A WORCESTER man has spent the past six years painstakingly researching information about the city's streets for his new book.

Terry Wardle, a former journalist who lives in the Barbourne area of Worcester, has researched the history of more than 600 city street and road names and compiled them all in his book, Historic Worcester Streets.

The book details how the streets were created and developed, the communities that existed in them and contains almost 500 rare photographs, engravings, maps, plans and old advertisements.

Mr Wardle said: “No one has previously set out to tell the story of the city’s streets in this way. In fact I don’t know of another city in the UK that has a book quite like this.

“There are cities, like London for example, where there are publications about some of the historic central streets, but they have no interest in the suburban roads where most of us live, yet many of them are just as interesting.

“I must admit that I didn’t originally intend to make the book quite as unique as it is, but as the research went on I kept finding more things I felt I should put in, until it ended up massive. I just hope the people of Worcester will find the book as fascinating as I found the research.”

The book recounts the history behind some of the more interestingly named streets in Worcester, such as Love's Grove — previously a romantic lovers' lane until a prison was built next to it — as well as the rude history behind a former street, Grope Lane.

It also tells the story of one of Worcester's former central streets called Goosethrottle Lane and how Deansway was once a slum which was home to more than a third of the city’s population.

Mr Wardle will give a talk about his book and Worcester's streets to Worcester Civic Society on Thursday, November 20 from 7pm at the Museum of Royal Worcester in Severn Street.

Mr Wardle is hoping to collect the books tomorrow before he can start distributing them to shops around the city.

Contact Terry by emailing MTCEnergy@aol.com with any questions.