Alcester
Encyclopedia
Alcester is an old market town
of Roman
origin at the junction of the River Alne
and River Arrow in Warwickshire
, England. It is situated approximately 8 miles (13 km) west of Stratford-upon-Avon
, and 8 miles south of Redditch
, close to the Worcestershire
border. The 2001 census
recorded a population
of 6,214 in the town, which also has civil parish status.
and Roman fort of some importance being located at a junction between the Ryknild Street Roman road
and the ancient Saltway from Droitwich and the roman road from Stratford upon Avon and the Fosse Way
.
An important market town, Alcester was the site of a Benedictine
monastery
founded in the middle of the 12th century by Ralph le Boteler. The monastery was once a thriving one. In 1318 Walter de Beauchamp, who had a seat in the neighbourhood, complained to the abbot
of the monastery that some of his monk
s had removed Beauchamp's possessions from his manor
. At the Dissolution
, King Henry VIII
granted the monastery to the Greville family.
The town today includes a number of preserved Tudor
and other houses, notably those near the parish church
, in Butter Street and in Malt Mill Lane. The Old Rectory
, situated directly in front of the church, is a particularly interesting example of Georgian architecture
. A number of fine Victorian
additions have been made at the rear of the house. The clock on St Nicholas' church is in an unusual position on the south-west corner of the 14th century tower, making it visible from the main High Street. The church also houses the tomb of Fulke Greville, grandfather of Fulke Greville, 1st Baron Brooke
.
, belonging to the Midland Railway
(later part of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway
), on the Gloucester Loop Line
, branching off the Bristol
to Birmingham
main line at Ashchurch
, passing through Evesham
, Alcester and Redditch
, and rejoining the main line at Barnt Green
, near Bromsgrove
. The loop was built to address the fact that the main line bypassed most of the towns it might otherwise have served, but it took three separate companies to complete, Alcester being on the Evesham and Redditch Railway prior to absorption by the Midland.
In addition, a branch line provided by the Alcester Railway company (later part of the Great Western Railway
), ran from Alcester to Bearley
, thus giving access to Stratford-upon-Avon
. This line however was an early casualty, closing in September 1939. The Midland loop was due to close between Ashchurch and Redditch in June 1963, but poor condition of the track brought about withdrawal of all trains between Evesham and Redditch in October 1962, being replaced by a bus service for the final eight months. Redditch to Barnt Green remains open on the electrified Birmingham suburban network.
, an engineering company specialising in the production of transport systems for theme parks, resort
s and similar venues, is based in Alcester. Amongst many other products, they have built the old style steam trains used in many of Disney
's parks, and the moving stage that encircled the perimeter of the arena for the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2004 Olympic Games
in Athens
.
s, Coughton Court
, (a National Trust
property) north at Coughton, and (south-west), Ragley Hall
, the home of the Marquis of Hertford. Kinwarton
, which is just north of Alcester, contains a church of Anglo Saxon origin, and a historic dovecote
— Kinwarton Dovecote
— which is a National Trust
property.
Ragley Hall
is home to the Jerwood Foundation's sculpture collection.
Alcester is also a significant town on the 100 mile-long Heart of England Way
long-distance walking route
.
Recent developments, made by the council, include 'Roman Alcester', a museum showing locally found artifacts
from the 1st to 4th century AD. Admission is free although the museum is only open from Thursdays to Sundays.
charity street market
with a procession and competitions for best stall and best fancy dress.
On the first Monday and Tuesday of October, Alcester plays host to an annual Mop Fair
where amusement rides, side stalls and food booth
s line the High Street, Church Street and Henley Street. The mop fair has gradually over a period of years been decreasing in size. This is more likely to be an external influence as the people of Alcester still flock to the streets during the two nights.
The Alcester and Forest of Arden Food Festival is held every May and attracts thousands of visitors who enjoy local quality food and produce.
The rivers Arrow and Alne
, which join on the outskirts of Alcester, occasionally flood
and engulf part of the town. Last occurrences were in 1956, 1998 and 21 July 2007
. The rivers meet at Oversley Bridge, on the old Stratford road. Flooded pubs included: The Dog & Partridge, The Swan, Royal Oak, Three Tunns, The Bear, The Turks Head, Moat House Inn and The Cross Keys.
