Kidderminster

Coordinates: 52°23′19″N 2°14′56″W / 52.3885°N 2.2490°W / 52.3885; -2.2490
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Kidderminster
Shire county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townKIDDERMINSTER
Postcode districtDY10, DY11
Dialling code01562
PoliceWest Mercia
FireHereford and Worcester
AmbulanceWest Midlands
UK Parliament
WebsiteKidderminster Town Council
List of places
UK
England
Worcestershire
52°23′19″N 2°14′56″W / 52.3885°N 2.2490°W / 52.3885; -2.2490

Kidderminster is a

Husum, Germany
.

Situated in the far north of Worcestershire (and with its northern suburbs only 3 and 4 miles from the Staffordshire and Shropshire borders respectively), the town is the main administration centre for the wider Wyre Forest District, which includes the towns of Stourport-on-Severn and Bewdley, along with other outlying settlements.

History

See also: History of Worcestershire

The land around Kidderminster may have been first populated by the

Bishop Heathored.[3]
This allowed for the founding of a monastery or minstre in the area.

The earliest written form of the name Kidderminster was first documented in the

William the Conqueror, with 16 outlying settlements (Bristitune, Fastochesfeld, Franche, Habberley, Hurcott, Mitton, Oldington, Ribbesford, Sudwale, Sutton, Teulesberge, Trimpley, Wannerton and Wribbenhall). Various spellings were in use – Kedeleministre or Kideministre (in the 12th and 13th centuries), Kyderemunstre (13th–15th centuries) – until the name of the town was settled as Kidderminster by the 16th century.[3] Between 1156 and 1162 Henry II granted the manor to his steward, Manasser Biset. By six decades later, the settlement grew and a fair (1228) and later a market (1240) were established there.[3]

To the south by the River Stour, dating from the 15th century, is a single surviving tower of Caldwall (or Caldwell) Castle, a fortified manor house.[5]

Caldwall Castle

Kidderminster owes its growth to the early development of the

cloth industry, which was aided by its position upon the River Stour, and its location at the confluence of four main roads to Birmingham, Dudley, Worcester, Bewdley and Bridgnorth. In a visit to the town sometime around 1540, King's Antiquary John Leland noted that Kidderminster "standeth most by clothing".[3] Over the following centuries the town specialised in textile trades such as weaving, fulling, cloth working and milling, and was also home to numerous other trades including shoemaking, haberdashery, saddle making, dyers, tailors, tanners and glovers.[6]

King Charles I granted the Borough of Kidderminster a Charter in 1636.[3] the original charter can be viewed at Kidderminster Town Hall.

Kidderminster's position at the junction of several main roads made it a place of strategic importance during the English Civil War, with several skirmishes taking place in and around the town.[3]

In 1670–1 Kidderminster's cloth industry obtained a

Droitwich and Kidderminster.[8]

In the early 18th century, carpet weaving was introduced to Kidderminster, and this rapidly became the staple trade of the town. Its growth was aided by the opening of the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal in 1771, and later the arrival of the railway to the town in 1852. The carpet industry went into decline in the 1970s, but still continues on a reduced scale.[3][9]

Poor trade conditions in 1828, when 2,000 looms were not working for an 18-week period, led to riots where £3,000 of damage was done during one night.[10]

Brintons carpet factory in Kidderminster, c. 1870

The town's local government was reformed by the

Municipal Reform Act 1835, which incorporated Kidderminster as a municipal borough. This superseded the charter of 1636, and divided the borough into three wards represented by six aldermen and eighteen councillors, the number of wards was doubled in the 1880s. The current Town Hall on Vicar Street was built in 1877.[3]

Kidderminster has two Commissioners' churches. The first was St George's Church, on Radford Avenue. This was designed by Francis Goodwin and built in 1821–1824,[11] finally being consecrated in April 1824. Its grant of just over £17,000.00, was the third-largest given by the commission to any church outside London.[12] The second church was St John's Church, on the Bewdley Road. This was built in 1843 and the architect was Matthew Steele; its grant was just over £4,000.[12]

The Shrubbery was converted into a military headquarters towards the end of the 19th century.[13]

In 1974 the old borough of Kidderminster was abolished and merged into the new

Town Council, following a public referendum.[14]

Geography

The River Stour and the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal both flow through Kidderminster town centre.

