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  • 16th December 2016
Update on Clara Bauerle and the Bella in the wych elm story

Earlier in the year we posted a blog ‘Who put Bella in the wych elm‘ as part of our Monthly Mysteries series.  In it we hinted that the link with Clara Bauerle, the German singer and actress, was one which was still being actively explored.  We can now reveal that the researcher who was following...

  • 2nd September 2016
Monthly Mystery: Who put ‘Bella’ in the wych elm?

‘Finish your articles re the Wych elm crime by all means. They are interesting to your readers, but you will never solve the mystery. The one person who could give the answer is now beyond the jurisdiction of the earthly courts.’ In 1953 ‘Anna’ of Claverley wrote those intriguing words in a letter to journalist...

  • 7th June 2016
Monthly Mystery: Droitwich Buried Room

The hammer pounded down once again bringing about a satisfying crack as more of the debris collapsed into the hole. “Stand back” someone called over the crowd, maybe with fear for their safety or just a hope for a better view. With a last final hit a large piece of the floor fell away leaving...

  • 3rd May 2016
Monthly Mystery: Witches, Horses and The Devil

A building survey of a fairly ordinary 19th century brick stable block in the west of Worcestershire uncovered a peculiar set of objects. Nailed above the lintel to the entrance way was a pair of mammalian skeletal feet above an iron horseshoe. Plate 1 Horseshoe and paws nailed above a stable doorway (©WCC 2015) A...

  • 1st March 2016
Monthly Mystery: the Infirmary Bones

During building work at Worcester’s Royal Infirmary between 2007 and 2010, as it was undergoing the transformation from former hospital to the University of Worcester’s City Campus, our archaeologists were brought in to investigate the history of the site. An excavation was carried out in the southern part of the grounds of the Infirmary, which...