Alvechurch
Encyclopedia
Alvechurch is a large village
and civil parish of Bromsgrove district
, in the northeast of the county of Worcestershire
, England
. Lying in the valley of the River Arrow, the nearest city is Birmingham
, 17 km / 11 miles to the north, with the closest towns being Redditch
, 8 km / 5 miles to the south and Bromsgrove
, 9.5 km / 6 miles to the west. At the time of the last UK Census in 2001 the population was 5,316.
gave the land forming the parish to the local church in the late 8th century. The parish is mentioned in the Domesday Book
. In the 13th Century the Bishop of Worcester built a palace in the village, and a weekly market and an annual fair were established.
The Bishop's Palace was pulled down in the 17th century, the only remnants being part of the moat and a yew tree which formerly stood in the palace grounds.
From the 19th century to the mid twentieth century there was a brick factory in the hamlet of Withybed on the edge of the village. Other local industries included nail and needlemaking. Dellow
cars were made in Alvechurch between 1949 and 1956.
The church of St Laurence dates back to 1239. It is situated on high ground, and was probably the site of an earlier Mercia
n church, although nothing remains of the earlier wooden building. Much of the church was rebuilt between 1858 and 1861 by William Butterfield. There is a 1,348-pipe organ. The tower has a peal of eight bells, rung regularly by the North Worcestershire and District Change Ringing Association. These bells are in need of repair and, after a five-year fundraising project, work is due to start in January 2012. The Ark, a £1m extension to the church was built in 2005 despite a village referendum in February 2004 voting against the erection of the building.
Alvechurch railway station
was built in 1859. There are also many newer residential buildings and a primary and secondary school with library. In 2008 a new primary and secondary school were built north-east of the village, the old school has since been demolished and the new estate has road names commemorating the house names of the old school.
style Baptist
church in the centre of the village.
There is also a renowned local amateur dramatic society which produces two plays per year at the village hall.
runs across the north side the village; the nearest junction is north of the village at Hopwood
junction 2.
Alvechurch station is on the Cross-City Line. It serves local trains to Birmingham, Lichfield
and Redditch. The station is un-manned.
The village is accessible by narrowboat
along a rural canal
. Alvechurch Marina
is on the Birmingham and Worcester Canal (built 1789) is just across a hedgerow from the station.
The A441 road
used to pass through the village, but now a relief road by-passes the village, helping to reduce traffic and pollution. Recently, specific traffic-calming measures have been added to the village's main thoroughfares. These 'pinch-points' reduce the road width to one raised central lane, preventing drivers from speeding and promoting considerate road use.
Alvechurch F.C.
play their home games at Lye Meadow on Redditch Road.
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
and civil parish of Bromsgrove district
Bromsgrove (district)
Bromsgrove is a local government district in Worcestershire, England. Its council is based in the town of Bromsgrove.It borders the built up area of Birmingham to the north...
, in the northeast of the county of Worcestershire
Worcestershire
Worcestershire is a non-metropolitan county, established in antiquity, located in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire" NUTS 2 region...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. Lying in the valley of the River Arrow, the nearest city is Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
, 17 km / 11 miles to the north, with the closest towns being Redditch
Redditch
Redditch is a town and local government district in north-east Worcestershire, England, approximately south of Birmingham. The district had a population of 79,216 in 2005. In the 19th century it became the international centre for the needle and fishing tackle industry...
, 8 km / 5 miles to the south and Bromsgrove
Bromsgrove
Bromsgrove is a town in Worcestershire, England. The town is about north east of Worcester and south west of Birmingham city centre. It had a population of 29,237 in 2001 with a small ethnic minority and is in Bromsgrove District.- History :Bromsgrove is first documented in the early 9th century...
, 9.5 km / 6 miles to the west. At the time of the last UK Census in 2001 the population was 5,316.