Economy

The modern carpet industry was founded in the area in 1785 by

The Shuttle after the shuttles used on the carpet looms.[15] A type of carpet was known as Kidderminster carpet or, in the United States, Ingrain carpet: this was a reversible carpet with no pile, with the pattern showing in opposite colours on the two faces, and was popular from the 18th to early 20th centuries.[16] By 1951 there were over thirty carpet manufacturers in the town,[17] including, for example, Quayle & Tranter (now defunct). They commissioned such notable artists as George Bain to create their traditional Celtic designs.[18][19]
Aided by a 2004 grant from the
Lord Cobham in 2012.[20]

Politics

Kidderminster Town Council
Type
Type
Parish Council
Leadership
Mayor
Cllr Darren Chambers
Deputy Mayor
Cllr George Connolly
Structure
Seats18 Councillors
6 / 18
Independent
3 / 18
Health Concern
2 / 18
2 / 18
1 / 18
Elections
Multiple non-transferable vote
Last election
5 May 2016
Next election
6 May 2021
Meeting place
Kidderminster Town Hall, Kidderminster
Website
www.kidderminstertowncouncil.gov.uk

Kidderminster Town is a

Conservatives
regained majority control after a collapse in the independent and former Health Concern vote, one of only two council gains nationally.

The area (initially as Kidderminster, then after 1983 as the Wyre Forest constituency) has been represented by Conservative Members of Parliament (MPs) Gerald Nabarro 1950–1964, Tatton Brinton 1964–1974, Esmond Bulmer 1974–1987, Anthony Coombs 1987–1997, and Labour MP David Lock 1997–2001. In the 2001 United Kingdom general election, the town returned Dr Richard Taylor as an independent MP for the Wyre Forest parliamentary constituency. Taylor had fought the election to protest against the proposed reduction in services at Kidderminster Hospital. He held his seat at the 2005 election, the first independent MP to do so since 1949.[22] Mark Garnier has held the seat of Wyre Forest since the 2010 election increasing his majority each time.[23][24]

Demographics

At the 2011 census there were 55,530 residents in Kidderminster in 24,869 households, the median age of Kidderminster residents was 41.[25]

Kidderminster's population at the 2011 census was predominantly

mixed race at 1.2%.[25]

67% of Kidderminster residents identified as Christian, with 24.7% stating they had no religion, and 6.6% not stating any religion. The largest non-Christian group were Muslims at 0.8%, followed by Buddhists at 0.2% and Hindus and Sikhs at 0.1% each, with others at 0.4%.[25]

Architecture and landmarks

St John the Baptist's Church (Church of England), built in 1843

Kidderminster's parish church of

grade I listed building dating mostly from the 15th and 16th centuries.[26] Another notable church is St John's Church, which is grade II listed, and dates from 1843.[27] Other listed buildings of note in the town include the Town Hall of 1877. The Shrubbery, a 19th-century mansion, and the Kidderminster Register Office. Many of Kidderminster's historic buildings were lost from the 1960s onwards, this led to the creation of the Kidderminster Civic Society in 1993 to promote preservation of the town's heritage.[28]

The former Slingfield Mill

There are some former factory buildings of note in Kidderminster, which have mostly been converted to other uses. A notable one is the former Slingfield Mill, dating from 1864 to 1870, which is grade II listed, and has been converted for retail use.[29]

In the 1968

Buildings of England volume on Worcestershire, Pevsner described the town as: "uncommonly devoid of visual pleasure and architectural interest."[30] Crown House, an early 1970s office block was particularly criticised, and was once rated among the top 10 ugliest buildings in Britain. Demolition was completed in April 2020, improving the Kidderminster skyline.[31] In the 2007 revision of this volume, Alan Brooks wrote; "the 19th century mill buildings, together with the churches, provide most of the architectural interest in a town otherwise uncommonly lacking in visual pleasures."[32]

Transport

Rail

Two railway stations in the town share the same approach road and are located less than fifty metres apart. The main National Rail station, operated by West Midlands Trains, is Kidderminster, from where trains run to Birmingham, Worcester and London. The other station, Kidderminster Town, is the terminus of the preserved Heritage Railway line, Severn Valley Railway, from where trains run to Bridgnorth.

