The Queen’s Pear 

Inspired by Queen Elizabeth I’s visit, this pear celebrates the city’s famous black pears. These rare fruits were prized treats, offered to royal guests and admired for their unusual colour and taste. They became symbols of local pride and hospitality. This sculpture reflects a time when Worcester welcomed royalty and showed off its finest produce to the Tudor court.

In 1575 Queen Elizabeth I travelled to Hartlebury Castle & visited Bishop Bullingham. She then continued her trip to Worcester and tradition says that during her visit she saw a black pear tree and directed that three black pears be added to Worcester’s coat of arms (which are still present today). Part of the story states that the Queen addressed the public from the balcony of a building now known as Queen Elizabeth House, located on Trinity Street.

The Golden Pear

Shining with success and ambition, this pear reflects the wealth that helped shape Worcester’s grand buildings and decorative details. Gold touches, fine stonework, and rich interiors show times of confidence and growth. These features can still be seen across the city today. This sculpture invites you to think about how wealth and investment helped shape Worcester’s look and character.

The Hive, the cities library, opened in 2012 and this landmark building features seven distinctive, upward-facing gold-coloured cones.

The Golden Lion was a historic 14th-15th century pub located on High Street, opposite the Guildhall. It was known for its a gilded lion sign (no longer in situ) and famous gold lion statue, which is still visible today.

The Composer’s Pear 

Filled with music and memory, this pear honours Sir Edward Elgar, one of Britain’s best-known composers. Inspired by the Worcestershire countryside, Elgar’s music captured both quiet moments and grand celebrations. His work carried the sound of the county to audiences around the world. This sculpture reflects how Worcester’s landscape and spirit helped shape music that is still loved today.

Sir Edward Elgar was born in Lower Broadheath in Worcestershire in a cottage called ‘The Firs’ which still stands today and can be visited.

His work ‘Pomp and Circumstance Marches’ (1901), specifically March No. 1, was later adapted for "Land of Hope and Glory".

One of Elgar's most popular works, the 'Enigma' Variations from 1899, is also his most mysterious. Each of the fourteen variations has a cryptic subtitle that relates to a particular person (or animal) in Elgar's life, including his wife, his publisher, and various friends and students.

During his final illness Elgar is quoted as saying “If ever after I’m dead you hear someone whistling this tune on the Malvern Hills, don’t be alarmed. It’s only me.

Fact: Elgar became a prominent conductor and recording artist for HMV, making him one of the first composers to take the gramophone seriously.

The Royal Pear

Rich in colour and texture, this pear is inspired by the use of red velvet in Worcester’s history. Once worn by royalty and the wealthy, velvet was a symbol of status, power, and importance. Its deep red tones were often seen in ceremonial clothing and special occasions. This sculpture reflects Worcester’s connections to royal influence, where fabric, fashion, and display showed wealth, prestige, and pride within the city.

Many royal figures have visited Worcester throughout the centuries.

King John (reigned 1199–1216) was a frequent visitor to Worcester, staying at least nine times, and held a special affection for the city, choosing to spend Christmas there in 1207 and 1214. Despite the city siding with rebels, he requested burial in Worcester Cathedral. His tomb, located before the High Altar in Worcester Cathedral features the oldest royal effigy in England.

Prince Arthur, Henry VIII's older brother, who was due to inherit the throne from his father Henry VII but died aged 15, is buried in Worcester Cathedral.

In 1575 Queen Elizabeth I visited Worcester and tradition says that during her visit she saw a black pear tree and directed that three black pears be added to Worcester’s coat of arms (which are still present today).

King Charles II fought at the Battle of Worcester in 1651 and fled the city following the Royalist defeat to Oliver Cronwell at the battle.

King George III & Queen Charlottle attended the Three Choirs performance at Worcester Cathedral in 1788 – there is a stained-glass window in the cloister at the Cathedral depicting their visit.

The Artisan Pear 

Made to celebrate skilled hands, this pear honours Worcester’s long traditions of craft. Porcelain painters added fine detail, while glove makers created high-quality leather goods. These trades supported families and shaped the city’s working life. This sculpture celebrates the creativity, patience, and pride of the makers who helped build Worcester’s reputation for quality.

Porcelain: Worcester Porcelain (which became Royal Worcester) made some of the earliest porcelain in England. Set up in 1751 the factory became successful because it perfected the recipe for porcelain, so it didn’t crack when boiling water poured into it. The Museum of Royal Worcester houses the world's largest collection of Worcester porcelain, spanning from its founding in 1751 to 2008.

Gloving: Worcestershire was once the heart of the British glove-making industry. Peaking between 1790 and 1820 when it produced half of all British gloves. The industry, featuring 150+ manufacturers and 30,000–40,000 workers in the 1820s. Famous glove makers, such as Dents and Fownes, were leading manufacturers in the city.

Wool: The woollen cloth industry formed a central part of Worcester’s economy from the medieval period, reaching its greatest importance between the 13th and 15th centuries. The city became well known for the production of high-quality broadcloth, made from fine wool and traded widely across Europe. At its height, cloth-making and associated occupations employed a substantial proportion of Worcester’s population and shaped the city’s economic character.

The Tudor Pear

Shaped in timber, brick, and stone, this pear reflects Worcester’s buildings and streets through time. From medieval homes to Georgian terraces and Victorian landmarks, each era added something new to the city. Together, these buildings tell the story of how Worcester has grown and changed. This sculpture invites you to look closely and discover history in the walls around you.

Tudor House (Friar Street): A 16th-century, timber-framed building that showcases Worcester’s domestic history, including rare Tudor ceilings and wartime history.

Friar Street/New Street: Features some of the best-preserved Tudor-style buildings, including the black-and-white timbered Cardinal’s Hat and King Charles House.

