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Redditch is a town, and
local government district
The districts of England (also known as local authority districts or local government districts to distinguish from unofficial city districts) are a level of subnational division of England used for the purposes of local government. As the st ...
, in north-east
Worcestershire
Worcestershire ( , ; written abbreviation: Worcs) is a county in the West Midlands of England. The area that is now Worcestershire was absorbed into the unified Kingdom of England in 927, at which time it was constituted as a county (see H ...
, England, approximately south of
Birmingham
Birmingham ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands (county), West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1. ...
. The district has a population of 85,000 as of 2019. In the 19th century, it became the international centre for the
needle and
fishing tackle industry. At one point, 90% of the world's needles were manufactured in the town and its neighbourhoods.
In the 1960s, it became a model for modern
new town planning.
History
The first recorded mention of Redditch (''Red-Ditch'', thought to be a reference to the red clay of the nearby
River Arrow) is in 1348, the year of the outbreak of the
Black Death. During the
Middle Ages
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...
, it became a centre of
needle-making and later prominent industries were fish-hooks, fishing tackle, motorcycles and
springs, the last of which was notably undertaken by Herbert Terry and Sons. Redditch was designated a
new town on 10 April 1964,
and the population increased dramatically from 32,000 to around 77,000. Housing developments such as
Church Hill, Matchborough, Winyates, Lodge Park, and Woodrow were created to accommodate a large overspill from the industrially expanding Birmingham. Redditch was built as a "flagship" town using new methods and new town planning: all the main roads (mostly new dual carriageways as well as a ring road for the town centre) were banked to reduce noise to the new housing estates, and the whole of Redditch was landscaped.
By the 21st century, needle-making and other traditional industries had been replaced by modern light industry and services, with Redditch also functioning as a
dormitory town
A commuter town is a populated area that is primarily residential rather than commercial or industrial. Routine travel from home to work and back is called commuting, which is where the term comes from. A commuter town may be called by many o ...
for Birmingham. The automotive retailer
Halfords and engineering company
GKN both have their headquarters in Redditch. Manufacturer of precious metal contacts, Samuel Taylor Ltd, has manufacturing plants within the town. Following the redevelopment of the flagship
Kingfisher Shopping Centre in 2002, Redditch is undergoing an economic and cultural renaissance.
The town is home to several historical sites. The
National Needle Museum and the ruins of
Bordesley Abbey
Bordesley Abbey was a 12th-century Cistercian abbey near the town of Redditch, in Worcestershire, England.
The abbey's foundation was an act of Waleran de Beaumont, Count of Meulan, who gave the monks of Garendon Abbey in Leicestershire some ...
are located in the Abbey Ward district, and the remains of a medieval moated settlement called
Moons Moat are within the Church Hill estate.
Governance
The parliamentary
constituency of Redditch is represented by
Rachel Maclean of the
Conservatives
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 in ...
, elected in the
2017 General Election.
Redditch has a
Borough Council
A borough is an administrative division in various English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely.
History
In the Middle A ...
with councillors elected from the Wards of Redditch, which manages lower-tier local government services. Worcestershire County Council manages upper-tier services.
The foundation stone for Redditch Town Hall was laid in 1981. It cost £7.5 million to build and it was opened in 1982.
Geography
Redditch is in
Worcestershire
Worcestershire ( , ; written abbreviation: Worcs) is a county in the West Midlands of England. The area that is now Worcestershire was absorbed into the unified Kingdom of England in 927, at which time it was constituted as a county (see H ...
, just south of the
West Midlands urban area. It is north of
Evesham on the
A435, which skirts it to the east. The main access routes are the
A441 via junction 2 of the
M42 Motorway, the
A435 from junction 3 of the M42 and the
A448 via junctions 4 or 5 of the
M5. The
Roman Road known as
Icknield Street
Icknield Street or Ryknild Street is a Roman road in England, with a route roughly south-west to north-east. It runs from the Fosse Way at Bourton on the Water in Gloucestershire () to Templeborough in South Yorkshire (). It passes through ...
is prominent, running north to south through the eastern side of the town.
