Redditch
| Redditch | |||
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| Coordinates | 52 ° 18 ′ N , 1 ° 57 ′ W | ||
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| Residents | 79,500 (as of 2007) | ||
| surface | 54.25 km² (20.95 mi² ) | ||
| Population density: | 1465 inhabitants per km² | ||
| administration | |||
| ZIP code section | B80 - B98 | ||
| Part of the country | England | ||
| Ceremonial county | Worcestershire | ||
| ONS code | 47UD | ||
| Website: www.redditchbc.gov.uk | |||
Redditch is a medium-sized town in the county of Worcestershire in central England just south of Birmingham .
history
The first written mention of the city was in 1348, when there was already a lively little village around the Cistercian monastery Bordesley Abbey . In 1538 the monastery was demolished by order of Henry VIII and the building materials used to build what was then the largest royal swan rearing facility in the country.
After the war, the city was chosen as one of several " New Towns " and was rebuilt and expanded as planned from 1964 onwards to accommodate the population growth from the nearby industrial areas. With the expansion of the city, well-to-do civil servants and executives in particular moved to the now coveted new housing developments of Winyates and Matchborough.
There is also a partnership between the Church of England in Redditch and the Protestant parishes of Burg in Saxony-Anhalt and the surrounding area. This is supported by annual visits and personal contacts. A joint service is seen as the highlight of the visits.
Local products
The traditional focus of local industry for centuries has been the manufacture of needles, the history of which is well documented in the Forge Mill Needle Museum . With the advent of cheap imported goods in the first half of the twentieth century, this industry shrank and disappeared entirely after the Second World War. The subsequent diversification into handcrafted devices for the commercial sex industry was kept secret in the then prudish country and, to the chagrin of today's students, is not even hinted at in the museum.
The local pork pies, some of which are still made by hand by various companies, are said to be so hot that they can even drive away red scabies . The two-wheeler industry is also worth mentioning. From 1901 to 1970 the Royal Enfield company manufactured motorcycles in Redditch. The headquarters of the conglomerate GKN is also located in Redditch .
Attractions
The angular outline of the water tower characterizes the cityscape. Another attraction is the Forge Hill Needle Museum.
traffic
Redditch is close to the M42 motorway and is the terminus of a railway line from Birmingham that Central Trains use for passenger traffic .
Personalities
- John Bonham (1948–1980), Drummer for Led Zeppelin
- Charles Dance (born 1946), actor
- Lloyd Glasspool (* 1993), tennis player
- Dominic Jelfs (* 1990), Irish cyclist
- Joe Lolley (born 1992), soccer player
- Derek Royle (1928–1990), actor
- Hayley Simmonds (* 1988), British cyclist
- Harry Styles (* 1994), singer of One Direction
Town twinning
In 1956, Redditch partnered with Auxerre in France. This partnership proved so popular that an organization called The Friends of Auxerre (FoA for short) was formed. The union of these two cities is officially celebrated at the beginning of June every year.
In 1986 Redditch partnered with Mtwara in Tanzania. Many events are organized in collaboration with Tanzanian students from Birmingham University and Selly Oak University .