Water Orton
Encyclopedia
Water Orton is a village
near the River Tame
in the North Warwickshire
borough
of Warwickshire
in England
. It is located between Castle Bromwich
and Coleshill
, and borders the West Midlands
metropolitan county
boundary to the north, west and south. At the last census
in 2001, the population was 3,573.
, M6 toll
and M42
motorways. Water Orton railway station
was built in 1842 and is located at the junction of the B4118 and Birmingham Road. The new High Speed Rail (HS2) route is due to pass through areas of the village.
.
.
A Chapel of Ease was erected here in the 14th century to save the villagers trudging through the often flooded Tame Valley to the Parish Church at Aston
. This was replaced by the present church and all that survives of the Chapel are the listed remains of a Medieval Cross and the graves in the churchyard. The present Parish Church of St Peter and St Paul was built in 1879 for £4000 to a design by Bateman and Corser. It had a fine spire, which unfortunately had to be dismantled in the 1980s due to the effects of atmospheric pollution.
Until the 1840s Water Orton was mainly an agricultural village, but this changed with the coming of the railways. The first one was from Birmingham
to Derby
via Water Orton, Coleshill
, Whitacre Heath
and Tamworth
. Later a junction was constructed and another line was built via Kingsbury
to Tamworth
. The lines pass through the centre of the village. The present railway station
dates from 1908 and is the second station. There were extensive sidings and much commercial traffic here, especially during and after the Second World War, until the activities of Dr Beeching in the 1960s. An effect of the railway was to increase house building in the village. Commuters could now make the journey to Birmingham
's Lawley Street and Curzon Street (later New Street) Railway Stations in a shorter time than by road. This made the village an ideal residential area for Birmingham
professionals who wanted to get away from the city and live in the country. The railway also brought the Meat Industry here. There were large stock yards
near the sidings and next to the Dog Inn in Marsh Lane. Cattle were offloaded from rail wagons into pens, then driven two miles down the road to butchers' slaughter houses
in Castle Bromwich, when meat was provided for nearby villages.
, which is scheduled as an Ancient Monument
, over the River Tame on the road to Minworth
. It was built by Bishop John Vesey of Sutton Coldfield
in 1520.
Water Orton today has a small High Street with a variety of shops and take aways, two pubs, a Primary School, two other Churches, Doctor and Dental surgeries, two Parks, a Cricket Club (Water Orton CC), a Rugby Club (Old Saltleians RFC) an amateur football side - Water Orton United and play in the Coronation league division 1 there home pitch is the local park. And a parish hall, which has recently been rebuilt and renamed 'The Link'. In addition, Water Orton is home to the amateur dramatics company, (Company of the Curtain), who produced all their productions in the Water Orton Parish Hall until December 2008. They now continue to produce plays in the neighbouring village of Curdworth. As well as rail services both in the village, and a short distance away in Coleshill, there is a half-hourly, switching to hourly in the evenings, bus service (number 90; formerly 590) to Birmingham
and Coleshill
. Some new housing was built during 2003 and 2004. A carnival is held every summer. A car boot sale is held on Sunday mornings during the summer, just off the road towards Castle Bromwich. Recently, anti-HS2 campaigners have been very active in the village, and have formed the Water Orton Stop HS2 Action Group.
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...
near the River Tame
River Tame, West Midlands
The River Tame is the main river of the West Midlands, and the most important tributary of the River Trent. The Tame is about 40 km from source at Oldbury to its confluence with the Trent near Alrewas, but the main river length of the entire catchment, i.e...
in the North Warwickshire
North Warwickshire
North Warwickshire is a local government district and borough in Warwickshire, England. The main town in the district is Atherstone where the council is based...
borough
Borough
A borough is an administrative division in various countries. In principle, the term borough designates a self-governing township although, in practice, official use of the term varies widely....
of Warwickshire
Warwickshire
Warwickshire is a landlocked non-metropolitan county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, although the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare...
in 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...
. It is located between Castle Bromwich
Castle Bromwich
Castle Bromwich is a suburb situated within the northern part of the Metropolitan Borough of Solihull in the English county of West Midlands. It is bordered by the rest of the borough to the south east, North Warwickshire to the east and north east; also Shard End to the south west, Castle Vale,...
and Coleshill
Coleshill, Warwickshire
Coleshill is a market town in the North Warwickshire district of Warwickshire, England, taking its name from the River Cole. It has a population of 6,343 and is situated east of Birmingham.-Location:...