Districts of Redditch
The Borough of Redditch is divided into several districts. To the east of the town are "New Town Districts" built in the 1970s and 1980s. To the west of the Borough are older "Former Village Districts" that dominate the south and west.
See:
Districts of Redditch
Since 2011, Redditch has participated in the
Greater Birmingham & Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership along with neighbouring authorities
Birmingham
Birmingham ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands (county), West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1. ...
,
Bromsgrove,
Cannock Chase
Cannock Chase (), often referred to locally as The Chase, is a mixed area of countryside in the county of Staffordshire, England. The area has been designated as the Cannock Chase Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and is managed by Forestry E ...
,
East Staffordshire
East Staffordshire is a local government district with borough status in Staffordshire in England. It has two main towns: Burton upon Trent and Uttoxeter.
Villages in the area include Abbots Bromley, Stretton, Tutbury, Barton-under-Needwood ...
,
Lichfield
Lichfield () is a cathedral city and civil parish in Staffordshire, England. Lichfield is situated roughly south-east of the county town of Stafford, south-east of Rugeley, north-east of Walsall, north-west of Tamworth and south-west o ...
,
Solihull
Solihull (, or ) is a market town and the administrative centre of the wider Metropolitan Borough of Solihull in West Midlands County, England. The town had a population of 126,577 at the 2021 Census. Solihull is situated on the River Blyth ...
,
Tamworth, and
Wyre Forest
__NOTOC__
Wyre Forest is a large, semi-natural (partially unmanaged) woodland and forest measuring which straddles the borders of Worcestershire and Shropshire, England. Knowles Mill, a former corn mill owned by the National Trust, lies wi ...
.
Green belt
Redditch is within a
green belt
A green belt is a policy and land-use zone designation used in land-use planning to retain areas of largely undeveloped, wild, or agricultural land surrounding or neighboring urban areas. Similar concepts are greenways or green wedges, which ...
region that extends into the wider surrounding counties, and is in place to reduce
urban sprawl
Urban sprawl (also known as suburban sprawl or urban encroachment) is defined as "the spreading of urban developments (such as houses and shopping centers) on undeveloped land near a city." Urban sprawl has been described as the unrestricted growt ...
, prevent the towns in the nearby West Midlands conurbations centred around Birmingham and Coventry, discouraging further convergence, protect the identity of outlying communities, encourage
brownfield reuse, and preserve nearby countryside. This is achieved by restricting inappropriate development within the designated areas, and imposing stricter conditions on permitted building.
The main urban area up to the Webheath, Walkwood, and Hunt End suburbs, Astwood Bank, and the southernmost extent of the borough are exempt from the green belt area, bar small adjacent green belt 'wedges', but surrounding smaller villages, hamlets, and rural areas such as Feckenham, Littleworth, Old Yarr, and Ham Green up to the B4090 Salt Way road are 'washed over' by the designation. The green belt was first drawn up under
Worcestershire County Council, and the size in the borough in 2017 amounted to some .
Transport
The
M42 motorway is a short drive away and it is linked by dual carriageways and A-class roads to surrounding towns such as
Bromsgrove and
Evesham. There are regular bus services to Studley, Bromsgrove,
Catshill
Catshill is a village in Worcestershire about 2.5 miles north of Bromsgrove and 10 miles south-west of Birmingham. The parish of Catshill was formed around the Turnpike Road (A38) in 1844.
The population of Catshill in 2011 was 6,858.
Educati ...
, and
Birmingham
Birmingham ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands (county), West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1. ...
.
Railway
The
Cross-City Line provides a regular train service via
Birmingham New Street to
Four Oaks and
Lichfield
Lichfield () is a cathedral city and civil parish in Staffordshire, England. Lichfield is situated roughly south-east of the county town of Stafford, south-east of Rugeley, north-east of Walsall, north-west of Tamworth and south-west o ...
.
