Mercian House : Dental Surgery.

Aptly named "Mercian House" because it was the local West Mercia police station until the 1960's when the new police station was built in Bewdley Road. It was well sited with The Lord Nelson public house, now the York Pharmacy, very handily placed on its left and the Police Inspectors house, (built much later than Mercian House), on the right. It is said coats were left in the passageway so that the boys in blue could don them before slipping into the Lord Nelson for a warming drink after a cold night spent walking the beat!

In 1881 the station was in charge of Thomas Oliver from Bromsgrove, a Divisional Sergeant, Worcester Constabulary. He lived there with his wife and seven children. His eldest son John, 16, worked as a carpet weaver creeler. Also lodging there were Charles Titmas, 20, a Police Constable born at Elmdon Warwick, and Frederick Stone, 22, a Police Constable born at Nauton Beauchamp, Worcester.

There is a delightful story of one officer who would obligingly give a little cough, to warn of his presence, before appearing on the scene.

When the building was a police station a spherical lamp, with the word "Police" on it, hung above the doorway, and a plaque bearing the words "County Police Station" was situated on the right hand side.