fbpx
Wikipedia

Alcester

May 13, 2023

Alcester (/ˈɒlstər, ˈɔːl-/ (listen)) 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 8 mi (13 km) west of Stratford-upon-Avon, and 7 miles south of Redditch, close to the Worcestershire border.

Alcester
Alcester's High Street
Alcester
Location within Warwickshire
Population6,273 (2011)
OS grid referenceSP0957
Civil parish
District
Shire county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townALCESTER
Postcode districtB49
Dialling code01789
PoliceWarwickshire
FireWarwickshire
AmbulanceWest Midlands
UK Parliament
List of places
UK
England
Warwickshire
52°12′54″N 01°52′11″W / 52.21500°N 1.86972°W / 52.21500; -1.86972Coordinates: 52°12′54″N 01°52′11″W / 52.21500°N 1.86972°W / 52.21500; -1.86972

In 2020, the population of the parish was estimated at 6,202,[2] with 7,146 in the built-up area.[3]

Etymology

The poet and antiquary John Leland wrote in his Itinerary (ca. 1538–43) that the name Alcester was derived from that of the River Alne.[4] The suffix 'cester' is derived from the Old English word 'ceaster', which meant a Roman fort or town, and derived from the Latin 'castrum', from which the modern word 'castle' also derives.[5]

History

Alcester was founded by the Romans in around AD 47 as a walled fort. The walled town, possibly named Alauna developed from the military camp. It was sited on Icknield Street, a Roman road that ran the length of Roman Britain from south-west England to south Yorkshire. The town was also just north of the Fosse Way, another important thoroughfare in Roman Britain.[6] By the end of the 2nd century, Roman Alcester had developed into a bustling trading and market town: A small walled area in the centre of the town was surrounded by an extensive grid of roads serving a complex of workshops and their associated housing, which specialised in trades such as tanning, metal working and pottery manufacture. Some of the houses of Roman Alcester appear to have been well endowed, with features such as heating, painted plaster and mosaic floors. Along with most Romano-British towns, it appears to have gone into decline in the 4th century when the Romans left Britain. Detailed archaeological work began in the 1920s.[7][8]

In the Early Middle Ages, Alencestre had become an Anglo-Saxon market town in the Kingdom of Mercia. Alcester was also the site of Alcester Abbey, a Benedictine monastery founded in 1138 by Ralph le Boteler.[9] Richard de Tutbury, the last abbot, resigned his office in 1467[10] and Alcester Abbey was absorbed into the neighbouring Evesham Abbey. By 1515 Alcester Abbey was in ruins as a result of the neglect of various abbots, and later during the dissolution of the monasteries under Henry VIII it was largely demolished. The ruins were granted to the local Greville family, who used much of the stone to rebuild their family seat of Beauchamp Court.[11]

Alcester competed in the competition for city status as part of the Platinum Jubilee Civic Honours.[12]

Notable buildings

 
St Nicholas Church

Today the town features architecture from the Medieval, Tudor, Georgian, Victorian eras and the 20th century. The oldest house appears to be The Old Malthouse at the corner of Church Street and Malt Mill Lane, which probably dates from about 1500.[13]

The clock on St Nicholas's Church, a Grade II*listed building, is in an unusual position on the south-west corner of the 14th-century tower, so as to make it visible from the High Street. The church also houses the tomb of Fulke Greville, grandfather of Fulke Greville. The church's Georgian nave with Doric columns and plastered ceiling is believed to have been designed by Francis Smith of Warwick, supervisor of its rebuild by the Woodward brothers of Chipping Campden in 1729.

Alcester Town Hall was built between 1618 and 1641, and is a grade I listed building.[14]

Transport

Alcester was previously served by Alcester railway station belonging to the Midland Railway (later part of the LMS Railway), on the Gloucester Loop Line, branching off the Birmingham and Gloucester Railway main line at Ashchurch, passing through Evesham, Alcester and Redditch and rejoining the main line at Barnt Green, near Bromsgrove. The loop was built to address the fact that the main line bypassed most of the towns it might otherwise have served, but it took three separate companies to complete, Alcester being on the Evesham and Redditch railway prior to absorption by the Midland.

In addition a branch line provided by the Alcester Railway Company (later part of the Great Western Railway) ran from Alcester to Bearley, thus giving access to Stratford-upon-Avon. This line, however, was an early casualty, closing in September 1939. The Midland loop was due to close between Ashchurch and Redditch in June 1963 but the poor condition of the track led to all trains between Evesham and Redditch being withdrawn in October 1962 and replaced by a bus service for the final eight months. Redditch to Barnt Green remains open on the electrified Birmingham suburban network. Alcester is served by buses from Redditch, Evesham and Stratford-upon-Avon.