Redditch railway station, the southern terminus of the line, was first opened as the terminus of the Redditch Railway on 19 September 1859, alongside what is now Clive Road. This first station stayed until 4 May 1868 when the last section from
Alcester
Alcester () is a market town and civil parish of Roman origin at the junction of the River Alne and River Arrow in the Stratford-on-Avon District in Warwickshire, England, approximately west of Stratford-upon-Avon, and 7 miles south of Reddit ...
to Redditch of the Redditch and Evesham Railway was closed, at which point a second station was built alongside the junction of Bromsgrove Road and Plymouth Road. This station was provided with a standard Midland Railway design and two platforms. The current station was built in 1993.
Buses
There is an extensive network of local bus services run by
and other operators (including Stagecoach and a community run bus). Many services run from the bus station in the town centre, a postcard of which was voted Britain's most boring postcard in a competition run by the photographer
Martin Parr. The bus station was rebuilt as part of the 2002 shopping centre expansion.
Some areas of Redditch have dedicated bus routes; however, there have been issues with safety on these routes and 3 children have died over the past 15 years.
Road system
Redditch is occasionally noted for its confusing road system dominated by a system of dual carriageways built when it became a
New Town, including the only
cloverleaf interchange in England at the junction of the A441 and the Bromsgrove-bound
A448. The system is designed to allow rapid flow of large volumes of traffic around the various
districts and into the town centre, whilst keeping fast moving vehicles separated from residential streets. Redditch was briefly famous (via
The Graham Norton Show
''The Graham Norton Show'' is a British comedy chat show presented by Graham Norton. It was initially broadcast on BBC Two, from 22 February 2007, before moving to BBC One in October 2009. It currently airs on Friday evenings, with Norton s ...
) for a tongue-in-cheek calendar featuring its "picturesque" roundabouts created by a local printing company. The calendar was called, unsurprisingly, 'Roundabouts of Redditch' and it proved so successful that it sparked a national series. This self-similar pattern is found on a smaller scale in many of the modern estates in the town, which follow a
Radburn style of planned community.
Education
Redditch is one of the few areas of the country where the
three-tier system of first, middle, and high schools still exists. Students attend
first school
Three-tier education refers to those structures of schooling, which exist in some parts of England, where pupils are taught in three distinct school types as they progress through the education system.
Terminology
In a three-tier local educ ...
from the age of 4,
middle school
A middle school (also known as intermediate school, junior high school, junior secondary school, or lower secondary school) is an educational stage which exists in some countries, providing education between primary school and secondary school. ...
from the age of 9, and
secondary school at the age of 13. Other areas of
Worcestershire
Worcestershire ( , ; written abbreviation: Worcs) is a county in the West Midlands of England. The area that is now Worcestershire was absorbed into the unified Kingdom of England in 927, at which time it was constituted as a county (see H ...
adopted this system at the same time as Redditch (in the 1970s), but many have reverted to the traditional 5–7 infant, 7–11 junior and 11-16/18 secondary schools.
Redditch currently has four high schools (
RSA Academy Arrow Vale
RSA Academy Arrow Vale (formerly Arrow Vale High School) is a co-educational upper school and sixth form with academy status located in Redditch, Worcestershire, England. The school is sponsored by the Royal Society for the encouragement of ...
,
Saint Augustine's Catholic High School,
Tudor Grange Academy,
Trinity High School Trinity High School is the name of high schools:
United Kingdom
* Trinity High School, Renfrew, Renfrewshire, Scotland
* Trinity High School, Rutherglen, Lanarkshire, Scotland
* Trinity High School and Sixth Form Centre, in Redditch, England
*Trini ...
) and six middle schools.
Heart of Worcestershire College (often referred to locally as "HOW College") is a large general
further education college: one of its four campuses is in central Redditch; the other three are in Bromsgrove, Worcester, and Malvern.
Amenities
Since June 2013, the swimming pool at Abbey Stadium Leisure Centre has been heated using waste heat diverted from Redditch Crematorium. Redditch Borough Council expects the scheme to reduce the leisure centre's gas bill by more than 40%, equivalent to an annual saving of about £15,000.
In popular culture
Malcolm Bradbury
Sir Malcolm Stanley Bradbury, (7 September 1932 – 27 November 2000) was an English author and academic.