. There are three secondary schools in Alcester: Alcester Grammar School
(Performing Arts & Science Status), Alcester High School
(Technology & Music College), and St Benedict's Catholic High School (Specialising in Maths and Computers).
Alcester Grammar also has a sixth form which takes on around 200 students a year to study A-levels.
St. Benedict's has been granted permission to extend the school and to become a sixth form school too. They are currently in the process of building the sixth form area.
Market town
Market town or market right is a legal term, originating in the medieval period, for a European settlement that has the right to host markets, distinguishing it from a village and city...
of Roman
Roman Britain
Roman Britain was the part of the island of Great Britain controlled by the Roman Empire from AD 43 until ca. AD 410.The Romans referred to the imperial province as Britannia, which eventually comprised all of the island of Great Britain south of the fluid frontier with Caledonia...
origin at the junction of the River Alne
River Alne
The River Alne is a tributary of the Warwickshire Avon and has its headwaters to the north of Wootton Wawen. The River Alne flows generally southwards before joining with the River Arrow at Alcester, which itself joins the River Avon near Salford Priors....
and River Arrow in 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...
, England. It is situated approximately 8 miles (13 km) west of Stratford-upon-Avon
Stratford-upon-Avon
Stratford-upon-Avon is a market town and civil parish in south Warwickshire, England. It lies on the River Avon, south east of Birmingham and south west of Warwick. It is the largest and most populous town of the District of Stratford-on-Avon, which uses the term "on" to indicate that it covers...
, and 8 miles south of 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...
, close to the 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...
border. The 2001 census
United Kingdom Census 2001
A nationwide census, known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday, 29 April 2001. This was the 20th UK Census and recorded a resident population of 58,789,194....
recorded a population
Population
A population is all the organisms that both belong to the same group or species and live in the same geographical area. The area that is used to define a sexual population is such that inter-breeding is possible between any pair within the area and more probable than cross-breeding with individuals...
of 6,214 in the town, which also has civil parish status.
Historical significance
In Roman times Alcester (Alauna) was a walled townDefensive wall
A defensive wall is a fortification used to protect a city or settlement from potential aggressors. In ancient to modern times, they were used to enclose settlements...
and Roman fort of some importance being located at a junction between the Ryknild Street Roman road
Roman road
The Roman roads were a vital part of the development of the Roman state, from about 500 BC through the expansion during the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire. Roman roads enabled the Romans to move armies and trade goods and to communicate. The Roman road system spanned more than 400,000 km...
and the ancient Saltway from Droitwich and the roman road from Stratford upon Avon and the Fosse Way
Fosse Way
The Fosse Way was a Roman road in England that linked Exeter in South West England to Lincoln in Lincolnshire, via Ilchester , Bath , Cirencester and Leicester .It joined Akeman Street and Ermin Way at Cirencester, crossed Watling Street at Venonis south...
.
An important market town, Alcester was the site of a Benedictine
Benedictine
Benedictine refers to the spirituality and consecrated life in accordance with the Rule of St Benedict, written by Benedict of Nursia in the sixth century for the cenobitic communities he founded in central Italy. The most notable of these is Monte Cassino, the first monastery founded by Benedict...
monastery
Monastery
Monastery denotes the building, or complex of buildings, that houses a room reserved for prayer as well as the domestic quarters and workplace of monastics, whether monks or nuns, and whether living in community or alone .Monasteries may vary greatly in size – a small dwelling accommodating only...
founded in the middle of the 12th century by Ralph le Boteler. The monastery was once a thriving one. In 1318 Walter de Beauchamp, who had a seat in the neighbourhood, complained to the abbot
Abbot
The word abbot, meaning father, is a title given to the head of a monastery in various traditions, including Christianity. The office may also be given as an honorary title to a clergyman who is not actually the head of a monastery...
of the monastery that some of his monk
Monk
A monk is a person who practices religious asceticism, living either alone or with any number of monks, while always maintaining some degree of physical separation from those not sharing the same purpose...
s had removed Beauchamp's possessions from his manor
Manor house
A manor house is a country house that historically formed the administrative centre of a manor, the lowest unit of territorial organisation in the feudal system in Europe. The term is applied to country houses that belonged to the gentry and other grand stately homes...