Road

Several major routes run through the town, including the

Droitwich to Hodnet, Shropshire, a few miles north of Telford; the A449 which runs from Newport in south Wales to Stafford and crosses the A456 at the Land Oak; and the A448 road which starts in the town and goes to Studley in Warwickshire, via Bromsgrove and Redditch
. A major change in the town centre road infrastructure was the construction of the ring road in the 1970s and 1980s. This relieved the town's growing congestion but diverted traffic outside the centre, drawing off customers for businesses. The final phase of the ring road was never completed, which results in the town having a ring road that does not form a complete ring.

Waterways
St Mary's and All Saints Parish Church, seen from the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal

The Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal passes through the town.

Bus

There are direct bus links with towns including

First Midland Red
) while the rest is operated by Select Bus Services (297), Finesse and Yarranton Brothers. Services 291 and 292 were operated by R & B Travel prior to the company surrendering its licence in January 2020. Services 15A/C, S15, 294, 580 and 133were operated by Coniston Coaches prior to surrendering its licence in October 2020. 15A/C, S15 & 294 were passed onto Astons until 2021 and 2022. Service 297 was operated by Arriva Midlands until 4 September 2023 when Select won the contract for the service.

Education

As part of educational restructuring in the

Wolverley C E Secondary School, and Baxter College (formerly Harry Cheshire High School) became secondary schools that included sixth forms
.

Independent schools include

The Stourport High School & VIth Form Centre and The Bewdley School
.

Sport

Cricket

Kidderminster CC is a local cricket club at whose home ground of Chester Road North Ground Worcestershire County Cricket Club play occasional County Championship and county 2nd XI games.[33]

Football

Kidderminster Harriers, formerly of the Football League
.

Formed in 1886,

Cheltenham Town and Hereford United. As of 2023 Cheltenham are in League One
, two divisions above Kidderminster, with Hereford being the division below Kidderminster.

In 2005 the Harriers were relegated to the

Football League Two division. They had reached the Football League as Conference champions in 2000, and are Worcestershire's only representative in the league. They had won the title in 1994 but were denied promotion then as their stadium did not meet Football League capacity requirements. That same year they eliminated Birmingham City from the FA Cup; they eventually reached the fifth round of the competition (just missing the quarter-finals), where they hosted Premier League side West Ham United, narrowly losing 0–1. Prior to Lincoln City's run in the competition in 2017, Harriers were the last non-league side to reach round five of the FA Cup. Harriers were relegated to the National League North
in 2016.

In recent years, Kidderminster have seen some success under manager and former Harriers player Russell Penn. A strong FA Cup run in the 2021–2022 season led to the Harriers facing Premier League side West Ham in, as they had done in 1994. The affair ended in a 1–2 defeat, yet the game led to major economic benefit for the club, with TV money and ticket sales generating large amounts of income. Harriers further went into the Play-Offs that same season, but were eliminated in their first game to Boston United. In the 2022–2023 season, Kidderminster again reached the Play-Offs, achieving the feat on the last game of the season after an excellent late run of league form. Harriers beat Alfreton, Kings Lynn and finally Brackley in the Play-Offs and regained promotion to the National League.

The

Kidderminster & District League has operated since 1984 and draws teams from Worcestershire and South Staffordshire
.

Rugby

Kidderminster Carolians RFC is a local rugby union club, currently playing at level 7 in Counties 1 Midlands West (North) at First XV Level and Midlands Reserve League 2 at 2nd XV level.

Regularly putting out 3 senior teams including veterans, the club also has a thriving Colts (u18s) age group, a developing women's team since 2021 and a large minis and juniors section.

Hockey

Kidderminster Hockey club was founded in 1892 and in 2010 there are five men's hockey teams, a women's team and a junior team.

Local attractions

Located in Kidderminster is the Severn Valley Railway a heritage railway. The Museum of Carpet opened in 2012, showcases the town's contribution to the carpet industry.[9] Brinton Park is an urban park to the south of the town centre, comprising 30 acres (12 ha) of land donated by John Brinton in the 1880s.[34] Another green space is Wilden Marsh, a nature reserve covering 94 acres (38 ha) to the south of Kidderminster.