Life
Bradbury was born in Sheffield, the son of a railwayman. His family moved to London in 1935, but returned to Sheffield in 1941 with ...
's novel ''
The History Man'', which was dramatised by the
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
in 1981, contained a reference to Redditch when Flora Beniform, a
sociologist, mentioned to the hero Howard Kirk that she was studying an outbreak of
troilism in Redditch.
It is also sometimes reported as being mentioned in the
John Cooper Clarke
John Cooper Clarke (born 25 January 1949) is an English performance poet, who first became famous as a " punk poet" in the late 1970s. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, he released several albums. Around this time, he performed on stage with se ...
song, 'Burnley', however
Reddish
Reddish is an area in Metropolitan Borough of Stockport, Greater Manchester, England. south-east of Manchester city centre. At the 2011 Census, the population was 28,052. Historically part of Lancashire, Reddish grew rapidly in the Industria ...
(a district in Greater Manchester) is the more likely interpretation.
Rik Mayall
Richard Michael Mayall (7 March 1958 – 9 June 2014) was an English actor, stand-up comedian and writer. He formed a close partnership with Ade Edmondson while they were students at Manchester University and was a pioneer of alternative ...
's ''Kevin Turvey – The Man Behind The Green Door'' was set and filmed in Redditch.
The 2012 film ''
Sightseers'' is partly set in Redditch.
Redditch is featured in a section heading in ''
An Utterly Impartial History of Britain'' by
John O'Farrell.
Birmingham and national TV comedian
Jasper Carrott
Robert Norman Davis (born 14 March 1945), best known by his stage name, Jasper Carrott, is an English comedian, actor and television presenter.
Early life
Born in Shaftmoor Lane, Acocks Green, in Birmingham, Carrott was educated at Acocks Gr ...
makes Redditch a repeated butt of his jokes, for example over the difficulty of escaping the Redditch ring road.
There is a listed theatre in Redditch called the
Palace Theatre.
The BBC Game Show
The Wall's 4th series was filmed at Fly By Nite Studios in Lakeside
Places of interest
*
Bordesley Abbey
Bordesley Abbey was a 12th-century Cistercian abbey near the town of Redditch, in Worcestershire, England.
The abbey's foundation was an act of Waleran de Beaumont, Count of Meulan, who gave the monks of Garendon Abbey in Leicestershire some ...
: remains of a former
Cistercian abbey, later used as a Royal Swannery.
*
Forge Mill Needle Museum
The Forge Mill Needle Museum in Redditch, Worcestershire, is a historic museum depicting Redditch's Industrial Heritage. Opened in 1983 by Queen Elizabeth II, it records how in Victorian times
In the history of the United Kingdom an ...
: exhibition of traditional needle making.
*
Redditch Library: A popular public library with around 50,000 books, 40 public computers, free WiFi, and a publicly accessible town archive that goes back to the 1700s. The current building was built in 1976. The demolition of the structurally sound building has been proposed by Redditch Borough Council at the cost of £4.2 million. No plans have been published regarding provisions for relocating the library service.
Kingfisher Shopping Centre
Kingfisher Shopping Centre was opened in 1976 by the then Prime Minister
James Callaghan and now forms the town's primary retail centre.
The centre has over of retail space, with stores including
Primark
Primark Stores Limited (; trading as Penneys in the Republic of Ireland) is an Irish multinational fast fashion retailer with headquarters in Dublin, Ireland. It has stores across Europe and in the United States. The Penneys brand is not us ...
,
Next plc
Next plc (styled as NEXT) is a British multinational clothing, footwear and home products retailer, which has its headquarters in Enderby, England. It has around 700 stores, of which circa 500 are in the United Kingdom, and circa 200 across Eu ...
,
Boots UK
Boots UK Limited (formerly Boots the Chemists), trading as Boots, is a British health and beauty retailer and pharmacy chain in the United Kingdom and other countries and territories including Ireland, Italy, Norway, the Netherlands, Thail ...