. At the Dissolution
Dissolution of the Monasteries
The Dissolution of the Monasteries, sometimes referred to as the Suppression of the Monasteries, was the set of administrative and legal processes between 1536 and 1541 by which Henry VIII disbanded monasteries, priories, convents and friaries in England, Wales and Ireland; appropriated their...
, King Henry VIII
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
granted the monastery to the Greville family.
The town today includes a number of preserved Tudor
Tudor architecture
The Tudor architectural style is the final development of medieval architecture during the Tudor period and even beyond, for conservative college patrons...
and other houses, notably those near the parish church
Parish church
A parish church , in Christianity, is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish, the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches....
, in Butter Street and in Malt Mill Lane. The Old Rectory
Rectory
A rectory is the residence, or former residence, of a rector, most often a Christian cleric, but in some cases an academic rector or other person with that title...
, situated directly in front of the church, is a particularly interesting example of Georgian architecture
Georgian architecture
Georgian architecture is the name given in most English-speaking countries to the set of architectural styles current between 1720 and 1840. It is eponymous for the first four British monarchs of the House of Hanover—George I of Great Britain, George II of Great Britain, George III of the United...
. A number of fine Victorian
Victorian architecture
The term Victorian architecture refers collectively to several architectural styles employed predominantly during the middle and late 19th century. The period that it indicates may slightly overlap the actual reign, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901, of Queen Victoria. This represents the British and...
additions have been made at the rear of the house. The clock on St Nicholas' church is in an unusual position on the south-west corner of the 14th century tower, making it visible from the main High Street. The church also houses the tomb of Fulke Greville, grandfather of Fulke Greville, 1st Baron Brooke
Fulke Greville, 1st Baron Brooke
Fulke Greville, 1st Baron Brooke, de jure 13th Baron Latimer and 5th Baron Willoughby de Broke , known before 1621 as Sir Fulke Greville, was an Elizabethan poet, dramatist, and statesman....
.
Transport
Alcester once had a railway stationAlcester railway station
Alcester was a railway station serving Alcester in the English county of Warwickshire.-History:Opened by the Evesham and Redditch Railway, and joining the Midland Railway, it became part of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway during the Grouping of 1923. The line then passed on to the London...
, belonging to the Midland Railway
Midland Railway
The Midland Railway was a railway company in the United Kingdom from 1844 to 1922, when it became part of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway....
(later part of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway
London, Midland and Scottish Railway
The London Midland and Scottish Railway was a British railway company. It was formed on 1 January 1923 under the Railways Act of 1921, which required the grouping of over 120 separate railway companies into just four...
), on the Gloucester Loop Line
Gloucester Loop Line
The Gloucester Loop Line was a railway line, operated by the Midland Railway which ran from to via and , avoiding the main line via Bromsgrove. The line has been entirely dismantled, apart from the section from Redditch to Barnt Green, which forms the southern part of the Cross-City Line....
, branching off the Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
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...
main line at Ashchurch
Ashchurch
Ashchurch is a village and former civil parish in the Tewkesbury district of Gloucestershire, England. The parish was originally called Eastchurch, due to its position east of the parish and town of Tewkesbury, and had a population of 6,064 at the 2001 UK census.The former Ashchurch Parish covered...
, passing through Evesham
Evesham
Evesham is a market town and a civil parish in the Local Authority District of Wychavon in the county of Worcestershire, England with a population of 22,000. It is located roughly equidistant between Worcester, Cheltenham and Stratford-upon-Avon...
, Alcester and 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...
, and rejoining the main line at Barnt Green
Barnt Green
Barnt Green is a village and civil parish in the Bromsgrove District of Worcestershire, England, located immediately south of Birmingham, with a population at the 2001 census of 1,733.-Origins:...
, near 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...
. The loop was built to address the fact that the main line bypassed most of the towns it might otherwise have served, but it took three separate companies to complete, Alcester being on the Evesham and Redditch Railway prior to absorption by the Midland.
In addition, a branch line provided by the Alcester Railway company (later part of the Great Western Railway
Great Western Railway
The Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...
