Callow Hill is a small
hamlet
''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depicts ...
on the outskirts of
Redditch
Redditch is a town, and local government district, in north-east Worcestershire, England, approximately south of Birmingham. The district has a population of 85,000 as of 2019. In the 19th century, it became the international centre for the ...
in Worcestershire, England. Other villages nearby include
Astwood Bank
Astwood Bank is a district within Redditch. Astwood Bank is near the Warwickshire - Worcestershire border, near villages such as Studley, Sambourne, Callow Hill, Feckenham, and Cookhill.
Astwood Bank is noted for its successful cricket team, ...
,
Feckenham
Feckenham is a village and civil parish in the Borough of Redditch in Worcestershire, England. It lies some south-west of the town of Redditch and some east of the city of Worcester. It had a population of 670 in the 2001 census and its immedi ...
,
Cookhill
Cookhill is a village and civil parish in Worcestershire, England, on the county border near Alcester. It is close to a former Cistercian Priory of the same name.
History
In the Domesday Book; Cookhill is mentioned as being in the Hundred of As ...
and
Webheath
Webheath is a district of Redditch, in Worcestershire, England. The district neighbours Batchley, Headless Cross and the village of Callow Hill. It is also near Feckenham and Astwood Bank. Webheath used to be a village but has recently been sw ...
.
History
Callow Hill can be traced back to the 16th century, when small cottages were built. In the mid-1600s further expansion came, as cottages, which still stand today, were built. Callow Hill stayed the same throughout the 18th and 19th century, unlike nearby
Feckenham
Feckenham is a village and civil parish in the Borough of Redditch in Worcestershire, England. It lies some south-west of the town of Redditch and some east of the city of Worcester. It had a population of 670 in the 2001 census and its immedi ...
and
Redditch
Redditch is a town, and local government district, in north-east Worcestershire, England, approximately south of Birmingham. The district has a population of 85,000 as of 2019. In the 19th century, it became the international centre for the ...
, Callow Hill did not have needle factories. In the beginning of the 20th century the Callow Hill & Walkwood Golf Club was founded, members could play on a small course, the exact location is not known, but it is thought to be in between Love Lyne and Callow Hill Lane, due to the way the hill is formed. The Redditch Golf Club was founded in 1913 on the site and in the late 1920s moved to a larger site in Redditch Town Centre. In the early 1970s Redditch New Town Development Corporation planned to build the Bromsgrove Highway as part of the planned New Town highway infrastructure, it was constructed through the Golf Course. It was decided that Redditch Golf Club would be moved back to Callow Hill, but on green-field land adjacent to Upper Grinsty Farm (Now known as Morton Stanley Park). The remainder of the course in the town was renamed Pitcheroak Golf course, a municipal course for anyone to use, whereas the Callow Hill site club remained for private members. Redditch Golf Club relocated in 1972 to Lower Grinsty Lane. Part of Marlpit Lane was covered over with earth for the course, the rest of lane was severed by Windmill Drive. Part of Green Lane, to the west of Morton Stanley Park, was by passed as the existing 16th century lane could not cope with the traffic. In the early 1980s development began for an 'Victorian style village', the original part of the estate followed the Valley, which has later been interrupted by further development. The estate was officially opened on 7 September 1984. Since the further development came, and the former Riding School was bought in the mid-1990s and many homes were built on. Based in Callow Hill is a wine company, Callow Hill Country Wine which has its headquarters on Brookhouse Lane in the village.
Morton Stanley Park
Morton Stanley Park is a public park located to the north of Callow Hill. It was opened in 1986 and is run by Redditch Borough Council, however it is not owned by them. The land today that makes up Morton Stanley Park, was once Upper Grinsty Farm, which was bought in 1913 by William Morton Stanley. Stanley was a rich factory owner and retired to Upper Grinsty and lived the rest of his life there. In 1921, he edited his will, which resulted in Upper Grinsty Farm being given to the people of Redditch and Webheath. Stanley died three years later at the age of 84, little did he know his land would not be open to the public until over 60 years later. Upper Grinsty Farmhouse, became derelict and run-down until it was finally demolished in 1959. 5 years later when Redditch became a New Town, the Development Corporation wanted to build a housing estate on his land, however these plans were halted by the Headless Cross Residents Association. In 1978, the far-eastern fringes of Stanley's land was in fact built on, but Redditch Council gave council owned land to the west of the estate to compensate. Windmill Drive was built and after 60 years of waiting the park opened to the public with two carparks, one in the east in
Headless Cross and one in the west in Callow Hill.
The Callow Hill Windmill
The Windmill referred to in the name of Windmill Drive was situated on the top of Callow Hill. The following information is taken from: 'Windmills in Shropshire Hereford and Worcester': Wilfred A Seaby, Arthur C Smith. Stevenage Museum Publications.
REDDITCH (FECKENHAM) SP 027647. Brick Tower Mill on Callow Hill, Walkwood Common. Advertised in Birmingham Gazette (23 December 1833) for sale and as 'newly erected'. Again to be sold with sails, gearing, stones and other machinery complete in the Midland Counties Herald (24 Feb 1848). A brick portion not very high was standing about 1855. Today the site is marked by a semicircle of trees and a small paddock adjoining the extended meeting house Windmill Cottage; a Peak runner stone was on the site in January 1983. Parts from the Callow Hill Windmill are buried in the grounds of Windmill Cottage, in the paddock.