Places of interest near Kidderminster include the West Midlands Safari Park to the west of Kidderminster towards Bewdley. A few miles south of the town is Hartlebury Castle, which houses the Worcestershire County Museum. A few miles north are the Drakelow Tunnels a former underground military complex, which has an attached museum.[34]

Local media

The local newspaper covering Kidderminster is The Shuttle.[35]

Local news and television programmes are provided by BBC West Midlands and ITV Central. Television signals are received from the Sutton Coldfield and local relay transmitters.[36][37]

Free Radio Herefordshire & Worcestershire, Sunshine Radio and BBC Hereford & Worcester. The Wyre ceased broadcasting in 2012, and Signal 107 was launched on 26 March 2012 (it now broadcasts as Greatest Hits Radio Herefordshire and Worcestershire).[38]

Climate

The town is noted for its particularly high record lows. Despite an average July low of 11.7 °C,[39] the temperature has never fallen below 5 °C in that month. The coldest and warmest July nights were both recorded in 2015.[40]

Climate data for Kidderminster
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 18.0
(64.4) 		19.6
(67.3) 		25.0
(77.0) 		26.6
(79.9) 		28.2
(82.8) 		32.0
(89.6) 		34.6
(94.3) 		32.0
(89.6) 		27.6
(81.7) 		27.0
(80.6) 		18.0
(64.4) 		19.1
(66.4) 		34.6
(94.3)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 6.8
(44.2) 		7.4
(45.3) 		10.2
(50.4) 		13.3
(55.9) 		16.8
(62.2) 		19.5
(67.1) 		21.8
(71.2) 		21.4
(70.5) 		18.3
(64.9) 		14.0
(57.2) 		9.7
(49.5) 		7.0
(44.6) 		13.9
(56.9)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) 1.3
(34.3) 		0.8
(33.4) 		2.7
(36.9) 		3.9
(39.0) 		6.7
(44.1) 		9.7
(49.5) 		11.7
(53.1) 		11.6
(52.9) 		9.5
(49.1) 		6.7
(44.1) 		3.7
(38.7) 		1.5
(34.7) 		5.8
(42.5)
Record low °C (°F) −8.0
(17.6) 		−11.9
(10.6) 		−7.0
(19.4) 		−3.0
(26.6) 		0.0
(32.0) 		2.0
(35.6) 		5.0
(41.0) 		6.0
(42.8) 		−6.0
(21.2) 		−3.0
(26.6) 		−7.0
(19.4) 		−10.1
(13.8) 		−11.9
(10.6)
Average rainfall mm (inches) 65.6
(2.58) 		46.1
(1.81) 		53.1
(2.09) 		62.0
(2.44) 		56.7
(2.23) 		59.1
(2.33) 		54.8
(2.16) 		64.4
(2.54) 		62.9
(2.48) 		80.8
(3.18) 		72.4
(2.85) 		73.3
(2.89) 		751.2
(29.58)
Average rainy days (≥ 1.0 mm) 12.5 9.6 11.0 10.5 10.4 9.7 9.4 9.8 9.6 12.0 12.0 11.8 128.3
Mean monthly sunshine hours 53.4 73.6 109.2 151.6 190.8 191.3 200.7 186.0 140.4 107.1 62.4 46.7 1,513.2
Source 1: Met Office[39]
Source 2: MyWeather2.com[40]