History
Alvechurch means The church of the Lady Aelfgiva, possibly a relative of King Athelstan. King OffaOffa
Offa may refer to:Two kings of the Angles, who are often confused:*Offa of Angel , on the continent*Offa of Mercia , in Great BritainA king of Essex:*Offa of Essex A town in Nigeria:* Offa, Nigeria...
gave the land forming the parish to the local church in the late 8th century. The parish is mentioned in the Domesday Book
Domesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
. In the 13th Century the Bishop of Worcester built a palace in the village, and a weekly market and an annual fair were established.
The Bishop's Palace was pulled down in the 17th century, the only remnants being part of the moat and a yew tree which formerly stood in the palace grounds.
From the 19th century to the mid twentieth century there was a brick factory in the hamlet of Withybed on the edge of the village. Other local industries included nail and needlemaking. Dellow
Dellow
Dellow cars were made in a factory at Alvechurch, near Birmingham, England between 1949 and 1956.Dellow Motors Ltd was started by Ken Delingpole and Ron Lowe to produce road-going sports cars for the enthusiast to use in trials, rallies and hill-climbs....
cars were made in Alvechurch between 1949 and 1956.
Architecture
The village has a number of medieval half-timbered buildings, as well as a plethora of Georgian, Edwardian and Victorian buildings.The church of St Laurence dates back to 1239. It is situated on high ground, and was probably the site of an earlier Mercia
Mercia
Mercia was one of the kingdoms of the Anglo-Saxon Heptarchy. It was centred on the valley of the River Trent and its tributaries in the region now known as the English Midlands...
n church, although nothing remains of the earlier wooden building. Much of the church was rebuilt between 1858 and 1861 by William Butterfield. There is a 1,348-pipe organ. The tower has a peal of eight bells, rung regularly by the North Worcestershire and District Change Ringing Association. These bells are in need of repair and, after a five-year fundraising project, work is due to start in January 2012. The Ark, a £1m extension to the church was built in 2005 despite a village referendum in February 2004 voting against the erection of the building.
Alvechurch railway station
Alvechurch railway station
Alvechurch railway station serves the village of Alvechurch in Worcestershire, England. It is situated on the Cross-City Line 18 km south west of Birmingham New Street. The station, and all trains serving it, are operated by London Midland...
was built in 1859. There are also many newer residential buildings and a primary and secondary school with library. In 2008 a new primary and secondary school were built north-east of the village, the old school has since been demolished and the new estate has road names commemorating the house names of the old school.
Arts and entertainment
There is an attractive arts and craftsArts and Crafts movement
Arts and Crafts was an international design philosophy that originated in England and flourished between 1860 and 1910 , continuing its influence until the 1930s...
style Baptist
Baptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
church in the centre of the village.
There is also a renowned local amateur dramatic society which produces two plays per year at the village hall.
Travel and transport
The M42 motorwayM42 motorway
The M42 motorway is a major road in England. The motorway runs north east from Bromsgrove in Worcestershire to just south west of Ashby-de-la-Zouch in Leicestershire, passing Redditch, Solihull, the National Exhibition Centre and Tamworth on the way. The section between the M40 and M6 road forms...
runs across the north side the village; the nearest junction is north of the village at Hopwood
Hopwood, Worcestershire
Hopwood is a small settlement in Worcestershire, located south of Birmingham, England on the Worcester and Birmingham Canal. The settlement is developed around an inn, where users of the canal would have broken their journey....
junction 2.
Alvechurch station is on the Cross-City Line. It serves local trains to Birmingham, Lichfield
Lichfield
Lichfield is a cathedral city, civil parish and district in Staffordshire, England. One of eight civil parishes with city status in England, Lichfield is situated roughly north of Birmingham...
and Redditch. The station is un-manned.
The village is accessible by narrowboat
Narrowboat
A narrowboat or narrow boat is a boat of a distinctive design, made to fit the narrow canals of Great Britain.In the context of British Inland Waterways, "narrow boat" refers to the original working boats built in the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries for carrying goods on the narrow canals...
along a rural canal
Canal
Canals are man-made channels for water. There are two types of canal:#Waterways: navigable transportation canals used for carrying ships and boats shipping goods and conveying people, further subdivided into two kinds:...
