FORTUNES made from Bewdley caps to Kidderminster carpets are recalled in a new video on the history of the Wyre Forest district released this week.

The Shuttle/Times & News has teamed up with Heritage Films to make the fascinating 60-minute video.

It comes hot on the heels of the Memory Lane book which went on sale last month and is being reprinted to cope with demand.

The Wyre Forest Story starts in the days of the Romans when the woodlands which covered thousands of acres were in their prime.

The Domesday Book records that the population of "Chideminster" was just a few hundred folk gathered around the parish church, the bridge over the Stour and the town mill.

The region was unusual for the high number of hermits who lived in caves cut from the sandstone cliffs of the river valleys. Hundreds of years later, families carved out homes in the same caves.

Kidderminster was sold by Henry II to his steward Manser Biset for just £20 in 1160.

Strong links between Kidderminster, Bewdley and Stourport and the part they play in making Wyre Forest the uniquely diverse region it is today are traced.

And famous sons of Wyre Forest are featured, including Richard Baxter whose work helped shape the country's beliefs, Rowland Hill, founder of the penny post, and Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin who became the first Earl Baldwin of Bewdley in 1937.

Industries which have helped shape the fortunes of the area date back to the provision of timber for iron smelting in the days of the Romans. Coracles, baskets, besoms, cart-wheels and casks were soon being shipped out of the area.

The family names of Fuller, Weaver and Dyer recorded in the records of Kidderminster in the 13th century reflect the thriving cloth-making industry and the first clue to the town's future comes in an inventory of Naworth Castle in 1619 which mentions "seven carpets of Kitterminster stuff."

Harvington Hall, Lea Castle, Caldwall Castle and Tickenhill Palace are recorded in the video.

Attractions today include the Severn Valley Railway and West Midland Safari Park, developed on the old Spring Grove Estate.

l The Wyre Forest Story is priced at £12.99 and can be purchased from Shuttle/Times and News offices at Blackwell Street, Kidderminster, and High Street, Stourport.

Editor Clive Joyce said: "This is our first video venture and we are delighted.

"Obviously it would be impossible to cover 1,500 years of history in just 60 minutes but it provides a fascinating outline of how this area has evolved over the years.

"Just like our Memory Lane book, we expect it to make the ideal inexpensive Christmas present."