), ran from Alcester to Bearley
Bearley
Bearley is a village and civil parish in the Stratford district of Warwickshire, England. The village is about five miles north of Stratford-upon-Avon, bounded on the north by Wootton Wawen, on the east by Snitterfield, and on the south and west by Aston Cantlow...
, thus giving access to Stratford-upon-Avon
Stratford-upon-Avon
Stratford-upon-Avon is a market town and civil parish in south Warwickshire, England. It lies on the River Avon, south east of Birmingham and south west of Warwick. It is the largest and most populous town of the District of Stratford-on-Avon, which uses the term "on" to indicate that it covers...
. This line however was an early casualty, closing in September 1939. The Midland loop was due to close between Ashchurch and Redditch in June 1963, but poor condition of the track brought about withdrawal of all trains between Evesham and Redditch in October 1962, being replaced by a bus service for the final eight months. Redditch to Barnt Green remains open on the electrified Birmingham suburban network.
Economy
Severn LambSevern Lamb
Severn Lamb, sometimes known as Severn-Lamb, are a manufacturers of various forms of transport systems and equipment, principally aimed at the leisure market. They are based at Alcester in the English county of Warwickshire, but sell their products world-wide.The company was founded by Peter Severn...
, an engineering company specialising in the production of transport systems for theme parks, resort
Resort
A resort is a place used for relaxation or recreation, attracting visitors for holidays or vacations. Resorts are places, towns or sometimes commercial establishment operated by a single company....
s and similar venues, is based in Alcester. Amongst many other products, they have built the old style steam trains used in many of Disney
The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company is the largest media conglomerate in the world in terms of revenue. Founded on October 16, 1923, by Walt and Roy Disney as the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio, Walt Disney Productions established itself as a leader in the American animation industry before diversifying into...
's parks, and the moving stage that encircled the perimeter of the arena for the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2004 Olympic Games
2004 Summer Olympics
The 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was a premier international multi-sport event held in Athens, Greece from August 13 to August 29, 2004 with the motto Welcome Home. 10,625 athletes competed, some 600 more than expected, accompanied by 5,501 team...
in Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
.
Current attractions
Alcester is known for two nearby local stately homeStately home
A stately home is a "great country house". It is thus a palatial great house or in some cases an updated castle, located in the British Isles, mostly built between the mid-16th century and the early part of the 20th century, as well as converted abbeys and other church property...
s, Coughton Court
Coughton Court
Coughton Court is an English Tudor country house, situated on the main road between Studley and Alcester in Warwickshire. It is a Grade I listed building....
, (a National Trust
National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty
The National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, usually known as the National Trust, is a conservation organisation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland...
property) north at Coughton, and (south-west), Ragley Hall
Ragley Hall
Ragley Hall is located south of Alcester, Warwickshire, eight miles west of Stratford-upon-Avon. It is the ancestral seat of the Marquess of Hertford and is one of the stately homes of England.-The present day:...
, the home of the Marquis of Hertford. Kinwarton
Kinwarton
Kinwarton is a village in the valley of the River Alne, Warwickshire, finding itself today being steadily encroached upon by the spread of nearby Alcester. The ground is mostly low-lying, with a maximum altitude of 206 ft. and some of the fields near the river are liable to floods. The road...
, which is just north of Alcester, contains a church of Anglo Saxon origin, and a historic dovecote
Dovecote
A dovecote or dovecot is a structure intended to house pigeons or doves. Dovecotes may be square or circular free-standing structures or built into the end of a house or barn. They generally contain pigeonholes for the birds to nest. Pigeons and doves were an important food source historically in...
— Kinwarton Dovecote
Kinwarton Dovecote
Kinwarton Dovecote is circular 14th-century dovecote situated in Kinwarton, near Alcester, Warwickshire, England. The dovecote is in the ownership of the National Trust....
— which is a National Trust
National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty
The National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, usually known as the National Trust, is a conservation organisation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland...
property.
Ragley Hall
Ragley Hall
Ragley Hall is located south of Alcester, Warwickshire, eight miles west of Stratford-upon-Avon. It is the ancestral seat of the Marquess of Hertford and is one of the stately homes of England.-The present day:...
is home to the Jerwood Foundation's sculpture collection.
