Belbroughton

Belbroughton is a village and civil parish in the Bromsgrove District of Worcestershire, England. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 2,380.[1] It is about six miles north of Bromsgrove, six miles east of Kidderminster and four miles south of Stourbridge. The village of Clent is nearby. The village is served by bus service 318 (Bromsgrove-Stourbridge) operared by Kev's Cars and Coaches.

Belbroughton

Church Road
Belbroughton
Location within Worcestershire
Population2,380 
OS grid referenceSO919770
• London106 miles (171 km)
Civil parish
  • Belbroughton
District
  • Bromsgrove
Shire county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townSTOURBRIDGE
Postcode districtDY9
Dialling code01562
PoliceWest Mercia
FireHereford and Worcester
AmbulanceWest Midlands

History
See also: History of Worcestershire

Belbroughton was at the core of the North Worcestershire scythe-making district.[2] Many of the mills of the area were formerly blade mills used for sharpening them, after a scythesmith had forged them from iron, with a thin strip of steel along the cutting edge. From the late 18th century until about 1870, the Waldron family of Field House Clent were the leading manufacturers. They were succeeded by Isaac Nash, whose business finally closed in about 1970. Scythes were formerly not just made in Belbroughton, but also several adjacent parishes, including Chaddesley Corbett.

In Belbroughton in 1831, with a population of 1,476, 68 weekly payments for Poor relief were made. Poor relief however was only due to residents of a parish, provable through a certificate of residence.[3]

At the crossroads in the nearby hamlet of Bell Heath, there is a boulder that was brought by glacial process from Arenig Fawr, a mountain within Snowdonia, in Gwynedd. A plaque reads "Boulder from Arenig Mountain in N. Wales, Brought here by the Welsh Ice-Sheet in the Glacial Period".[4]

Facilities

Facilities in the village include a village shop,[5] a post office and recreational centre with tennis courts.[6][7][8] There is an active cricket club on the outskirts of the village.[9] The area also has a number of public houses in Belbroughton itself and in neighbouring villages.[8]

Education

Belbroughton Primary School is located in the village,[8] after which students progress to Haybridge High School, in the nearby village of Hagley.

Politics

Belbroughton is in the constituency of Bromsgrove a traditionally Conservative area with the current MP being Sajid Javid, a member of the Conservative Party (UK).

Local events

Since 1996 Belbroughton has hosted Scarecrow Weekend the last weekend of each September. Founded by Steve Haywood (The Crowman) Children's Author and Artist.[10] Villagers create scarecrows and display them outside their homes. It has proved very popular over recent years with thousands of visitors, raising tens of thousands of pounds for local organisations and amenities.[11]

Flooding

On 7 September 2008 heavy rain caused Belne Brook, which runs through the village, to swell. The rising water was held back by a seven-foot wall but the pressure of the water caused it to break. The surge of water tore through the village sweeping away cars and causing severe water damage (and in some cases structural damage) to many properties.[12][13] The current was so strong, it made tarmac ripple.[14]

References
  1. Census 2001
  2. "Belbroughton Conservation Area, designated 1969 extended OCTOBER 1975" (PDF). Bromsgrove District Council head of planning and environment services the council house, burcot lane, bromsgrove b60 1aa. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 September 2011. Retrieved 1 August 2011. "The village [of Belbroughton] was a national centre for scythe making and the mill pools and forges can still be seen along the course of the Belne Brook which runs off the Clent Hills and west to join the River Stour".
  3. Lloyd 1993, p. 94.
  4. belbroughtonandfairfield-pc.info
  5. "Dillons in Belbroughton, Stourbridge". misterwhat.co.uk. Retrieved 1 August 2011. "Dillons ... Newsagents ... Address: 29–31, High St".
  6. "Post Office Belbroughton opening times". TheiGroup. Retrieved 1 August 2011. "Post Office, 24 High Street, Belbroughton".
  7. "Belbroughton Tennis Club". Archived from the original on 22 July 2011. Retrieved 1 August 2011.
  8. "Belbroughton – a village in North East Worcestershire". Operated on behalf of Belbroughton Parish Council. Archived from the original on 20 July 2011. Retrieved 1 August 2011.
  9. "Belbroughton Cricket Club". Play-Cricket. Retrieved 1 May 2014."Belbroughton Cricket Club"
  10. Travis, Jo (2008). "CUTTING-EDGE OF HISTORY; DOWN YOUR WAY Jo Travis reports on a rural idyll that was once a world capital of industry". Birmingham Post & Mail Ltd.
  11. "Thousands expected to flock to Belbroughton Scarecrow Festival". Bromsgrove Advertiser. 21 September 2010. "THOUSANDS of people are expected to flock to Belbroughton to see an ex-straw special scarecrow at this year's 13th annual event".
  12. "VIDEO: Deluge in Belbroughton". BBC Hereford and Worcester. September 2008.
  13. "Worse still to come after weekend of devastating floods". The Daily Telegraph. 7 September 2008."while in Belbroughton, near Stourbridge, a water-logged cottage collapsed"
  14. "Belbroughton flood – Queens car park". Retrieved 1 August 2011 – via YouTube.
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