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You are here: home | Redditch area information Redditch, Worcestershire area info:Redditch is a large town located in north-east Worcestershire; approx 15 miles south of Birmingham and 18 miles north of Worcester. |
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Redditch History:
The name Redditch is believed to have originated from a reference to the 'Red-Dych' - the red clay of the nearby River Arrow. The first recorded mention of Redditch is in 1348, the year of the outbreak of the Black Death. During the Middle Ages Redditch became a centre of needle-making and later prominent industries were fish-hooks, fishing tackle, motorcycles and springs.
When Redditch was designated a new town in 1964, housing developments in outlying districts were created to accommodate the large overspill from an industrially expanding Birmingham. With a boom in the number of houses in Redditch, the population more than doubled within 30 years from approximately 32,000 to around 80,000. Redditch was built as a flagship of 'new town' planning. The whole of Redditch was landscaped and all the main roads in Redditch featured banked areas that reduced traffic noise to houses on the new housing estates.
By the 21st century needle-making and other traditional industries in Redditch had been replaced by modern light industry and services. Today many national and international companies have their headquarters in Redditch. They are attracted by the abundance of good quality, purpose-built office and warehouse space available and easy access from the Midlands' motorway network.
Redditch is home to several historical sites: The National Needle Museum, Forge Mill Museum (pictured above) and the ruins of Bordesley Abbey located in the Abbey district of Redditch; and the remains of a medieval moated settlement (Moons Moat) is situated within the Church Hill district.
Houses in Redditch Transport:
Roads: Redditch is located in the heart of England. The M42 and M5 motorways are just a short drive away. The town is linked by dual carriageways and A-class roads to surrounding towns such as Bromsgrove, Worcester, Evesham and Stratford upon Avon. There are regular bus services to Studley, Bromsgrove, Worcester and Birmingham.
Redditch is occasionally cited as having a confusing road system. It is dominated by dual carriageways and traffic islands that were built when Redditch became a New Town. It is home to the only 'cloverleaf' interchange in England, at the junction of the A441 and the Bromsgrove-bound A448 (photo right). The road system in Redditch is designed to allow the rapid flow of large volumes of traffic around various districts and into the town centre, whilst keeping fast moving vehicles separated from residential streets. Many of the roads have a similar appearance which some drivers find disorientating; although the story of an elderly couple admitted to hospital with severe dehydration after spending more than sixty hours trying to navigate the Redditch highway system is an urban legend.
Redditch was briefly famous for an amusing calendar (created by a local printing company) featuring the town's 'picturesque islands'. Unsuprisingly the calendar was called 'Round-A-Bouts of Redditch' and it proved so successful that it sparked a national series!
Rail: The Cross-City Line provides a regular train service via Birmingham New Street to Lichfield.
Buses: There is an extensive network of local bus services run by Red Diamond, First and other operators. Some areas of Redditch have dedicated bus lanes making journey times quicker. Many services run from the bus station in the town centre. The bus station was rebuilt as part of the 2002 Kingfisher Shopping Centre expansion and re-development. However, prior to this, a postcard featuring the old bus station was voted Britain's most boring postcard in a competition run by the photographer Martin Parr.
Education and Schools in Redditch:
Redditch schools operate a three-tier system, where pupils attend first school from the age of five, middle school from the age of nine, and secondary school from the age of 13. The town also has a college of further education - North East Worcestershire College - which is often referred to locally as NEW College.
See OFSTED reports for all schools in Redditch.
Shopping in Redditch:
The Kingfisher Shopping Centre in Redditch town centre was opened in 1976 by the then Prime Minister James Callaghan. It became well known for its palm trees that were planted in the centre's Worcester Square. The original trees and their accompanying fountain were removed by the centre's management after health and safety fears relating to the age of the trees, which were nearly thirty years old. More appropriate palm trees were planted after the 2002 re-development (photo left). The Kingfisher Shopping Centre has over 1,100,000 square feet (102,000 m2) of retail space, making it one of the largest covered shopping centres in the United Kingdom. In 2007, a cinema opened on the new upper floor.
Houses in Redditch Sports & Leisure facilities:
Arrow Valley Park: Redditch has 900 acres (3.6 km2) of public open space in Arrow Valley Country Park (photo right). This incorporates the 27 acre Arrow Valley Lake, fed from the River Arrow. Watersports, boating and fishing are all popular pastimes available at Arrow Valley Lake. The park features a countryside centre, which was opened in 2000. It has a cafe and conferencing facilities and regularly holds countryside exhibitions and wildlife displays.
Morton Stanley Park: This 39 acres of land was left by William Morton Stanley to the people of Redditch and Webheath. He was a local businessman successful in the town's fish hook and needle industry and he designated the land be protected and used as a park. The family-orientated park provides large open green spaces that are popular with dog walkers and cyclists. A network of footpaths lead around the park where dogs must be kept on leads. Towards the back of the park there is a popular skate park and space for football etc. The children's play area has been widely improved with new equipment in recent years, along with re-landscaping the car parking area (accessed off Windmill Drive).
Redditch Golf Club: Redditch Golf Course backs onto Morton Stanley Park. The part parkland and part woodland course of Redditch Golf Club is universally acclaimed for both its topography and the quality of its playing surfaces. The greens are particularly outstanding, all 18 were re-laid during 1995 and 1996 under the direction of the Sports Turf Research Institute.
Visit Redditch Golf Club's web site.
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