WORCESTER is a great place to work, learn and spend leisure time.

Both Helen and Paul are honoured to have been born and educated in the City of Worcester and run an award winning business from its ancient landscape.

Discover History was founded in 2003 to provide professional history workshops and activity days to schools of all ages and abilities.

This has expanded over the years to cover site specific living history, providing entertaining characters and performers for the heritage industry, film and TV. We also provide lively speakers for organisations and care homes - plus museum training and consultancy work.

In 2007 we began to deliver a very popular city tour - ‘The Worcester Story.’ This too has expanded into 36 themed tours, all with different routes and tales. Worcester has so much, one tour would not give our history justice.

What makes our job easier is that the city has seen all the great moments of both British and in some cases world history. Worcester is literally an ancient city which overflows with thousands of years of history.

From prehistoric hunters roaming the Severn flood plain, to an early farming settlement, fortified by the Romans. By the Early medieval period it was important enough to become a Burg, with a church at its centre. This church blossomed to become part of a Benedictine monastery, which we now call - the Cathedral. Nearby, St Helens church is possibly earlier than our beautiful Cathedral. By the height of the Middle Ages, the City Charters led the way for a castle, crenelated stone walls and a powerful Guild to oversee the trade in wool.

We must remember that the city is more than the Civil Wars. By the time the English Civil Wars broke out in 1642, the city had already seen several earlier Wars. These included the ‘Anarchy’, between King Stephen and the Empress Matilda.

When the English Civil Wars broke out, Worcester tried to stay out of the war. After all, when Queen Elizabeth I had visited in 1575, the City was said to be thriving and rich. After the first skirmish at Powick Bridge in 1642, and during the 2 sieges of 1643 and 1646 the City was in a very poor state!

In 1651, when the battle of Worcester loomed, local men joined the Parliament forces to liberate the City from the Scottish Invader - The Royalists. At the time many people saw them as Invaders and not Royalists from the early years of the war.

By the 18th Century the City hid its disloyalty to the Royalist cause by re-building a very regal looking Guildhall. Today this building stands as a Civic Jewel and is emblazoned with the golden words ‘Fidelis’ (Faithful) and ‘Semper’ (Always) and not forgetting the statues of Stuart monarchs topped with impressive crowns.

Despite losing the original money spinner - The Wool trade, the City diversified into Gloving, Porcelain, Worcestershire Sauce and many more. Worcester is an impressive place, built on the solid foundations of our ancestors. Where Merchants and Traders once did business the City now draws the Tourists. Our City tours are always busy and have to run all year round to cope with the demand. The words we hear on a regular basis include - ‘Worcester has so much to offer.’ ‘We never realised the City was so old’ and ‘we will need to visit again to fit everything in’. Worcester may not be as popular as York or Stratford, but we are visited by more tourists than many realise.

Visitors always tell us how hard it is to visit all the sites we have on offer in one day. The Cathedral, The Commandery, The Infirmary, Greyfriars, The Guildhall, Museum and Art Gallery, Bishops Palace, Tudor House and many more are all waiting to be explored. I believe we are very lucky to have so much and if you are local take a look at what’s on your doorstep you would be surprised. The attractions we have are not just for the Tourists and they need supporting by locals.

If you scan our beautiful skyline, you will see historic towers and spires; Stone, brick and timber buildings. All resting next to an award winning modern university and public library. A home for 7 miles of archives and artefacts discovered by a brilliant and busy team of archaeologists.

Worcester has changed and we have sadly lost some great buildings, but Discover History will always say, ‘we all need to Embrace the Good and together help improve the Bad.’ Worcester is an ancient City but still continues to move in the right direction.

Paul Harding and Helen Lee