,
H&M,
The Perfume Shop, and
Warren James Jewellers. It is one of the largest covered shopping centres in the United Kingdom. In 2007, a cinema opened on the new upper floor and is now owned by
Vue Cinemas.
Arrow Valley Country Park
Redditch has of public open space in
Arrow Valley Country Park. This incorporates the Arrow Valley Lake, fed by the
River Arrow. The park incorporates a Local Nature Reserve, Proctor's Barn Meadow.
The Arrow Valley Countryside centre, opened in 2000 in the Country Park, has a lakeside café, gift shop and an interactive exhibition. The lake is also used for water sports. There are four waymarked trails for walking and cycling around the lake and through the Country Park. There is a skate park in the south of the park with walks along the river Arrow through the Country Park to the
Forge Mill Museum in the north. There are interactive events and family activities at the Countryside Centre and a comprehensive children's play area.
Royal Enfield motorcycles
Redditch was the home of the
Royal Enfield motorcycle. This is where the main factory of the original company was located and the business continued manufacturing until the 1960s, the last model being the
Interceptor. The Redditch factory was closed in 1967 and production was moved to the
Bradford on Avon
Bradford-on-Avon (sometimes Bradford on Avon or Bradford upon Avon) is a town and civil parish in west Wiltshire, England, near the border with Somerset, which had a population of 9,402 at the 2011 census. The town's canal, historic buildings, s ...
factory, which closed in 1970, ending English Enfield manufacturing. In the mid 1950s, the company established a partner,
Madras Motors, in
Madras, India, who manufactured the
Bullet 350 model. The Indian factory is producing new models and has taken Royal Enfield into its third century of manufacturing. Some of the original factory buildings in Redditch still remain, most are in a derelict state and can be seen from Hewell Road. Some buildings have been taken over and now make the old part of Enfield Industrial Estate close to the town centre on Hewell Road.
Notable people
*
John Bonham
John Henry Bonham (31 May 1948 – 25 September 1980) was an English musician, best known as the drummer for the rock band Led Zeppelin. Esteemed for his speed, power, fast single-footed kick drumming, distinctive sound, and feel for groove ...
(1948–1980), musician with
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band formed in London in 1968. The group comprised vocalist Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham. With a heavy, guitar-driven sound, they are ci ...
, was born in Redditch and attended
Lodge Farm Secondary Modern School.
*
Lionel Britton (1887–1971), novelist and writer of science fiction plays was born at
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 tea ...
now a suburb of Redditch.
*
Russell Brookes
Russell Brookes (16 August 1945 – 30 October 2019) was a British rally driver. He won the British Rally Championship with a Ford Escort RS1800 in 1977 and with an Opel Manta 400 in 1985. In 1978, he won the Rally New Zealand, a round of the F ...
(born 1945), British rally champion
*
Nigel Clark from band
Dodgy grew up in Redditch and went to The Leys High school, now
Tudor Grange Academy Redditch
*
Charlie Clemmow, soap actress who is best known for her role as
Imogen Hollins in the BBC soap, ''
Doctors''. She grew up in
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 tea ...
.
*
Stacy Coldicott (born 1974), footballer,
West Bromwich Albion
West Bromwich Albion Football Club () is an English professional football club based in West Bromwich, West Midlands, England. They compete in the EFL Championship, the second tier of English football. The club was formed in 1878 and has pl ...
and
Grimsby Town F.C.
Grimsby Town Football Club is a professional football club based in Cleethorpes, North East Lincolnshire, England, that in the 2022–23 season will compete in , the fourth tier of the English football league system, following the victory in t ...
was born in Redditch.
*
Charles Dance
Walter Charles Dance (born 10 October 1946) is an English actor. He is known for playing strict, authoritarian characters and villains. His most notable film roles include Sardo Numspa in '' The Golden Child'' (1986), Dr. Jonathan Clemens in '' ...
(born 1946), actor, born in Redditch
*
Jimmy Davis (1982–2003), footballer,
Manchester United,
Swindon Town
Swindon Town Football Club is a professional football club based in Swindon, Wiltshire, England. The team currently competes in , the fourth tier of the English football league system. The club has played home matches at the County Ground sin ...
