Alvechurch, Worcestershire - <>

Alvechurch is a large village and civil parish of Bromsgrove district, in the northeast of the county of Worcestershire, England. Lying in the valley of the River Arrow, the nearest city is Birmingham, 17 km / 11 miles to the north, with the closest towns being Redditch, 8 km / 5 miles to the south and Bromsgrove, 9.5 km / 6 miles to the west. At the time of the 2001 UK Census the population was 5,316.HistoryAlvechurch means "Ælfgyth's Church." In the eighth century, Ælfgyth founded a church on the site of the church of St. Laurence.King Offa of Mercia gave the land forming the parish to Bishops of Worcester in 780. The parish is mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1068 as "Alvievecherche" with a small population of under 20 people. In the 13th Century the Bishop of Worcester built a palace in the village, and a weekly market and an annual fair were established.The Bishop's Palace was pulled down in the 17th century, the only remnants being part of the moat and a yew tree which formerly stood in the palace grounds.From the 19th century to the mid twentieth century there was a brick factory in the hamlet of Withybed on the edge of the village. Other local industries included nail and needlemaking. Dellow cars were made in Alvechurch between 1949 and 1956.ArchitectureThe village has a number of medieval half-timbered buildings, as well as a plethora of Georgian, Edwardian and Victorian buildings.

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