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Pocket
Histories
of
Redditch
-
Church
Green
Designed
and
Produced
by
Anthony
Green
2015
The
Historic
Town
Green
Today
Pocket
Histories
of
Redditch
-
Church
Green
Designed
and
Produced
by
Anthony
Green
2015
The
former
Smallwood
Hospital,
Church
Green
West,
was
designed
by
William
Henman,
in
1894-5.
Smallwood
Hospital
owes
its
existence
to
the
generosity
of
local
businessmen
William
and
Edwin
Smallwood.
Edwin
Smallwood,
who
died
in
1892,
left
£5,000
for
the
building
of
a
Cottage
Hospital
and
William
Smallwood,
his
brother,
supplemented
this
with
a
gift
of
£15,000.
From
this
fund
the
Hospital
was
built,
and
was
opened
by
the
Countess
of
Plymouth
in
May,
1895.
The
former
hospital
is
now
used
to
house
various
health
related
facilities.
Images
right:
Top
-
Smallwood
Hospital
early
last
Century
)image
from
postcard}
Bottom
-
Now
‘Smallwood
House’
health
centre.
(photo
Anthony
Green)
Church
Green
West
-
former
Smallwood
Hospital
Pocket
Histories
of
Redditch
-
Church
Green
Designed
and
Produced
by
Anthony
Green
2015
In
1850
a
Literary
and
Scientific
Institute
was
formed
in
Redditch
and
in
1885
building
began
on
their
own
premises
in
Church
Road
in
1885,
when
Lieut.
Col.
the
Hon.
George
H.
Windsor-Clive,
MP
laid
the
foundation
stone.
The
new
Institute
building
cost
£2,400
and
this
money
was
gained
from
voluntary
subscriptions
and
donations.
In
1886
Earl
Beauchamp
opened
the
new
premises
for
the
School
of
Art,
the
Institute
and
its
library.
With
the
development
of
the
town
the
building
became
too
small
and
the
Library
moved
to
their
new
premises
in
1976.
From
the
early
1980s
the
Church
Road
building
functioned
as
an
annexe
of
Redditch
College/NEW
College.
It
is
now
occupied
by
offices.
Images
right:
Top
-
Institute
building
early
last
Century
(image
from
postcard)
Bottom
-
Current
building
with
later
extension.
(photo
Anthony
Green)
Church
Green
West
-
former
Scientific
and
Literary
Institute
Pocket
Histories
of
Redditch
-
Church
Green
Designed
and
Produced
by
Anthony
Green
2015
Church
Green
East
has
the
best
run
of
buildings
around
Church
Green
and
there
are
many
examples
of
fine
19th
Century
Buildings.
It
begins
at
the
North
end,
with
a
mid-nineteenth
century
brick
terrace
(Nos.
3-5),
No.
6
(Beech
House)
has
three
bays
and
a
Doric
porch.
Late
Georgian
frontages
follow
then
number
13
is
taller
with
giant
pilasters.
No.
19
is
a
Renaissance
palazzo
of
1867
with
four
bays,
three
storeys,
rusticated
and
vermiculated
ground
floor
with
Doric
porch.
Near
the
Southern
end
are
two
good
brick
houses.
Number
20
(Webb
House)
has
rusticated
ground
floor
and
pedimented
central
first-floor
window.
Number
24,
the
NatWest
Bank,
has
a
central
doorway
with
open
pediment
on
fluted
pilasters.
Images
right:
Top
-
Church
Green
East
about
100
years
ago
(image
A
Green
but
not
me!)
Bottom
-
Church
Green
East
today
-
now
‘pedestrianised’
(with
about
the
same
amount
of
traffic
as
100
years
ago!)
-
Photo
Anthony
Green
Church
Green
East
Pocket
Histories
of
Redditch
-
Church
Green
Designed
and
Produced
by
Anthony
Green
2015
Market
Place
is
the
traditional
place
in
the
town
for
an
open
air
market
going
back
to
the
1800s.
The
town
was
never
granted
the
right
to
hold
a
market
,
this
was
held
by
the
earl
of
Plymouth,
and
Redditch
Council
paid
him
for
the
privilege
of
holding
the
market.
When,
in
1947,
heavy
death
duties
forced
the
family
to
sell
the
Plymouth
estates,
Alderman
Howard
Bird
acquired
the
market
rights
and
presented
them
to
the
town.
There
is
little
of
real
interest
in
the
buildings
along
Market
Place,
what
is
of
interest
is
that
it
is
the
area
where
the
Redditch
market
was
held
before
the
building
of
the
Kingfisher
Centre
and
it
has
now
returned
to
the
same
area.
Images
right:
Top
-
Market
Place
about
100
years
ago
Bottom
-
Market
Place
today
-
now
‘pedestrianised’
Market
Place
Pocket
Histories
of
Redditch
-
Church
Green
Designed
and
Produced
by
Anthony
Green
2015
Within
the
central
area
are
pleasant
gardens
with
both
a
bandstand
and
a
metal
fountain.