. Alvechurch Marina
Marina
A marina is a dock or basin with moorings and supplies for yachts and small boats.A marina differs from a port in that a marina does not handle large passenger ships or cargo from freighters....
is on the Birmingham and Worcester Canal (built 1789) is just across a hedgerow from the station.
The A441 road
A441 road
A441 is an A-road in England which runs from central Birmingham to Cookhill, Worcestershire.-History:Once one of the main routes between Evesham, Redditch and Birmingham, the A441 has now largely been superseded by A435 which has been upgraded to the East...
used to pass through the village, but now a relief road by-passes the village, helping to reduce traffic and pollution. Recently, specific traffic-calming measures have been added to the village's main thoroughfares. These 'pinch-points' reduce the road width to one raised central lane, preventing drivers from speeding and promoting considerate road use.
Alvechurch F.C.
Alvechurch F.C.
Alvechurch Football Club is English association football club based in Alvechurch, near Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, currently playing in the Midland Football Alliance. They are affiliated with the Worcestershire County Football Association.-History:...
play their home games at Lye Meadow on Redditch Road.
Famous people
- Alvechurch was the birthplace of Fay WeldonFay WeldonFay Weldon CBE is an English author, essayist and playwright, whose work has been associated with feminism. In her fiction, Weldon typically portrays contemporary women who find themselves trapped in oppressive situations caused by the patriarchal structure of British society.-Biography:Weldon was...
the novelist and Godfrey BaseleyGodfrey BaseleyGodfrey Baseley , was a radio executive, who is most famous as being the creator of the soap opera The Archers....
, creator of The ArchersThe ArchersThe Archers is a long-running British soap opera broadcast on the BBC's main spoken-word channel, Radio 4. It was originally billed as "an everyday story of country folk", but is now described on its Radio 4 web site as "contemporary drama in a rural setting"...
. - Alan SmithAlan M. SmithAlan Martin Smith is an English former football striker. He played for Leicester City and Arsenal at professional level, and won thirteen caps for England.-Leicester City:...
who scored the winning goal for ArsenalArsenal F.C.Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
in the 1994 Cup Winners' CupUEFA Cup Winners' CupThe UEFA Cup Winners' Cup was a football club competition contested annually by the most recent winners of all European domestic cup competitions. The cup is one of the many inter-European club competitions that have been organised by UEFA. The first competition was held in the 1960–61 season—but...
final played for Alvechurch F.C. - Lord Digby JonesDigby JonesDigby Marritt Jones, Baron Jones of Birmingham, Kt is a British businessman and politician, who has served as Director General of the CBI and Minister of State for Trade and Investment...
lived in Alvechurch; his parents owned a shop in the village. - Home of Tracie AndrewsTracie AndrewsTracie Margurite Andrews is an English woman who murdered her fiancé, Lee Raymond Harvey on 1 December 1996.-Murder:...
who murdered Lee Harvey in 1996 in the high profile case which Tracie initially blamed on a 'road scrage' killer. - Jai Stokes and Mat Russell of brit pop band I am SevenI am SevenI am Seven are a now-defunct Britpop group.-1984 to 1996- the preceding years:Matt Russell and Jai Stokes first teamed up to form Broadsword. When they invited David Brown into the band, they dropped Broadsword and became Zeus. The line-up changed sixteen times throughout the band's history...
grew up here.
External links
- Alvechurch Parish Council.
- Alvechurch Lions Football Club.
- Framed in Alvechurch.
- Alvechurch Baptist Church.
- The Village magazine.
- St. Laurence Church.
- The Ark at St Laurence Church.
- St. Laurence Bell Fund.
- A description of the village.
- Seven fine pen & ink studies of Alvechurch buildings.
- 2001 Census Statistics.
- Alvechurch Village Society.