Current attractions

Alcester is also known for two nearby stately homes. To the north is Coughton Court, the family seat of the Throckmorton baronets as well as a National Trust property.[15] To the south-west is Ragley Hall, the home of the Marquis of Hertford, whose gardens contain a children's adventure playground.[16]

Kinwarton, which is just north of Alcester, contains a church of Anglo Saxon origin and a historic dovecote, Kinwarton Dovecote, which is also a National Trust property. Alcester is also a significant town on the 100-mile-long Heart of England Way long-distance trail. Recent developments, carried out by a multi-agency partnership, include 'Roman Alcester', a museum exhibiting locally found archaeological artifacts from the 1st to 4th century.[17]

Annual events

In early June, Alcester holds the Court Leet[18] charity street market with a procession and competitions for best stall and best fancy dress. On the first Monday and Tuesday in October, Alcester holds an annual mop fair where amusement rides, side stalls and food booths line the High Street, Church Street and Henley Street. The mop fair has gradually decreased in size over a period of years, likely an external influence since the people of Alcester still flock to the streets during the two nights.

The Alcester and Forest of Arden Food Festival is held every May and October.[19] The St Nicholas Night Fair is held on 6 December each year. The annual duck race takes place on the 2nd Saturday in July to raise funds for the summer bunting and Christmas lights.

Flooding

 
Flood in July 2007

The River Alne and Arrow, which join on the outskirts of Alcester, have occasionally flooded and on a few occasions engulfed part of the town. The last occurrences were in 1956, 10 April 1998 (Maunday Thursday) and on 21 July 2007 when 200 homes were left uninhabitable.[20] In response to the severe flooding of 2007 Alcester flood scheme completed an underground storage tank with a 3.25 million litre capacity in June 2011,[20] costing just over £1 million. The scheme attracted funding from the Regional Flood and Coastal Committee's Local Levy with contributions from Warwickshire County Council, Stratford-on-Avon District Council and Alcester Town Council. The scheme included work on the two pumping stations located at Bleachfield Street and Gas House Lane.[21]

Sports

Alcester Town F.C. has teams from Under-6 to Under-18 and senior players.[22] The town has a rugby club, and also used to have a golf course which closed and became the home of the football club. Alcester is also home to Alcester & Ragley Park Cricket Club, situated in the grounds of Ragley Hall, the club has two Saturday teams who play in the Cotswold Hills League and two Sunday teams who play friendlies. There are also numerous junior teams (Up to U16), and a girls team. Alcester Golf Club (now defunct) was founded in 1892. The club continued until the outbreak of the Second World War.[23] Alne Cricket Club (Great Alne) is a cricke club about 2 miles from Alcester centre that play in local competitions and have a summer fun week for children. Adults can also play in their "Adult Team".

Education

The town has three secondary schools; Alcester Grammar School, Alcester Academy, and St Benedict's Catholic High School.