The
bandstand
was
built
in
1898,
with
alterations
in
the
mid
and
late
20th
century.
The
cast
iron
Fountain,
manufactured
at
the
Coalbrookdale
Foundry,
was
donated
in
1883,
by
Mr.
Richard
Smith
Bartleet,
magistrate
and
sometime
Deputy
Lieutenant
of
Worcestershire.
The
statue
at
the
top
of
the
fountain
was
from
an
original
sculpture
produced
by
the
Wills
Brothers
of
London.
Church
Green
has
always
been
a
central
place
in
the
town
with
a
pleasant
quiet
garden
(perhaps
no
so
much
now),
but
it
has
also
been
an
area
for
events
and
activities
involving
the
town.
The
bandstand
was
used
as
it
was
intended,
carnivals
and
fairs
were
held
around
the
Green,
the
market
was
in
Market
Place
and,
in
times
of
national
importance,
large
meetings
were
held
there.
It
was
never
needed
more
so
than
during
WW2
when
many
meetings
were
held
of
the
local
population
as
the
photograph
to
the
right
shows.
Images
right:
Top
-
Announcement
of
end
of
war
in
Church
Green
1945
(image
public
domain)
Bottom
-
Church
Green
today.
(
Photo
Anthony
Green)
Fountain
and
Bandstand
Pocket
Histories
of
Redditch
-
Church
Green
Designed
and
Produced
by
Anthony
Green
2015
The
large
presence
in
the
town
centre
of
St
Stephens
Church.
In
earlier
times
Redditch
had
only
a
Chapel,
but
by
1851
it
was
decided
to
demolish
this
and
to
build
a
more
substantial
parish
church
in
Gothic
style.
From
that
date
Chapel
Green
became
known
as
Church
Green,
and
the
area
was
further
improved
by
the
planting
of
more
trees.
It
was
consecrated
on
July
19th,
1855
and
it’s
original
cost
was
£8,000.
However
over
the
years
considerable
sums
were
spent
on
enlargements,
rebuilding
and
renovation.
It
has/had
a
seating
capacity
for
about
1,500.
The
war
memorial
is
approximately
21
feet
high
and
carries
the
names
of
those
who
lost
their
lives
fighting
in
WW1
and
WW2.
It
was
built
by
public
subscription
of
St
Stephens
parishioners
in
1922
and
unveiled
by
Lord
Windsor
and
dedicated
by
the
Archdeacon
of
Worcester.
The
1921
photograph
of
the
St
Stephen’s
Church
(right)
was
taken
before
the
war
memorial
was
built.
Image
right:
Church
and
War
memorial
Today
(photo
Anthony
Green)
St
Stephens
Church
and
War
Memorial
Pocket
Histories
of
Redditch
-
Church
Green
Designed
and
Produced
by
Anthony
Green
2015
The
Palace
Theatre
opened
in
1913
and
it
was
designed
by
Bertie
Crewe,
a
leading
exponent
of
theatre
design.
Theatre’s
designed
by
Bertie
Crewe,
and
remaining
largely
untouched
are
rare
as,
although
he
designed
or
modified
over
fifty
,
only
thirteen
survive,
of
which
only
six
can
be
wholly
attributed
to
him.
This
makes
the
Palace
a
theatre
of
national
importance,
The
theatre
has
had
a
chequered
history.
It
was
constructed
late
in
the
wave
of
new
theatre
building
and
it
quickly
became
a
venue
for
a
mix
of
entertainment
which
included
films.
By1930
it
was
mainly
being
used
as
a
cinema.
During
the
war
years
it
reverted
to
a
mixed
range
of
entertainment
but
by
1954
it
was
in
serious
financial
difficulties.
In
1955
it
reopened
as
a
roller
skating
rink,
then
it
became
a
dance
hall
and
finally
it
was
used
for
Bingo.
It
was
bought
by
the
Development
Corporation
in
1967,
refurbished,
given
to
the
town
and
reopened
as
a
theatre
in
1971.
Despite
difficulties
it
has
become
a
key
centre
for
entertainment
in
the
town
and
has
been
refurbished
and
extended.
Image
right:
Top:
Alcester
Street
pre-WW2
-
Palace
Theatre
is
centre/right.
(image
public
domain)
Bottom:
Palace
Theatre
today
(photo
Anthony
Green)
The
Palace
Theatre
Pocket
Histories
of
Redditch
-
Church
Green
Designed
and
Produced
by
Anthony
Green
2015
Designed
and
produced
by
Anthony
Green
Redditch
Church
Green
Today
Download
a
Town
Walk
guide
at
http://www.redditchwalks.org.uk/t1.html