Inkberrow is a village 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 ...
, England, often thought to be the model for
Ambridge, the setting of
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC that replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. It broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history from the BBC' ...
's long-running series ''
The Archers
''The Archers'' is a BBC radio drama on BBC Radio 4, the corporation's main spoken-word channel. Broadcast since 1951, it was famously billed as "an everyday story of country folk" and is now promoted as "a contemporary drama in a rural sett ...
''. In particular, The Bull, the fictional Ambridge
pub
A pub (short for public house) is a kind of drinking establishment which is licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption on the premises. The term ''public house'' first appeared in the United Kingdom in late 17th century, and was ...
, is supposed to be based on The Old Bull in Inkberrow.
The village's
parish church
A parish church (or parochial church) in Christianity is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish. In many parts of the world, especially in rural areas, the parish church may play a significant role in community activities, ...
is dedicated to
St. Peter and contains the Savage family chapel.
In 2006, Inkberrow was awarded the title of Worcestershire Village of the Year and won the Building Community Life section of the competition.
Inkberrow was marked as a
new town in the 1960s, but this plan was not carried out. More houses were added to the village in 2013 because of a rising need for accommodation. Inkberrow Millennium Green is an 8-acre public open space to the east of the village, opened in 2000, which includes a medieval moat and fishpond, a variety of wildflowers and fruit trees, and a millennium seat with extensive views.
History
The earliest recorded version of the village is Intanbeorgan, from the 8th and 9th century.
By the 15th century, the spelling may have become ''Ingtebarwe'', since nearby villages also mentioned include Church Lench, Abbots Morton & Arrow
By the 16th century, it was known as Inkebarrow.
'Parishes: Inkberrow', A History of the County of Worcester: volume 3 (1913), pp. 418-430. Date accessed: 14 February 2011
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The area was within Feckenham Forest, a royal forest
A royal forest, occasionally known as a kingswood (), is an area of land with different definitions in England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland. The term ''forest'' in the ordinary modern understanding refers to an area of wooded land; however, the ...
with harsh forest law punishments.
Cookhill Priory stood three miles east, at the edge of the county.
Sports
The village has junior and adult football clubs with large memberships when compared to those of higher populated towns and villages. Inkberrow Football Club play in Midland Football League
The Midland Football League is an English football league that was founded in 2014 by the merger of the former Midland Alliance and Midland Combination. The league has four divisions that sit at levels 9–12 of the football pyramid.
History
T ...
Division Two, and have two 11 a-side pitches and a mini soccer pitch.
There is also a tennis club in Inkberrow, with a clubhouse near the village hall.
Music
Former Inkberrow residents brothers Justin Jones (guitar) and Simon Huw Jones (vocals) formed the post-punk band And Also the Trees
And Also the Trees are an English rock band, formed in 1979 in Inkberrow, Worcestershire. They are characterised by their poetic lyrics and evocative music which are strongly influenced by the native English countryside.
History
And Also ...
in 1979 along with other future members Nick Havas, Graham Havas and Steven Burrows. Their music was and remains heavily inspired by their rural upbringing, producing a pastoral take on the sound then dominated by bands from urban areas. They continue to produce music today and have garnered critical acclaim and a cult following around the world.
See also
*Inkberrow Castle
Inkberrow Castle was situated in the village of Inkberrow in Worcestershire, some 10 km south of Redditch ().
It was a castle built between 1154 and 1216 which was destroyed (slighted) in 1233. A moat remains which may be that of the castle or o ...
* Cookhill Priory
References
External links
Inkberrow web siteInkberrow Football Club
{{authority control
The Archers
Villages in Worcestershire