Bewdley is a tiny riverside town and also civil parish in the Wyre Forest District of Worcestershire on the Shropshire border in England, along the Severn Valley 3 miles (4.8 kilometres) west of Kidderminster and 22 miles (35 kilometres) southwest of Birmingham. [1] It lies on the River Severn, at the entrance of the Wyre Forest national nature reserve, as well as at the time of the 2011 census had a population of 9,470. Bewdley is a popular tourist destination and also is understood for the Bewdley Bridge created by Thomas Telford. The almost all of Bewdley town is located on the western bank of the River Severn, consisting of the main street-- Load Street-- whose name stems from lode, an old word for ferryboat. Load Street is remarkable for its size: this is since it once additionally acted as the town's market location. Most of Bewdley's stores and also amenities are situated along Load Street, on top of which exists St Anne's Church, developed in between 1745 and 1748 by Doctor Thomas Woodward of Chipping Campden. Beyond the church, High Street leads off to the south towards Stourport along the B4194, a road understood locally as "the switchback" because of its several wavinesses. Unlike in numerous English communities, High Street is so called not as a result of its value, but because of its geographical placement 'high' above the river. Beyond of the church, Welch Gate (so called since it when had a tollgate when traveling towards Wales) climbs up outstanding approximately the west, while Dowles Road, an extension of the B4194 leads northwest to Dowles and towards the Wyre Forest. To the northeast of the town is the woody hill of Wassel Wood in Trimpley, the southern terminus of Shatterford Hill. In the location between Stourport as well as Bewdley there are numerous huge lodge, amongst which Witley Court, Astley Hall and Swimming pool Residence are particularly substantial.