Places of worship

Notable people

Town twinning

References

  1. ^ "Alcester Town Council & Community Website". from the original on 24 July 2019. Retrieved 24 July 2019.
  2. ^ "Alcester Parish in West Midlands". City Population. from the original on 3 May 2022. Retrieved 3 May 2022.
  3. ^ "Alcester in Warwickshire (West Midlands) Built-up Area". City Population. from the original on 3 May 2022. Retrieved 3 May 2022.
  4. ^ Piesse, A. J. (25 January 2001). Sixteenth-century Identities. Manchester University Press. ISBN 9780719053832. from the original on 2 February 2023. Retrieved 29 October 2020 – via Google Books.
  5. ^ . Archived from the original on 27 October 2014.
  6. ^ "History of Alcester – Alcester Town Council". from the original on 19 December 2019. Retrieved 25 January 2020.
  7. ^ Slater, Terry (1997). A History of Warwickshire. pp. 25–29. ISBN 0-85033-991-X.
  8. ^ "Alcester Roman Town". Our Warwickshire. from the original on 19 May 2022. Retrieved 3 May 2022.
  9. ^ "Genuki: ALCESTER - Extract from National Gazetteer, 1868, Warwickshire". genuki.org.uk. from the original on 25 January 2020. Retrieved 25 January 2020.
  10. ^ "Houses of Benedictine monks: Abbey of Alcester | British History Online". british-history.ac.uk. from the original on 25 January 2020. Retrieved 25 January 2020.
  11. ^ Historic England. "Monument No. 328443/". Research records (formerly PastScape). Retrieved 31 October 2014.
  12. ^ "Alcester in the running for city status in Jubilee competition". Redditch Advertiser. from the original on 28 December 2021. Retrieved 28 December 2021.
  13. ^ "Parishes: Alcester | British History Online". british-history.ac.uk. from the original on 25 January 2020. Retrieved 25 January 2020.
  14. ^ "Alcester Town Hall". Our Warwickshire. from the original on 4 December 2020. Retrieved 16 December 2020.
  15. ^ . Archived from the original on 1 November 2014.
  16. ^ "Ragley By Candlelight 6:00pm Tour Saturday 1st December". Ragley. from the original on 25 January 2020. Retrieved 25 January 2020.
  17. ^ "Roman Alcester Heritage Centre". romanalcester.org/. from the original on 17 June 2020. Retrieved 17 June 2020.
  18. ^ "Alcester Court Leet | Maintaining Traditions". from the original on 1 February 2014. Retrieved 29 January 2014.
  19. ^ "Alcester Food Festivals". Alcester Food Festival. from the original on 25 January 2020. Retrieved 25 January 2020.
  20. ^ a b "Tunnelling". from the original on 1 November 2014. Retrieved 1 November 2014.
  21. ^ . Archived from the original on 2 February 2014.
  22. ^ . marselli.co.uk. Archived from the original on 2 February 2012.
  23. ^ "Alcester Golf Club, Warwickshire" 24 September 2015 at the Wayback Machine, "Golf’s Missing Links".

Sources

  • Cave, Lyndon F., Warwickshire Villages, London, 1976. ISBN 0-7091-5509-3
  • George Edward Saville and Alcester and District Local History Society Staff (1986). Alcester—a History. Brewin Books.

External links

 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Alcester.
  • Alcester at Curlie
  • Photos of Alcester and surrounding area on geograph
  • Alcester Minster Churches
  • Alcester Archives - Our Warwickshire

