Alvechurch
| Alvechurch | |
|---|---|
 Tudor Rose Fish Bar, Alvechurch |
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 Alvechurch
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| Alvechurch shown within Worcestershire | |
| Population | 6,564 |
| OS grid reference | SP025725 |
| • London | 99 miles (159 km) |
| Civil parish |
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| 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 |
| EU Parliament | West Midlands |
| UK Parliament |
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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 2001 UK Census the population was 5,316.
Alvechurch means "Ælfgyth's Church." In the eighth century, Ælfgyth founded a church on the site of the church of St. Laurence.
King Offa of Mercia gave the land forming the parish to Bishops of Worcester in 780. The parish is mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1068 as "Alvievecherche" with a small population of under 20 people. 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 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 Mercian 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.
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Wikipedia