 | This articleneeds additional citations forverification. Please helpimprove this article byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Alvechurch" – news ·newspapers ·books ·scholar ·JSTOR(June 2009) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
| Alvechurch | |
|---|---|
 Tudor Rose Fish Bar, Alvechurch | |
  Alvechurch Location withinWorcestershire | |
| Population | 6,564 |
| OS grid reference | SP025725 |
| • London | 99 miles (159 km) |
| Civil parish |
|
| District | |
| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | BIRMINGHAM |
| Postcode district | B48 |
| Dialling code | 0121 |
| Police | West Mercia |
| Fire | Hereford and Worcester |
| Ambulance | West Midlands |
| UK Parliament | |
| |
Alvechurch (/ˈælvtʃɜːrtʃ/ALV-church) is a large village andcivil parish in theBromsgrove district in north-easternWorcestershire, England, in the valley of theRiver Arrow. TheLickey Hills Country Park is 2.5 miles (4 km) to the north-west. It is 11 miles (18 kilometres) south ofBirmingham, 5 mi (8 km) north ofRedditch and 6 mi (10 km) east ofBromsgrove. At the 2001 census, the population was 5,316.[1]
Alvechurch means "Ælfgyth's church".[2] In the eighth century, Ælfgyth founded a church on the site of the church of St. Laurence.[3]
KingOffa of Mercia gave the land forming the parish toBishops of Worcester in 780. The parish is mentioned in theDomesday Book of 1068 asAlvievecherche with a small population of under 20 people.[4][5] In the thirteenth century the Bishop of Worcester built a palace in the village, and a weekly market and an annual fair were established.[6]
The Bishop's Palace was pulled down in the seventeenth century, the only remnants being part of the moat and a yew tree which formerly stood in the palace grounds.
From the nineteenth 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 needle making.Dellow cars were made in Alvechurch between 1949 and 1956.
The village has a number of medieval half-timbered buildings, as well as many Georgian, Edwardian and Victorian buildings.[7]
The church ofSt Laurence dates back to 1239.[8] It is situated on high ground, and was probably the site of an earlierMercian church, although nothing remains of the earlier wooden building. Much of the church was rebuilt between 1858 and 1861 byWilliam 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.The Ark, a £1m extension to the church was built in 2005 despite a village referendum in February 2004[9] voting against the erection of the building.
There are also many newer residential buildings and a First and Middle school with library. In 2008 a new first and middle 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 school.
There is an attractivearts and crafts styleBaptist church in the centre of the village.
There is also a renowned local amateur dramatic group, theAlvechurch Drama Society which produces two plays per year at the village hall.[10][unreliable source?] The group is celebrated for its original pantomimes which are written by Chris Davies and Paul Chamberlain.
Alvechurch Sports and Social Club hosts live music on a regular basis and is home toAlvechurch Acoustic Roots a curated music event which welcomes performers from the local area and beyond.
The football team that serves the village isAlvechurch F.C., which was founded in 1929 and played in the local park prior to a move toLye Meadow. They reached the Third Round of the FA Cup in 1974, losing 4–2 toBradford City, the club was at its greatest in the 80's when it spent a large stint in the Southern League Premier. In November 1993 they folded, but a group of supporters resurrected the club in 1994, in the 2002–03 season the club gained promotion to the Midland Football Alliance, now known as the Midland Football League Premier, and won the division in the 2016–17 season. In the 2017–18 season, they finished 2nd in the Evo-StikNorthern Premier League Division 1 South, gaining promotion to the 3rd tier of the non league pyramid. As of the 2018–19 season they play in the Evo-StikSouthern Football League Central Premier.
The village also has a local cricket team.
TheM42 motorway runs across the north side of the village; the nearest junction is north of the village atHopwood, junction 2.
Alvechurch railway station, opened in 1859, is on theCross-City Line. It provides local trains to Redditch andLichfield viaBirmingham. The station is unstaffed. On 1 September 2014, a passing loop and second platform were completed and officially opened.[11]
The village is accessible bynarrowboat along a ruralcanal. AlvechurchMarina is on theWorcester and Birmingham Canal (built 1789), just across a hedgerow from the station.
TheA441 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.
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