, and borders the West Midlands
West Midlands (county)
The West Midlands is a metropolitan county in western central England with a 2009 estimated population of 2,638,700. It came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972, formed from parts of Staffordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire. The...
metropolitan county
Metropolitan county
The metropolitan counties are a type of county-level administrative division of England. There are six metropolitan counties, which each cover large urban areas, typically with populations of 1.2 to 2.8 million...
boundary to the north, west and south. At the last census
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
in 2001, the population was 3,573.
Transport
The village is close to the M6M6 motorway
The M6 motorway runs from junction 19 of the M1 at the Catthorpe Interchange, near Rugby via Birmingham then heads north, passing Stoke-on-Trent, Manchester, Preston, Carlisle and terminating at the Gretna junction . Here, just short of the Scottish border it becomes the A74 which continues to...
, M6 toll
M6 Toll
The M6 Toll , connects M6 Junction 4 at the NEC to M6 Junction 11A at Wolverhampton with of six-lane motorway. The weekday cash cost is £5.30 for a car and £10.60 for a HGV...
and M42
M42 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...
motorways. Water Orton railway station
Water Orton railway station
Water Orton railway station serves Water Orton in Warwickshire, near Birmingham, England. It is owned by Network Rail, and managed by London Midland...
was built in 1842 and is located at the junction of the B4118 and Birmingham Road. The new High Speed Rail (HS2) route is due to pass through areas of the village.
Etymology
Water Orton was first documented in an Assize Roll of 1262 as 'Overton' which means farm by the bank or edge. However, it is now thought to have been included in Domesday as 'Wavre' with Castle BromwichCastle Bromwich
Castle Bromwich is a suburb situated within the northern part of the Metropolitan Borough of Solihull in the English county of West Midlands. It is bordered by the rest of the borough to the south east, North Warwickshire to the east and north east; also Shard End to the south west, Castle Vale,...
.
History
The oldest part of the village is centred around Old Church Road. This is now a conservation area and contains buildings from the 14th and 17th centuries. This is the area that may account for the place name since it is on a high ridge of land overlooking the valley of the River TameRiver Tame, West Midlands
The River Tame is the main river of the West Midlands, and the most important tributary of the River Trent. The Tame is about 40 km from source at Oldbury to its confluence with the Trent near Alrewas, but the main river length of the entire catchment, i.e...
.
A Chapel of Ease was erected here in the 14th century to save the villagers trudging through the often flooded Tame Valley to the Parish Church at Aston
Aston
Aston is an area of the City of Birmingham, in the West Midlands of England. Lying to the north-east of the Birmingham city centre, Aston constitutes an electoral ward within the council constituency of Ladywood.-History:...
. This was replaced by the present church and all that survives of the Chapel are the listed remains of a Medieval Cross and the graves in the churchyard. The present Parish Church of St Peter and St Paul was built in 1879 for £4000 to a design by Bateman and Corser. It had a fine spire, which unfortunately had to be dismantled in the 1980s due to the effects of atmospheric pollution.
Until the 1840s Water Orton was mainly an agricultural village, but this changed with the coming of the railways. The first one was from 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...
to Derby
Derby
Derby , is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands region of England. It lies upon the banks of the River Derwent and is located in the south of the ceremonial county of Derbyshire. In the 2001 census, the population of the city was 233,700, whilst that of the Derby Urban Area was 229,407...
via Water Orton, Coleshill
Coleshill, Warwickshire
Coleshill is a market town in the North Warwickshire district of Warwickshire, England, taking its name from the River Cole. It has a population of 6,343 and is situated east of Birmingham.-Location:...
, Whitacre Heath
Whitacre Heath
Whitacre Heath is a small village in the North Warwickshire district of the county of Warwickshire in England.It is one of 'The Whitacres' - Whitacre Heath, Nether Whitacre and Over Whitacre. Whitacre Heath is actually the heath of Nether Whitacre and not a separate parish.Whitacre Heath is newer...
and Tamworth
Tamworth
Tamworth is a town and local government district in Staffordshire, England, located north-east of Birmingham city centre and north-west of London. The town takes its name from the River Tame, which flows through the town, as does the River Anker...
. Later a junction was constructed and another line was built via Kingsbury
Kingsbury, Warwickshire
Kingsbury is a large village and civil parish in the North Warwickshire district of the county of Warwickshire, in the West Midlands region of England....
to Tamworth
Tamworth
Tamworth is a town and local government district in Staffordshire, England, located north-east of Birmingham city centre and north-west of London. The town takes its name from the River Tame, which flows through the town, as does the River Anker...
