THE Middle Ages are sometimes considered a vanished world, remote and intangible - perhaps beyond our reach altogether.
However, there are places in Worcestershire where the breathtaking physical legacy of this age - more than mere fragments and bare vestiges - survives and the beauty of its art and architecture may still be enjoyed, appreciated and conjured from its grave.
From the tomb of notorious King John to some of the finest stained glass in England, the county is a hotbed of medieval history and heritage.
Neighbouring Gloucestershire, Shropshire, Herefordshire (the Hereford School carvings at Kilpeck stands out) and Warwickshire all boast incredible churches, castles and cathedrals and abbeys. Here is a personal list of some of the finest places to visit in the county - and slightly further afield - to visit this winter, bringing to life the Middle Ages in the West Midlands.
(1) Worcester Cathedral - The present cathedral church was built between 1084 and 1504. The tombs of King John and the Chantry chapel of Prince Arthur (older brother of Henry VIII) are among the highlights. The Norman crypt and cloisters are also highly atmospheric. The roots of the Cathedral go back to 680.
The crypt is the earliest surviving part of the building with cushion capitals remaining from the original monastic church begun by bishop Saint Wulfstan of Worcester in 1084.
(2) Gloucester Cathedral - the famous cloisters - the earliest ever fan vaults - were used in the Harry Potter films. It contains the spectacular canopied tomb of murdered Edward II.
The cathedral has a stained-glass window depicting the earliest images of golf. This dates from 1350, over 300 years earlier than the earliest image of golf from Scotland. There is also a carved image of people playing a ball game, believed by some to be one of the earliest images of medieval football.
(3) Tewkesbury Abbey - the Abbey Church of St Mary the Virgin is in Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire, just off junction 9 of the M5. The former Benedictine monastery has the largest Romanesque crossing tower in Europe - many others collapsed.
Tewkesbury had been a centre for worship since the 7th century. A priory was established there in the 10th century while work on the present building began in the early 12th century. It was unsuccessfully used as a sanctuary in the Wars of the Roses. After the Dissolution of the Monasteries, Tewkesbury Abbey became the parish church for the town.
(4) The Collegiate Church of St Mary in Warwick - The church foundations date back nearly nine hundred years, being created by Roger de Beaumont, 2nd Earl of Warwick, in 1123.
The chancel vestries and chapter house of the church were extensively rebuilt in the 14th century by a later Earl of Warwick, Thomas de Beauchamp (later pronounced Beecham), in the Perpendicular Gothic style.
His descendants built the Chapel of Our Lady, commonly known as the Beauchamp Chapel. It contains effigies including the stunning gilded monument to Richard de Beauchamp, 13th Earl of Warwick.
(5) Malvern Priory contains some of the finest medieval stained glass in England. Work is underway to restore the 'at risk' glass and save the beautiful windows before they are lost forever.
The building is a former Benedictine Priory founded in 1085. The church has the largest display of 15th-century stained glass in England.
Anne Eglington, the chairperson of the Friends of Malvern Priory, said: "It's some of the best surviving medieval stained glass in the country, second only to York Minster. If we don't do something about it, it will be lost forever. We are passionate about saving, protecting and preserving the medieval glass at risk in Great Malvern Priory."
The priority now is to apply for National Lottery Heritage Fund to continue the work after the success of the pilot project.
(6) Greyfriars - a late medieval, timber-framed house in Friar Street, Worcester is a Grade I listed building. Its location near to a former friary of the Franciscan order of Greyfriars has in the past led to speculation that it was constructed as their guest house, but it is now believed to have been built as a house and brew-house c.1485 for Thomas Grene, brewer and High Bailiff of Worcester from 1493-1497. It has been in the ownership of the National Trust since 1966.
(7) The City Walls of Worcester - the medieval city walls protected Worcester at times of war although now only fragments survive including in City Walls Road and The Butts.
During the years of the Anarchy, a period of civil war and unrest in the 1140s, Worcester was attacked several times. As a result, a new city wall was built to improve the city's defences. The new walls, completed by the early 13th century, were constructed of stone and had three main gates. They were maintained in good condition into the 17th century.
During the English Civil War in the 1640s the old medieval walls were reinforced with modern earthwork bastions and an outlying fort, called a sconce. During the 18th century, the older medieval stone walls and gatehouses were sold and mostly destroyed.
(8) The Fleece Inn in Bretforton - originally a longhouse built in the early 15th century by a farmer named Byrd and remained in the ownership of the same family until 1977. The last of the descendants was Miss Lola Taplin, a formidable character remembered by many of the locals, Lola bequeathed the pub to the National Trust when she died in 1977.
The half-timbered building, over six hundred years old, has been a pub since 1848. The inn was extensively damaged by fire in 2004, and after repairs and rebuilding were completed the Fleece officially reopened on June 18, 2005.
Reputedly Oliver Cromwell's pewter dinner service was exchanged on the way to the battle of Worcester and this is on display at the pub.
(9) St Bartholomew's Church, Tong, Shropshire - a 15th-century church in the village of Tong, Shropshire, England, notable for its architecture and fittings, including its fan vaulting in a side chapel, rare in Shropshire, and its numerous tombs.
(10) Battle of Evesham Festival - re-enactors recreate the famous battle in August at a free event, featuring a medieval festival and camp with demonstrations of cookery, weapons and medicine, plus the main battle re-enactment.
The Battle itself was fought on 4 August 1265, 50 years after the Magna Carta between Prince Edward and Simon de Montfort. The Prince wanted to free his father King Henry III and take revenge on a man who is credited with starting the first Parliament.
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