Elmley Castle - Amenities and History

Amenities and History

It had a population of 497 in 2001 and retains public amenities such as a bus route, public house, post office, primary school, local shop selling local produce, and church.

The remaining public house is called "The Queens Head", after Queen Elizabeth I who is supposed to have stopped there. According to local legend Elizabeth I was presented with a hat on her arrival in the village on the road from Pershore, (a nearby town). The slope upwards out of the village at that point is still known as 'Besscaps'.

The remains of a stone cross are still present in the centre of the village. Its age is unknown and a significant portion remains underground.

The church of St. Mary dates from the end of the 11th century, the chancel shows herringbone pattern stonework in the external walls, the font has a 15th-century octagonal bowl on a 13th-century square base decorated with stonecarved serpents and dragons and the church was much added to in succeeding centuries. It contains grand monuments to Thomas, 1st Earl of Coventry and 17th century effigies of members of the Savage family. The decline in local Christian worshippers has led to a reduced service schedule at the church.