, and
Watford F.C.
Watford Football Club is an English professional football club based in Watford, Hertfordshire. They play in the EFL Championship, the second tier of English football.
The club’s original foundation is 1881, aligned with that of its antecede ...
Born in
Bromsgrove, his funeral took place at Redditch Crematorium.
*
Jonathan Dow, actor was born in Redditch.
*
Ruth England (born 1970), TV presenter, educated in Redditch
*
Luke Johnson, musician,
Lostprophets
Lostprophets (stylised as lostprophets) were a Welsh Rock music, rock band from Pontypridd, formed in 1997 by singer and lyricist Ian Watkins (Lostprophets singer), Ian Watkins and guitarist Lee Gaze. The band was founded after their former band ...
was born in Redditch.
*
Antony Johnston, author, was raised in Redditch.
*
Zoë Lister, actor ''
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''. Since 2005, episodes have been aired on sister channel E4 a ...
'' trained at the Starlight School of Dance in Winyates, Redditch.
*
Joe Lolley
Joseph Lolley (born 25 August 1992) is an English winger who plays for Sydney FC. He has also represented his country at England C level and University level.
Club career Early career
Born in Redditch, Lolley was part of Birmingham City's acad ...
, footballer,
Nottingham Forest,
ex-Huddersfield Town and
Kidderminster Harriers was born in Redditch.
*
Tony Martin (born 1957), singer,
Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath were an English rock music, rock band formed in Birmingham in 1968 by guitarist Tony Iommi, drummer Bill Ward (musician), Bill Ward, bassist Geezer Butler and vocalist Ozzy Osbourne. They are often cited as pioneers of heavy met ...
frontman 1987–1991, 1994–1997
*
Tom Paddock (1822–1863) was born in Redditch, and known as the "Redditch Needlepointer", champion
heavyweight bare-knuckle boxer
Bare-knuckle boxing (or simply bare-knuckle) is a combat sport which involves two individuals throwing punches at each other for a predetermined amount of time without any boxing gloves or other form of padding on their hands. It is a regulated ...
of England in 1856
*
Nathanael Saleh, actor born in Redditch in 2006.
*
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 ...
, former MP for Redditch and first female British Home Secretary
*
Freddie Starr
Freddie Starr (born Frederick Leslie Fowell; 9 January 1943 – 9 May 2019) was an English stand up comedian, impressionist, singer and actor. Starr was the lead singer of Merseybeat rock and roll group the Midniters during the early 1960s, an ...
(1943-2019) lived in Mappleborough Green, just outside Redditch.
*
Alan Styler
Alan Arthur Styler (1 October 1925 – 1 September 1970) was an English opera singer, best known for his performances in baritone roles of the Savoy Operas with the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company.
After service in the Grenadier Guards during the Se ...
, (1925–1970) D'Oyly Carte Opera Company baritone, 1947–1968 was born and raised in Redditch.
*
Harry Styles (born 1994) born in Redditch. Raised in
Holmes Chapel
Holmes Chapel is a large village and civil parish in the unitary authority area of Cheshire East and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. Until 1974 the parish was known as Church Hulme. Holmes Chapel is about north of Crewe and south of ...
. Singer, songwriter and actor. Member of
boy band One Direction
One Direction, often shortened to 1D, are an English-Irish pop boy band formed in London in 2010. The group are composed of Niall Horan, Liam Payne, Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, and previously Zayn Malik until his departure from the g ...
.
*
John Taylor (born 1960), musician,
Duran Duran, went to
Abbey High School in Redditch
*
Raymond Thompson
Raymond Webster Thompson (born 5 April 1949) is a British-born Canadian/New Zealand screenwriter, composer and producer.
Early life and career
Thompson was born in Redditch, Worcestershire and grew up in Windsor, Berkshire where he formed a ...
, scriptwriter and TV producer, born in Redditch. Creator of hit New Zealand teen/sci-fi television series ''
The Tribe''
*
Archer Windsor-Clive (1890–1914), cricketer
Town twinning
In 1956, Redditch was twinned with Auxerre in Burgundy, France. This twinning proved sufficiently popular to form an organisation named The Friends of Auxerre (FoA). At the beginning of June each year the coupling of these two towns is officially celebrated.