. The lines pass through the centre of the village. The present railway station
Water Orton railway station
Water Orton railway station serves Water Orton in Warwickshire, near Birmingham, England. It is owned by Network Rail, and managed by London Midland...
dates from 1908 and is the second station. There were extensive sidings and much commercial traffic here, especially during and after the Second World War, until the activities of Dr Beeching in the 1960s. An effect of the railway was to increase house building in the village. Commuters could now make the journey to 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...
's Lawley Street and Curzon Street (later New Street) Railway Stations in a shorter time than by road. This made the village an ideal residential area for 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...
professionals who wanted to get away from the city and live in the country. The railway also brought the Meat Industry here. There were large stock yards
Feedlot
A feedlot or feedyard is a type of animal feeding operation which is used in factory farming for finishing livestock, notably beef cattle, but also swine, horses, sheep, turkeys, chickens or ducks, prior to slaughter. Large beef feedlots are called Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations . They...
near the sidings and next to the Dog Inn in Marsh Lane. Cattle were offloaded from rail wagons into pens, then driven two miles down the road to butchers' slaughter houses
Slaughterhouse
A slaughterhouse or abattoir is a facility where animals are killed for consumption as food products.Approximately 45-50% of the animal can be turned into edible products...
in Castle Bromwich, when meat was provided for nearby villages.
Features
There is a fine Pack Horse BridgeBridge
A bridge is a structure built to span physical obstacles such as a body of water, valley, or road, for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle...
, which is scheduled as an Ancient Monument
Ancient monument
An ancient monument is an early historical structure or monument worthy of preservation and study due to archaeological or heritage interest. In the United Kingdom it is a legal term, differing from the American term National Monument in being far more numerous and always man-made...
, over the River Tame on the road to Minworth
Minworth
Minworth is a village on the outskirts of Birmingham in the West Midlands area of England. It is located near Walmley, Wishaw, Warwickshire, Curdworth, Thimble End and Castle Vale....
. It was built by Bishop John Vesey of Sutton Coldfield
Sutton Coldfield
Sutton Coldfield is a suburb of Birmingham, in the West Midlands of England. Sutton is located about from central Birmingham but has borders with Erdington and Kingstanding. Sutton is in the northeast of Birmingham, with a population of 105,000 recorded in the 2001 census...
in 1520.
Water Orton today has a small High Street with a variety of shops and take aways, two pubs, a Primary School, two other Churches, Doctor and Dental surgeries, two Parks, a Cricket Club (Water Orton CC), a Rugby Club (Old Saltleians RFC) an amateur football side - Water Orton United and play in the Coronation league division 1 there home pitch is the local park. And a parish hall, which has recently been rebuilt and renamed 'The Link'. In addition, Water Orton is home to the amateur dramatics company, (Company of the Curtain), who produced all their productions in the Water Orton Parish Hall until December 2008. They now continue to produce plays in the neighbouring village of Curdworth. As well as rail services both in the village, and a short distance away in Coleshill, there is a half-hourly, switching to hourly in the evenings, bus service (number 90; formerly 590) to 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...
and Coleshill
Coleshill, Warwickshire
Coleshill is a market town in the North Warwickshire district of Warwickshire, England, taking its name from the River Cole. It has a population of 6,343 and is situated east of Birmingham.-Location:...
. Some new housing was built during 2003 and 2004. A carnival is held every summer. A car boot sale is held on Sunday mornings during the summer, just off the road towards Castle Bromwich. Recently, anti-HS2 campaigners have been very active in the village, and have formed the Water Orton Stop HS2 Action Group.
Notable residents
- The indie band FeltFelt (band)Felt were a 1980s British alternative rock band led by Lawrence, whose surname was never listed in any credits or press; the band's name was inspired by Tom Verlaine's emphasis of the word "felt" in the Television song "Venus"...
was formed in Water Orton in 1979 by local residents Lawrence HaywardLawrence HaywardLawrence Hayward , known simply as Lawrence, his surname never used in credits or press, is best known as the singer, songwriter and guitarist of British indie band Felt.-Felt:...
and Maurice DeebankMaurice DeebankMaurice Deebank is a classically trained English guitarist. He was the lead guitarist of the British indie band Felt from its debut album until 1986, and was responsible for the ornate, atmospheric guitar work found on many of the band's early recordings...
.