carried out. As a continuation of the restoration process a new stone floor was laid 10 years ago with underfloor heating after archaeological investigation.

Arising from all this activity has been a great incease in knowledge about the Abbey, the most important discovery being the finding of Saxon foundations.

Images of Pershore: (above) the Abbey which dominates the town and (right) the bridge over the River Avon which attracts lots of tourists.