File:Spire of the medieval church of Saint Andrew, Worcester (3926380007).jpg

This is all that is left of the medieval church of St Andrew in Worcester. It was demolished in 1949 after decline, disuse and decay. All that remains is this 15th century tower with its vaulted ceiling and fine series of 32 carved stone bosses.

The spire was created by local mason Nathaniel Wilkinson. It went up in the 1750s, to replace the smaller, wooden one destroyed by lightning in c.1730.

It is near a bank of the River Severn.

It is a Grade II* listed building.

Also known as: St Andrew's Tower COPENHAGEN STREET. Also known as: St Andrew's Church Tower ST ANDREW'S GARDENS. Church tower. C15 with spire rebuilt in 1751 by Nathaniel Wilkinson, a journey-man of Worcester. Limestone ashlar. 3-stage Perpendicular tower with slim, recessed, octagonal Gothick spire. Chamfered plinth. Diagonal off-set buttresses to first and second stages, those to first stage have engaged columnettes, with clasping pilasters to third stage. Pointed arches to east, north and south with Perpendicular moulding. 5-light pointed west window. First-stage band. To second stage a 2-light pointed window with Perpendicular tracery to head; second stage band. Third stage has 2-light pointed belfry window. Spire has one level of 2-light, then single light lucarnes. Surmounted by Corinthian capital. INTERIOR: lierne-vault over lower stage, to the east the springers of the first bay of the arcades. To south-west angle a plank door in ogeed surround. HISTORICAL NOTE: the medieval, probably C12 church was demolished after war damage. It now stands in a public garden, opened 1953 to commemorate the coronation of Elizabeth II. The original top of the spire stands in the same garden. The spire is locally known as "The Glover's Needle" due to its shape and to Worcester's association with the glove-making industry. A significant streetscape feature, forming an important landmark. It forms part of the visual context for Worcester Cathedral (qv) from the River Severn, together with Worcester Bridge, Bridge Street (qv), Gascoyne House, Brown's Restaurant and Bond House, South Quay (qqv) and grouping with Merchant's House, Quay Street (qv). NMR photographs. (The Buildings of England: Pevsner: N: Worcestershire: Harmondsworth: 1968-1985: 317-8).

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<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glover's_Needle" rel="noreferrer nofollow">Glover's Needle</a>

The Glover's Needle (or St Andrews Spire) is a spire-carrying tower in the city of Worcester, England.

The tower is a prominent landmark of the city, from road, rail, or the River Severn, and can be seen for miles around. It is located in St Andrews Gardens close to Worcester College of Technology. The spire used to crown the church of St Andrew but this was demolished in the late 1940s. The Glover's Needle is seated on Deansway Road, Worcester Cathedral being very close to the south and All Saints Church to the north. On the western side of the spire the pedestrian can descend into gardens that lead onto the River Severn. Across the road from the Glover's Needle is a "House of Fraser" shop which stands on the site of the old graveyard of St Andrews. At night the spire is illuminated (but not the tower below) and a blue glow is projected from inside one of the windows. The blue represents St Andrew, the colour of the Scottish flag. The blue glow and night lighting were paid for by the Rotary Club of Worcester Severn, to commemorate the millennium in 2000.

In the 15th century, Saxons built a church (called St. Andrews Church) with a tall spire but this was destroyed in a great storm of 1733. Shortly after this disaster, the spire was rebuilt. It was constructed by using the ingenious method of kite flying to carry up the stones. Worcester people took the new masterpiece to their hearts and named it the 'Glover's Needle'. This name came from the industrial glove making that was executed in Worcester. The entire structure measures approximately 245 feet. It is the tallest spire in the country to have such a narrow angle of taper. In the 1920s the slum housing which crowded round the church was demolished. The congregation of the church was thus reduced by a large degree. The church fell into decay, had an overgrown churchyard, few parishioners and a tiny parish of five acres. In the 1940s, the council accepted the Bishop of Worcester's offer of the church. They decided to demolish the church and create a garden of remembrance to replace it. However the council decided to leave the tower and spire, freestanding. Thus St Andrew's church was demolished in 1949.

As a millennium project, a clock was installed in the tower and now the hours are struck on the council bell. A recently reinstated custom is to have the council bell strike from 18:45 to 18:50 before a full meeting of the council. In the early 2000s a fence was put around the base of the spire. A few years ago, the RSPB has taken the Glover's Needle into their own hands and the actual spire is now used for special birds of prey for roosting. Live web cams have been installed in the tower.