He became a member of St John’s Cycling Club in 1903 and soon became a well-known name in the national cycling community. In 1908 he won a gold medal in the ‘team pursuit’ at the London Olympics.

Sir Charles Hastings was born in Ludlow in 1794. By the age of 18 he was house surgeon at Worcester Infirmary. His work in helping improve public health in Worcester saved countless lives.

He argued for improved dwellings for the city’s poor, and it was said that during outbreaks of cholera in the city, he personally attended every single case with no regard for his own safety.

He founded what would become the British Medical Association in Worcester in 1832 and was knighted by Queen Victoria in 1850. He died in 1866 and is buried in Astwood Cemetery.

The Civil War soldiers represent the intense combat that took place near this site on September 3rd, 1651. Cromwell’s soldiers, attacking on this bank of the river upstream towards the bridge met considerable resistance from Royalist defenders who made good use of the thick hedge rows here.

This location fact has been provided by Joe Tierney of Faithful History. To learn more stories of the ancient city of Worcester, spanning thousands of years of history in ‘The Faithful City’, visit https://www.facebook.com/faithfulhistoryworcester