The Guildhall (High Street): A stunning example of Queen Anne-style (Georgian) architecture in the city centre. 

Greyfriars House (Friar Street): A 15th-century timber-framed merchant’s house managed by the National Trust.

The Commandery (Sidbury): Founded in the 11th century as a hospital, it became the Royalist headquarters during the Civil War Battle of Worcester. It is a complex, patchwork structure featuring a medieval Great Hall and 15th-century timber-framed elements.

Worcester Cathedral (College Yard): Worcester Cathedral, founded in 680 AD and rebuilt in 1084 by St. Wulfstan, is a premier example of English architecture, ranging from Norman to Perpendicular Gothic. It served as a major Benedictine monastery until 1540. Key features include a 12th-century round chapter house, a multi-columned Norman crypt (1084), a soaring 14th-century central tower, and a dramatic nave.

The Saucy Pear

From a local idea to a global favourite, this pear celebrates Worcestershire Sauce, first made in Worcester. Its rich mix of ingredients and careful ageing created a bold and famous flavour. Bottles travelled far from the city, carrying Worcester’s name into kitchens worldwide. This sculpture honours a simple local invention that became an international success story.

Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce was first launched in 1837. The story goes that two years earlier, local chemists John Wheeley Lea and William Henry Perrins were asked to create a fish sauce recipe by Lord Sandys, a local aristocrat, who had enjoyed the sauce in India. However, the initial tasting of the sauce was considered to be too strong and was then stored in a basement and forgotten about. The sauce was found again 18 months later whilst cleaning and Lea & Perrins decided to taste it. The time it had spent fermenting gave it a nicer taste and the delicious condiment we know today was created.

Worcestershire Sauce is exported to over 130 countries around the world.

Fact: Since the end of the 19^th Century the iconic orange labels were added to the bottles to ensure the bottles stood out from copycat competitors and the labels have changed little since.

The Iron Pear

Forged in the fires of conflict, this pear reflects Worcester’s important role in the English Civil War. The city saw sieges, battles, and changing sides, as armour, weapons, and defences shaped everyday life. Worcester’s streets once filled with marching soldiers and the sounds of war. This sculpture honours the strength of the city and its people, whose lives were changed by this dramatic period in history.

The Battle of Worcester- was fought on September 3^rd 1651 and was the final battle of the English Civil Wars. What happened in Worcester didn’t just decide the fate of a king, it shaped the future of the nation.

The Battle of Worcester was the last and largest land battle of the Civil Wars, estimates suggest the Parliamentarians outnumbered the Royalists by 28,000 to 12,000. King Charles II and his Royalist army faced Oliver Cromwell’s Parliamentarian forces in and around the city. By nightfall, the Royalist army was defeated, thousands were dead or captured, and Charles II was fleeing for his life.

The Commandery served as a Royalist headquarters during the battle and King Charles House on New Street, now a pub, was once a single house, where King Charles II sheltered as the city fell.

Fact: On restoration of the monarchy King Charles II conferred upon Worcester the title of "civitas fidelis" - the faithful city.

The Literary Pear 

This pear celebrates Worcester’s writers, poets, and storytellers. Through poems, letters, newspapers, and books, people have shared ideas and shaped how the city is remembered. Literary figures also passed through Worcester, including Charles Dickens, who stayed at the former Swan Hotel and William Shakespeare who married Anne Hathaway here, connects the region to some of the world’s most famous writers. This sculpture honours the power of words to preserve stories and bring places to life.

Charles Dickens stayed at The Swan Hotel on Worcester High Street (now the Script Haven bookshop) in August 1858, during a tour where he gave a reading of A Christmas Carol.

William Shakespeare, the world famous playwright, is believed to have married to Anne Hathaway at St Martin Church in the Cornmarket in Worcester. Historians speculate that St Martin’s Church in the Cornmarket may have been the venue for the marriage, as the marriage register for that year has a missing page. Shakespeare’s marriage bond & licence are held in the archive at The Hive in Worcester.

Ellen Wood (better known as Mrs. Henry Wood) was born in Worcester in 1814 and was a popular author in the 19^th Century. She used the city as a setting for several of her Victorian novels, including Mrs. Halliburton's Troubles, in which she refers to the city as "Helstonleigh".

The Porcelain Pear 

Delicate yet strong, this pear celebrates Worcester’s world-famous porcelain industry. Skilled makers shaped clay, used intense heat, and added fine hand-painted details to create beautiful objects. Worcester porcelain was sold across Britain and beyond. This sculpture honours the care, skill, and creativity that helped make Worcester known around the world for its fine china.

Worcester Porcelain (which became Royal Worcester) was awarded its first royal warrant by King George III in 1789.

Worcester porcelain made some of the earliest porcelain in England. Set up by Dr. John Wall in 1751 the factory became successful because it perfected the recipe for porcelain, so it didn’t crack when boiling water poured into it. The Museum has a factory floor plan that shows ‘the secret recipe room’ where the recipe was kept under lock and key. The recipe was so precious the initial investors agreed to a penalty of £4,000 should they disclose knowledge of the secret to anyone. Geese were also kept to guard the Gilding House!

When George III and Queen Charlotte visited Worcester for the Three Choirs Festival (1788), they also visited the porcelain factory and ordered a breakfast service in the Blue Lily pattern which was renamed "Royal Lily" in honour of Queen Charlotte.

Other famous visitors to Worcester Porcelain include President Benjamin Franklin who visited Worcester in 1758 and Admiral Lord Nelson.

Fact: The Museum of Royal Worcester houses the world's largest collection of Worcester porcelain, spanning from 1751 to 2008. The museum was founded in 1946 by Charles Dyson Perrins (of Worcestershire sauce fame) to protect the factory's heritage.