▁fl int ▁tools , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁post ▁holes , ▁a ▁hear th , ▁g ul lies ▁and ▁a ▁pit . ▁This ▁site ▁has ▁been ▁dated ▁to ▁roughly ▁ 6 , 8 0 0 ▁BC , ▁making ▁it ▁the ▁oldest ▁settlement ▁yet ▁identified ▁in ▁Wor c esters hire . ▁Pol len ▁evidence ▁shows ▁that ▁cro ps ▁were ▁already ▁being ▁grown ▁and ▁wood lands ▁cleared ▁at ▁this ▁time . ▁ ▁The ▁settlement ▁of ▁W rib ben hall , ▁on ▁the ▁eastern ▁side ▁of ▁the ▁Se vern , ▁and ▁now ▁part ▁of ▁Bew d ley , ▁was ▁recorded ▁in ▁the ▁Dom es day ▁Book ▁as ▁being ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁man or ▁of ▁Kid der min ster . ▁By ▁the ▁ 1 4 th ▁century , ▁the ▁town ▁had ▁come ▁to ▁be ▁known ▁as ▁Beau ▁lieu , ▁French ▁for ▁" Be aut iful ▁place ." ▁Two ▁centuries ▁later ▁John ▁L eland ▁wrote ▁in ▁his ▁It iner ary ▁that ▁" a ▁man ▁cannot ▁wish ▁to ▁see ▁a ▁to w ne ▁ ▁better ". ▁ ▁Bew d ley ▁was ▁granted ▁bor ough ▁status , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁a ▁week ly ▁market , ▁by ▁King ▁Edward ▁IV ▁in ▁ 1 4 7 2 . ▁It ▁retained ▁this ▁status ▁until ▁the ▁local ▁government ▁re organisation ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 4 . ▁A ▁parliament ary ▁report ▁of ▁ 1 7 7 7 ▁listed ▁Bew d ley ▁as ▁having ▁a ▁parish ▁work house ▁accommod ating ▁up ▁to ▁ 8 0 ▁in m ates . ▁ ▁The ▁bor ough ▁had ▁a ▁population