Alcester is also a significant town on the 100 mile-long Heart of England Way
Heart of England Way
The Heart of England Way is a long distance walk of around through the Midlands of England. The walk starts from Milford Common on Cannock Chase and ends at Bourton on the Water in the Cotswolds passing through the counties of Staffordshire, Warwickshire and Gloucestershire.The walk provides links...
long-distance walking route
Long-distance trail
Long-distance trails are the longer recreational trails mainly through rural areas, used for non-motorised recreational travelling ....
.
Recent developments, made by the council, include 'Roman Alcester', a museum showing locally found artifacts
Artifact (archaeology)
An artifact or artefact is "something made or given shape by man, such as a tool or a work of art, esp an object of archaeological interest"...
from the 1st to 4th century AD. Admission is free although the museum is only open from Thursdays to Sundays.
Annual events
In early June Alcester holds the Court LeetCourt leet
The court leet was a historical court baron of England and Wales and Ireland that exercised the "view of frankpledge" and its attendant police jurisdiction, which was normally restricted to the hundred courts.-History:...
charity street market
Street market
A street market is an outdoor market such as traditionally held in a market square or in a market town, and often held only on particular days of the week...
with a procession and competitions for best stall and best fancy dress.
On the first Monday and Tuesday of October, Alcester plays host to an annual Mop Fair
Mop Fair
Mop Fairs are a feature of many English towns and are traditionally held on or around "Old Michaelmas Day". They originated as a Hiring fair and their history dates back some 600 to 700 years.-History:...
where amusement rides, side stalls and food booth
Food booth
A food booth is generally a temporary structure used to prepare and sell food to the general public, usually where large groups of people are situated outdoors in a park, at a parade, near a stadium or otherwise...
s line the High Street, Church Street and Henley Street. The mop fair has gradually over a period of years been decreasing in size. This is more likely to be an external influence as the people of Alcester still flock to the streets during the two nights.
The Alcester and Forest of Arden Food Festival is held every May and attracts thousands of visitors who enjoy local quality food and produce.
Flooding
River Alne
The River Alne is a tributary of the Warwickshire Avon and has its headwaters to the north of Wootton Wawen. The River Alne flows generally southwards before joining with the River Arrow at Alcester, which itself joins the River Avon near Salford Priors....
, which join on the outskirts of Alcester, occasionally flood
Flood
A flood is an overflow of an expanse of water that submerges land. The EU Floods directive defines a flood as a temporary covering by water of land not normally covered by water...
and engulf part of the town. Last occurrences were in 1956, 1998 and 21 July 2007
2007 United Kingdom floods
The 2007 United Kingdom floods were a series of destructive floods that occurred in various areas across the country during the summer of 2007. The most severe floods occurred across Northern Ireland on 12 June; East Yorkshire and The Midlands on 15 June; Yorkshire, The Midlands, Gloucestershire,...
. The rivers meet at Oversley Bridge, on the old Stratford road. Flooded pubs included: The Dog & Partridge, The Swan, Royal Oak, Three Tunns, The Bear, The Turks Head, Moat House Inn and The Cross Keys.
Education and schools
Like most places in the United Kingdom, Alcester has a two-stage educational system, with students progressing from a primary to a secondary schoolSecondary school
Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of schooling, known as secondary education and usually compulsory up to a specified age, takes place...
. There are three secondary schools in Alcester: Alcester Grammar School
Alcester Grammar School
Alcester Grammar School is a selective entry state grammar school in England situated in Alcester, Warwickshire.-Admissions:The school is recognised as one of the top schools in the United Kingdom, getting consistently very high GCSE results...
(Performing Arts & Science Status), Alcester High School
Alcester High School
Alcester High School Technology College is a state secondary school that educates girls and boys aged between 11 and 16, in Alcester, Warwickshire, England...
(Technology & Music College), and St Benedict's Catholic High School (Specialising in Maths and Computers).
Alcester Grammar also has a sixth form which takes on around 200 students a year to study A-levels.
St. Benedict's has been granted permission to extend the school and to become a sixth form school too. They are currently in the process of building the sixth form area.