May 13, 2023
alcester, ɔː, listen, market, town, civil, parish, roman, origin, junction, river, alne, river, arrow, stratford, avon, district, warwickshire, england, approximately, west, stratford, upon, avon, miles, south, redditch, close, worcestershire, border, high, st. Alcester ˈ ɒ l s t er ˈ ɔː l listen 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 8 mi 13 km west of Stratford upon Avon and 7 miles south of Redditch close to the Worcestershire border AlcesterAlcester s High StreetAlcesterLocation within WarwickshirePopulation6 273 2011 OS grid referenceSP0957Civil parishAlcester 1 DistrictStratford on AvonShire countyWarwickshireRegionWest MidlandsCountryEnglandSovereign stateUnited KingdomPost townALCESTERPostcode districtB49Dialling code01789PoliceWarwickshireFireWarwickshireAmbulanceWest MidlandsUK ParliamentStratford on AvonList of places UK England Warwickshire 52 12 54 N 01 52 11 W 52 21500 N 1 86972 W 52 21500 1 86972 Coordinates 52 12 54 N 01 52 11 W 52 21500 N 1 86972 W 52 21500 1 86972In 2020 the population of the parish was estimated at 6 202 2 with 7 146 in the built up area 3 Contents 1 Etymology 2 History 3 Notable buildings 4 Transport 5 Current attractions 6 Annual events 7 Flooding 8 Sports 9 Education 10 Places of worship 11 Notable people 12 Town twinning 13 References 14 Sources 15 External linksEtymology EditThe poet and antiquary John Leland wrote in his Itinerary ca 1538 43 that the name Alcester was derived from that of the River Alne 4 The suffix cester is derived from the Old English word ceaster which meant a Roman fort or town and derived from the Latin castrum from which the modern word castle also derives 5 History EditAlcester was founded by the Romans in around AD 47 as a walled fort The walled town possibly named Alauna developed from the military camp It was sited on Icknield Street a Roman road that ran the length of Roman Britain from south west England to south Yorkshire The town was also just north of the Fosse Way another important thoroughfare in Roman Britain 6 By the end of the 2nd century Roman Alcester had developed into a bustling trading and market town A small walled area in the centre of the town was surrounded by an extensive grid of roads serving a complex of workshops and their associated housing which specialised in trades such as tanning metal working and pottery manufacture Some of the houses of Roman Alcester appear to have been well endowed with features such as heating painted plaster and mosaic floors Along with most Romano British towns it appears to have gone into decline in the 4th century when the Romans left Britain Detailed archaeological work began in the 1920s 7 8 In the Early Middle Ages Alencestre had become an Anglo Saxon market town in the Kingdom of Mercia Alcester was also the site of Alcester Abbey a Benedictine monastery founded in 1138 by Ralph le Boteler 9 Richard de Tutbury the last abbot resigned his office in 1467 10 and Alcester Abbey was absorbed into the neighbouring Evesham Abbey By 1515 Alcester Abbey was in ruins as a result of the neglect of various abbots and later during the dissolution of the monasteries under Henry VIII it was largely demolished The ruins were granted to the local Greville family who used much of the stone to rebuild their family seat of Beauchamp Court 11 Alcester competed in the competition for city status as part of the Platinum Jubilee Civic Honours 12 Notable buildings Edit Alcester Town Hall St Nicholas Church Today the town features architecture from the Medieval Tudor Georgian Victorian eras and the 20th century The oldest house appears to be The Old Malthouse at the corner of Church Street and Malt Mill Lane which probably dates from about 1500 13 The clock on St Nicholas s Church a Grade II listed building is in an unusual position on the south west corner of the 14th century tower so as to make it visible from the High Street The church also houses the tomb of Fulke Greville grandfather of Fulke Greville The church s Georgian nave with Doric columns and plastered ceiling is believed to have been designed by Francis Smith of Warwick supervisor of its rebuild by the Woodward brothers of Chipping Campden in 1729 Alcester Town Hall was built between 1618 and 1641 and is a grade I listed building 14 Transport EditAlcester was previously served by Alcester railway station belonging to the Midland Railway later part of the LMS Railway on the Gloucester Loop Line branching off the Birmingham and Gloucester Railway main line at Ashchurch passing through Evesham Alcester and Redditch and rejoining the main line at Barnt Green near Bromsgrove The loop was built to address the fact that the main line bypassed most of the towns it might otherwise have served but it took three separate companies to complete Alcester being on the Evesham and Redditch railway prior to absorption by the Midland In addition a branch line provided by the Alcester Railway Company later part of the Great Western Railway ran from Alcester to Bearley thus giving access to Stratford upon Avon This line however was an early casualty closing in September 1939 The Midland loop was due to close between Ashchurch and Redditch in June 1963 but the poor condition of the track led to all trains between Evesham and Redditch being withdrawn in October 1962 and replaced by a bus service for the final eight months Redditch to Barnt Green remains open on the electrified Birmingham suburban network Alcester is served by buses from Redditch Evesham and Stratford upon Avon Current attractions EditAlcester is also known for two nearby stately homes To the north is Coughton Court the family seat of the Throckmorton baronets as well as a National Trust property 15 To the south west is Ragley Hall the home of the Marquis of Hertford whose gardens contain a children s adventure playground 16 Kinwarton which is just north of Alcester contains a church of Anglo Saxon origin and a historic dovecote Kinwarton Dovecote which is also a National Trust property Alcester is also a significant town on the 100 mile long Heart of England Way long distance trail Recent developments carried out by a multi agency partnership include Roman Alcester a museum exhibiting locally found archaeological artifacts from the 1st to 4th century 17 Annual events EditIn early June Alcester holds the Court Leet 18 charity street market with a procession and competitions for best stall