![Windmill Cottage](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a5/Windmill_Cottage.png)
The semicircle of trees is still in place, but the approaching short 'lane' has changed at least one of its hedgerows (from Google maps). The position of the windmill is visible on old (1884–1891) O.S. maps. The correct grid reference is SP028648.
The Gazebo and village
The Gazebo, on Foxholes Lane, is Callow Hill's
village hall
A village hall is a public building in a village used for various things such as:
United Kingdom
In the United Kingdom, a village hall is usually a building which contains at least one large room (plus kitchen and toilets), is owned by a local ...
. It is also used as a
polling station
A polling place is where voters cast their ballots in elections. The phrase polling station is also used in American English and British English, although polling place is the building . Very occasionally village meetings are held but only a maximum of twenty-thirty people can attend because the Gazebo is so small. Situated near the Gazebo is the Callow Hill village pond, which is surrounded by trees and greenery. There are two major roads travelling through Callow Hill, Foxholes Lane and Callow Hill Lane, which is the major linking Redditch to
Hanbury Hanbury may refer to:
People
*Harold Greville Hanbury (1898–1993), English law academic and Vinerian Professor of English Law at the University of Oxford
* John Hanbury (disambiguation), a number of men with this name
* Robert Hanbury Brown (191 ...
,
Droitwich Spa
Droitwich Spa (often abbreviated to Droitwich ) is an historic spa town in the Wychavon district in northern Worcestershire, England, on the River Salwarpe. It is located approximately south-west of Birmingham and north-east of Worcester, Engl ...
,
Pershore
Pershore is a market town in the Wychavon district in Worcestershire, England, on the banks of the River Avon. The town is part of the West Worcestershire parliamentary constituency. At the 2011 census, the population was 7,125. The town i ...
,
Worcester
Worcester may refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* Worcester, England, a city and the county town of Worcestershire in England
** Worcester (UK Parliament constituency), an area represented by a Member of Parliament
* Worcester Park, London, Engla ...
and the
M5.
Bus services
Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday there is a bus service from Pershore travelling to Sainsbury's in Redditch and stopping via the Gazebo in Callow Hill. The route is operated by the local bus operators, N.N Creswall of
Evesham
Evesham () is a market town and parish in the Wychavon district of Worcestershire, in the West Midlands region of England. It is located roughly equidistant between Worcester, Cheltenham and Stratford-upon-Avon. It lies within the Vale of Evesha ...
. There is also another bus route operated by the Woosh bus company based in Droitwich Spa. It is operated by Worcestershire County Council.
Politics
Callow Hill falls within the parliamentary constituency of
Redditch
Redditch is a town, and local government district, in north-east Worcestershire, England, approximately south of Birmingham. The district has a population of 85,000 as of 2019. In the 19th century, it became the international centre for the ...
which as of the June
2017 General Election is represented by
Rachel Maclean, (
Conservative
Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization i ...
). The constituency was previously represented by former
Home Secretary
The secretary of state for the Home Department, otherwise known as the home secretary, is a senior minister of the Crown in the Government of the United Kingdom. The home secretary leads the Home Office, and is responsible for all national ...
,
Jacqui Smith
Jacqueline Jill Smith (born 3 November 1962) is a British broadcaster, political commentator and former Labour Party politician. She was Member of Parliament (MP) for Redditch from 1997 to 2010. She served as Home Secretary from 2007 to 2009 ...
(
Labour
Labour or labor may refer to:
* Childbirth, the delivery of a baby
* Labour (human activity), or work
** Manual labour, physical work
** Wage labour, a socioeconomic relationship between a worker and an employer
** Organized labour and the labour ...
) who resigned her position in June 2009 following allegations of misappropriation of her MP expense allowance.
Redditch Borough Council
Callow Hill is part of the Crabbs Cross ward of
Redditch Borough Council
Redditch Borough Council is the local authority covering the non-metropolitan district centred on the town of Redditch.
History
The town of Redditch was governed by a local board of health from 1858 until 1894, when such local boards were ref ...
; in which two councillors are elected in rotation for four years each. In the 2010 local election, Councillor David Smith stood down & Councillor Jack Field died earlier that year, so two candidates for the Conservatives, Liberal Democrats & Labour were fielded, the Greens stood just one candidate. Derek Taylor (Conservative), and Andrew Brazier (Conservative), who lives in Callow Hill, are the current (2010) councillors.
Worcestershire County Council
Callow Hill is part of ''Redditch South'' electoral division of
Worcestershire County Council
Worcestershire County Council is the county council for the non-metropolitan county of Worcestershire in England. The most recent elections to it were in 2021. Worcestershire County Council has its headquarters at County Hall in Worcester, wh ...
, which is represented by two Conservative councillors, Barry Gandy and Peter Gretton. Callow Hill comes under the
Redditch South division of Redditch ward.
Notable residents
*
Zoë Lister
Zoë Lister is an English actress and writer, known for portraying the role of Zoe Carpenter in the Channel 4 soap opera ''Hollyoaks''. In 2014, she began working as a television writer, including work on ''Hollyoaks'', '' The Lodge'' and ''F ...
– an actress best known for her role in
Hollyoaks
''Hollyoaks'' is a British soap opera which began airing on Channel 4 on 23 October 1995. It was created by Phil Redmond, who had previously conceived the soap opera ''Brookside (TV series), Brookside''. Since 2005, episodes have been aired on ...
, grew up in Callow Hill.
*
Paul Tait – footballer, lives in the village as of 2011.
References
{{authority control
Villages in Worcestershire
Redditch