History of Worcestershire Kidderminster and Blockley. Henry VIII confined cloth making to Bromsgrove, Kidderminster, Droitwich, Evesham and Worcester. Rural production of cloth had been spurred by rural poverty and the need to supplement incomes. Trade in Worcester and the cloth trade in Kidderminster was still controlled by guilds. Fulling (cleaning new cloth) around Worcester and dyeing in the Teme valley, for instance in Tenbury and Clifton, were major employers. Rope making was prominent around Bromsgrove. However, tanning was probably the largest single industry across the county, concentrated near rivers and streams in the north and west of the county. Glassmaking was first established
The Shrubbery, Kidderminster The Shrubbery, Kidderminster The Shrubbery is a former military installation in Kidderminster, Worcestershire. It is a Grade II listed building. The building is an early 19th century mansion which was owned by the Lea family in the first half of that century. It then passed into the hands of a Major Winnington in the second half of the century. It was converted around the end of the century for use as the headquarters of the 1st Volunteer Battalion, The Worcestershire Regiment. This unit evolved to become the 7th Battalion, The Worcestershire Regiment in 1908. The battalion was mobilised at the