and best fancy dress On the first Monday and Tuesday in October Alcester holds an annual mop fair where amusement rides side stalls and food booths line the High Street Church Street and Henley Street The mop fair has gradually decreased in size over a period of years likely an external influence since the people of Alcester still flock to the streets during the two nights The Alcester and Forest of Arden Food Festival is held every May and October 19 The St Nicholas Night Fair is held on 6 December each year The annual duck race takes place on the 2nd Saturday in July to raise funds for the summer bunting and Christmas lights Flooding Edit Flood in July 2007 The River Alne and Arrow which join on the outskirts of Alcester have occasionally flooded and on a few occasions engulfed part of the town The last occurrences were in 1956 10 April 1998 Maunday Thursday and on 21 July 2007 when 200 homes were left uninhabitable 20 In response to the severe flooding of 2007 Alcester flood scheme completed an underground storage tank with a 3 25 million litre capacity in June 2011 20 costing just over 1 million The scheme attracted funding from the Regional Flood and Coastal Committee s Local Levy with contributions from Warwickshire County Council Stratford on Avon District Council and Alcester Town Council The scheme included work on the two pumping stations located at Bleachfield Street and Gas House Lane 21 Sports EditAlcester Town F C has teams from Under 6 to Under 18 and senior players 22 The town has a rugby club and also used to have a golf course which closed and became the home of the football club Alcester is also home to Alcester amp Ragley Park Cricket Club situated in the grounds of Ragley Hall the club has two Saturday teams who play in the Cotswold Hills League and two Sunday teams who play friendlies There are also numerous junior teams Up to U16 and a girls team Alcester Golf Club now defunct was founded in 1892 The club continued until the outbreak of the Second World War 23 Alne Cricket Club Great Alne is a cricke club about 2 miles from Alcester centre that play in local competitions and have a summer fun week for children Adults can also play in their Adult Team Education EditThe town has three secondary schools Alcester Grammar School Alcester Academy and St Benedict s Catholic High School Places of worship EditSt Nicholas Church Our Lady amp St Joseph s Roman Catholic Church Alcester Baptist Church Alcester Methodist Church Kingdom Hall of Jehovah s WitnessesNotable people EditHoward Bennett cricketer John Bridges English Civil War soldier and MP Russell Brookes rally driver Gilbert Cox cricketer Bernard Cuzner silversmith and product designer Francis James Davies First World War flying ace Fulke Greville 1554 1628 born at Beauchamp s Court Alcester Frederick George Jackson Arctic Explorer rescuer of Fridtjof Nansen Edward Scriven portrait engraver Nick Skelton Olympic Gold Medallist Francis Summers cricketer Richard Waldron former President of New Hampshire Council Tom Wilkes footballerTown twinning Edit Vallet Loire Atlantique France References Edit Alcester Town Council amp Community Website Archived from the original on 24 July 2019 Retrieved 24 July 2019 Alcester Parish in West Midlands City Population Archived from the original on 3 May 2022 Retrieved 3 May 2022 Alcester in Warwickshire West Midlands Built up Area City Population Archived from the original on 3 May 2022 Retrieved 3 May 2022 Piesse A J 25 January 2001 Sixteenth century Identities Manchester University Press ISBN 9780719053832 Archived from the original on 2 February 2023 Retrieved 29 October 2020 via Google Books Local Histories Archived from the original on 27 October 2014 History of Alcester Alcester Town Council Archived from the original on 19 December 2019 Retrieved 25 January 2020 Slater Terry 1997 A History of Warwickshire pp 25 29 ISBN 0 85033 991 X Alcester Roman Town Our Warwickshire Archived from the original on 19 May 2022 Retrieved 3 May 2022 Genuki ALCESTER Extract from National Gazetteer 1868 Warwickshire genuki org uk Archived from the original on 25 January 2020 Retrieved 25 January 2020 Houses of Benedictine monks Abbey of Alcester British History Online british history ac uk Archived from the original on 25 January 2020 Retrieved 25 January 2020 Historic England Monument No 328443 Research records formerly PastScape Retrieved 31 October 2014 Alcester in the running for city status in Jubilee competition Redditch Advertiser Archived from the original on 28 December 2021 Retrieved 28 December 2021 Parishes Alcester British History Online british history ac uk Archived from the original on 25 January 2020 Retrieved 25 January 2020 Alcester Town Hall Our Warwickshire Archived from the original on 4 December 2020 Retrieved 16 December 2020 Coughton Court Archived from the original on 1 November 2014 Ragley By Candlelight 6 00pm Tour Saturday 1st December Ragley Archived from the original on 25 January 2020 Retrieved 25 January 2020 Roman Alcester Heritage Centre romanalcester org Archived from the original on 17 June 2020 Retrieved 17 June 2020 Alcester Court Leet Maintaining Traditions Archived from the original on 1 February 2014 Retrieved 29 January 2014 Alcester Food Festivals Alcester Food Festival Archived from the original on 25 January 2020 Retrieved 25 January 2020 a b Tunnelling Archived from the original on 1 November 2014 Retrieved 1 November 2014 Environment Agency Archived from the original on 2 February 2014 Home Marselli Aluminium London marselli co uk Archived from the original on 2 February 2012 Alcester Golf Club Warwickshire Archived 24 September 2015 at the Wayback Machine Golf s Missing Links Sources EditCave Lyndon F Warwickshire Villages London 1976 ISBN 0 7091 5509 3 George Edward Saville and Alcester and District Local History Society Staff 1986 Alcester a History Brewin Books External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Alcester Alcester at Curlie Photos of Alcester and surrounding area on geograph British History Online Alcester Alcester Community Portal Alcester Minster Churches Alcester Archives Our Warwickshire Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Alcester amp oldid 1136975427, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

article

, read, download, free, free download, mp3, video, mp4, 3gp, jpg, jpeg, gif, png, picture, music, song, movie, book, game, games.