Notable residents

Sport

References

  1. ^ a b "KIDDERMINSTER Parish in West Midlands". City Population. Retrieved 5 February 2023.
  2. ^ John Blair, The Church in Anglo-Saxon Society (New York, Oxford University Press, 2005)
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h "Kidderminster: Introduction, borough and manors". British History Online. Retrieved 27 August 2017.
  4. ^ Eilert Ekwall, The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Place-names, p.275.
  5. British Listed Buildings
    . Retrieved 8 March 2011.
  6. ^ Tomkinson and Hall, Kidderminster since 1800, 4.
  7. ^ Kerridge, Textile Manufactures in Early Modern England, 240.
  8. ^ Cooke-Taylor, Introduction to a History of the Factory System, 337.
  9. ^ a b c "A Brief History of Kidderminster". Kidderminster Civic Society. Retrieved 21 June 2020.
  10. ^ MacDonald 1969, p. 138.
  11. ^ The Buildings of England: Worcestershire, Nikolaus Pevsner, 1968 Penguin. p206
  12. ^
    ISBN 1-8607-7309-5
    . p89 and p102
  13. ^ "Kidderminster". The Drill Hall Project. Retrieved 21 August 2017.
  14. ^ "Kidderminster Town Council". GovServ. Retrieved 22 June 2020.
  15. ISBN 978-0-00-735157-2
    .
  16. ^ "A Brief History of English Carpets/Stourvale Mill". www.burrows.com. Retrieved 11 September 2020.
  17. ^ "Wyre Forest carpet industry doyen retires at 80". The Shuttle. Newsquest (Midlands South) Ltd. 24 August 2010. Retrieved 15 October 2013.
  18. ^ "GEORGE BAIN FOR QUAYLE AND TRANTER". Christie's. Retrieved 15 October 2013.
  19. ^ "George Bain, A Celtic pattern hunting rug". Bonhams. Retrieved 15 October 2013.
  20. ^ "Carpet Museum". The Carpet Museum Trust. Archived from the original on 15 October 2013. Retrieved 15 October 2013.
  21. ^ "Creating Kidderminster Town Council". Wyreforestdc.gov.uk. Retrieved 27 August 2017.
  22. ^ Blanchard, Jack (19 May 2009). "Taylor in contention to be new Speaker". Worcester News. Retrieved 26 January 2010.
  23. ^ "BBC News | Election 2010 | Constituency | Wyre Forest". news.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 17 January 2020.
  24. ^ "Wyre Forest parliamentary constituency – Election 2019". Retrieved 17 January 2020.
  25. ^
    Office for National Statistics
    . Retrieved 17 March 2018.
  26. ^ Historic England. "The Parish Church of St Mary and All Saints (1100050)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 21 June 2020.
  27. ^ Historic England. "Church of St John the Baptist (1391383)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 21 June 2020.
  28. ^ "Historic Buildings and Streets". Kidderminster Civic Society. Retrieved 26 June 2020.
  29. ^ "SLINGFIELD MILLS, MAIN BLOCK". Historic England. Retrieved 29 January 2023.
  30. ^ Pevsner 1968, p. 203.
  31. ^ "Demolition of Kidderminster eyesore Crown House completed". Kidderminster Shuttle. 7 April 2020. Retrieved 21 June 2020.
  32. ^ Brooks & Pevsner 2007, p. 395.
  33. ^ "England Cricket Grounds: Kidderminster". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 21 June 2019.
  34. ^ a b "15 Best Things to Do in Kidderminster (Worcestershire, England)". The Crazy Tourist. 24 January 2019. Retrieved 29 January 2023.
  35. ^ "The Shuttle". Kidderminster Shuttle. Retrieved 24 September 2020.
  36. ^ "Sutton Coldfield (Birmingham, England) Full Freeview transmitter". UK Free TV. 1 May 2004. Retrieved 25 September 2023.
  37. ^ "Freeview Light on the Kidderminster (Worcestershire, England) transmitter". UK Free TV. 1 May 2004. Retrieved 25 September 2023.
  38. ^ "The Wolf, the Severn and the Wyre to merge as signal 107". BBC News. 7 February 2012.
  39. ^ a b "Kidderminster Climate Period: 1981–2010". Met Office. Retrieved 6 October 2015.
  40. ^ a b "Kidderminster Historic Weather Averages in United Kingdom". Weather2. Retrieved 8 August 2017.
  41. ^ Public Monument and Sculpture Association National Recording Project Archived 16 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine
  42. OL 1884671M
    .
  43. ^ Evans, Andrew (3 October 2022). "Jonathan Riley Wins 2022 Ferrari Velas Esports Series Title". GTPlanet. Retrieved 4 October 2022.

Further reading

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Kidderminster.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Kidderminster&oldid=1220644628"