Ryall, Worcestershire
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Ryall is a village in the south of Worcestershire, England, on the east bank of the River Severn, near Upton-upon-Severn on the opposite bank.
It is at grid reference SO870410. The Royal Mail postcode begins WR8. The A38 and A4104 pass through the village, the A38 remaining roughly parallel to the Severn (this stretch running from Tewkesbury to Kempsey) while the A4014 crosses first the A38 and then over a bridge the Severn itself, on to Upton-upon-Severn and then the A449 at Little Malvern.
Swept up in the chaos of the English Civil War, Ryall briefly declared itself a Republic in 1654 and elected local burgher William Davies to the position of Premier of the Free State of Ryall. The state of affairs lasted until approximately 12 noon when it was pointed out that the local pub was on the wrong side of the new border and as all this nation building was damn thirsty work, unless something was done about it sharpish the Free State of Ryall would pretty soon be witnessing it's first coup d'etat. Fearing for his life, Premier Davies swiftly cancelled the earlier declaration and so brought to a close the the shortest lived republic in British history.
Local villagers still commemorate their brief independence on the 2nd of June every year with the Drunken Egg Race. Competitors first consume a pint of rough cider before running one mile into Upton-upon-Severn and throwing eggs at the Town Hall. The first one back to Ryall wins and is declared Premier for the day.
| Settlements on the River Severn between Bewdley and Gloucester (heading downstream) | edit | |
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Bewdley | Stourport | Areley Kings | Worcester | Kempsey | Upton-upon-Severn | Ryall | Tewkesbury | Deerhurst | Gloucester |
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| Settlements on the A38, Bristol to Worcester | edit | |
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Heading north: Bristol | Stokes Croft | Cotham | Bishopston | Horfield | Filton | Patchway | Aztec West | Almondsbury | Rudgeway | Alveston | Falfield | Stone | Woodford | Newport | Cambridge | Quedgeley | Gloucester | Coombe Hill | Tewkesbury | Twyning | Ryall | Severn Stoke | Kempsey | Worcester |
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