Bewdley is a tiny riverside community as well as civil parish in the Wyre Forest District of Worcestershire on the Shropshire boundary in England, along the Severn Valley 3 miles (4.8 km) west of Kidderminster and also 22 miles (35 km) southwest of Birmingham. [1] It pushes the River Severn, at the gateway of the Wyre Forest national nature reserve, and at the time of the 2011 census had a population of 9,470. Bewdley is a popular tourist destination as well as is understood for the Bewdley Bridge made by Thomas Telford. The almost all of Bewdley community is located on the western bank of the River Severn, including the primary street-- Load Street-- whose name originates from lode, an old word for ferryboat. Load Street is remarkable for its width: this is due to the fact that it as soon as also served as the town's market area. Most of Bewdley's stores and also features are located along Load Street, on top of which lies St Anne's Church, constructed in between 1745 as well as 1748 by Doctor Thomas Woodward of Chipping Campden. Beyond the church, High Street leads off to the south in the direction of Stourport along the B4194, a road understood locally as "the switchback" as a result of its numerous undulations. Unlike in several English communities, High Street is so called not due to its importance, yet due to its geographical setting 'high' above the river. On the other side of the church, Welch Gate (so called due to the fact that it when included a tollgate when traveling towards Wales) climbs up outstanding up to the west, while Dowles Road, a continuation of the B4194 leads northwest to Dowles and in the direction of the Wyre Forest. To the northeast of the community is the woody hill of Wassel Wood in Trimpley, the southern terminus of Shatterford Hill. In the location between Stourport and Bewdley there are several big country houses, amongst which Witley Court, Astley Hall and Pool House are especially considerable.