In 1986, Redditch was twinned with Mtwara in Tanzania. Frequent events are organised with assistance from the community of Tanzanian students at
Birmingham University
, mottoeng = Through efforts to heights
, established = 1825 – Birmingham School of Medicine and Surgery1836 – Birmingham Royal School of Medicine and Surgery1843 – Queen's College1875 – Mason Science College1898 – Mason Univers ...
and
Selly Oak College.
*
Auxerre
Auxerre ( , ) is the capital of the Yonne department and the fourth-largest city in Burgundy. Auxerre's population today is about 35,000; the urban area (''aire d'attraction'') comprises roughly 113,000 inhabitants. Residents of Auxerre are r ...
, France
*
Mtwara
Mtwara ( Portuguese: ''Montewara'') is the capital city of Mtwara Region in southeastern Tanzania. In the 1940s, it was planned and constructed as the export facility for the disastrous Tanganyika groundnut scheme, but was somewhat neglected whe ...
,
Tanzania
Tanzania (; ), officially the United Republic of Tanzania ( sw, Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania), is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It borders Uganda to the north; Kenya to the northeast; Comoro Islands ...
Friendship links
Redditch also has formal "Friendship" links with:
*
St. Elizabeth,
Jamaica
Jamaica (; ) is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea. Spanning in area, it is the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean (after Cuba and Hispaniola). Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, and west of His ...
,
West Indies
The West Indies is a subregion of North America, surrounded by the North Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea that includes 13 independent island countries and 18 dependencies and other territories in three major archipelagos: the Greate ...
*
Gruchet-le-Valasse, France
*
Gujar Khan
Gujar Khan (Punjabi/ ur, گُوجر خان) is a city in Rawalpindi District, Punjab, Pakistan. It is also the headquarters of Gujar Khan Tehsil, the largest tehsil of Punjab by land area.
Gujar Khan is approximately southeast of Islamabad, t ...
,
Pakistan
Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 243 million people, and has the world's second-lar ...
Sport
Redditch sport teams include:
*
Redditch United F.C. playing
Football in the
*
Redditch Borough F.C. playing
Football in the
*
NEW Ravens playing
Rugby league
Rugby league football, commonly known as just rugby league and sometimes football, footy, rugby or league, is a full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular field measuring 68 metres (75 yards) wide and 11 ...
in the
Midlands Rugby League Premier Division
*
Redditch RFC playing
Rugby Union
Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In it ...
in the
Midlands 4 West (South)
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Redditch CC
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 ...
playing
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by str ...
in the
Worcestershire County Cricket League
*Redditch Arrows American football Team
*
Longmeadow Redditch Badminton Club playing
Badminton
Badminton is a racquet sport played using racquets to hit a shuttlecock across a net. Although it may be played with larger teams, the most common forms of the game are "singles" (with one player per side) and "doubles" (with two players p ...
with 8 teams in the Worcestershire and Solihull Leagues.
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Redditch Roller Sports Club Roller Derby and Recretational Roller Skating Instruction
*Bromsgrove and Redditch Athletic Club
*Redditch Rockets Skater Hockey Club
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Redditch Swimming Club
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The Redditch Road and Path Cycling Club
Climate
Redditch has an
oceanic climate (
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...
''Cfb'') similar to almost all of the United Kingdom.
See also
*
Districts of Redditch
*
Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church, Redditch
Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church is a Roman Catholic parish church in Redditch, Worcestershire, England. It was built from 1833 to 1834 and designed by Thomas Rickman in the Gothic Revival style. It is located between Beoley Road West and Holloway ...
References
External links
Website of RedditchRedditch Local History Group– Local History Group based at Forge Mill Museum
{{Authority control
Towns in Worcestershire
New towns in England
Non-metropolitan districts of Worcestershire
Radburn design housing estates
New towns started in the 1960s
Populated places established in 1964
Boroughs in England