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Pocket
Histories
of
Redditch
-
Timeline
Designed
and
Produced
by
Anthony
Green
2015
Redditch
History
Timeline
Pocket
Histories
of
Redditch
-
Timeline
Designed
and
Produced
by
Anthony
Green
2015
60
AD
During
the
Roman
occupation
Iknield
(Rykneld)
Street
was
built
as
a
main
80
mile
N-S
route.
It
began
at
the
Fosse
Way,
In
Burford
in
the
Cotswolds,
finishing
at
Rotherham,
a
Roman
Fort.
Within
Redditch
it
followed
a
route
beginning
at
Washford
Mill
and
leaving
at
Beoley
crossroads
and
passing
close
by
Church
Hill
Centre.
The
route
is
very
clear
following
roads
and
paths
through
the
area.
Iknield
Street
-
the
route
through
redditch
as
we
see
it
today.
(Photo
AG)
410
to
1066
AD
Between
Roman
times
and
the
Norman
conquest
England
was
settled
by
the
Saxons.
Settlements
created
during
this
time
included
Beoley,
Feckenham,
Ipsley,
Studley
Pocket
Histories
of
Redditch
-
Timeline
Designed
and
Produced
by
Anthony
Green
2015
1138
AD
On
this
date
the
Cistercian
Order
were
granted
a
charter
for
the
founding
of
Bordesley
Abbey.
The
site
selected
was
in
level
meadows,
near
the
River
Arrow
and
the
abbey
grew
to
become
wealthy,
owning
many
manors
in
the
county
and
beyond.
Redditch
did
not
exist
at
the
time
of
the
creation
of
the
Abbey
and
it
is
possible
that
it
was
formed
when
the
Abbey
site
was
cleared
of
inhabitants.
Bordesley
Abbey
as
imagined
by
JW
Woodward
13th
Century
AD
Early
in
the
history
of
the
monastery
the
name
Red
Dyche
(Redditch)
came
into
existence
as
a
community
of
labourers
and
craftsmen
located
at
the
crossroads
which
are
still
in
the
town
centre.
Some
of
the
Redditch
inhabitants
would
have
worked
at
the
Abbey.
Pocket
Histories
of
Redditch
-
Timeline
Designed
and
Produced
by
Anthony
Green
2015
1538
AD
The
abbey
prospered
for
some
hundreds
of
years
until
it
was
dissolved
by
King
Henry
VIII
in
1538.
However,
the
Chapel
continued
as
a
place
of
worship
for
the
Redditch
community
until
1805,
when
the
'Chapel
on
the
Green’
was
built
on
the
present
Church
Green
area.
Early
Drawing
from
the
top
of
Prospect
Hill
Showing
the
Chapel
on
the
Greesdw
approx
1650
AD
A
William
Lee
began
manufacturing
needles
in
Studley.
This
was
essentially
a
cottage
industry
which
would
be
industrialised
by
the
Redditch
manufacturers.
Pocket
Histories
of
Redditch
-
Timeline
Designed
and
Produced
by
Anthony
Green
2015
1680s
AD
By
the
latter
part
of
the
17th
Century
needles
had
become
the
main
employment
in
Redditch.
Forge
Mill
Needle
Museum
and
the
Scouring
Beds
which
are
driven
by
the
water
wheel.
1730
AD
Around
this
time,
and
at
about
the
same
time
Forge
Mill,
the
firm
of
Henry
Milward
began
needle
scouring
at
Washford
Mill.
This
was
a
water
powered
industrial
process
which
mechanised
one
of
the
most
laborious
activities
in
needle
manufacturing.
Which
of
the
two
water
mills
was
the
first
to
begin
production
is
still
a
question
of
debate.
Washford
Mill
is
now
a
restaurant/public
house,
and
Forge
Mill
is
now
the
home
of
the
National
Needle
Museum.
Pocket
Histories
of
Redditch
-
Timeline
Designed
and
Produced
by
Anthony
Green
2015
1785
AD
The
famous
needle
manufacturer,
Abel
Morrall
was
founded
1800
AD
At
this
time
the
population
of
Redditch
had
risen
to
about
1000
1803
AD
The
famous
fishhook
manufacturer
Samuel
Allcock
founded
Alcock’s
factory
in
Clive
Road
-
publicity
image
from
early
catalogue.
1807
AD
The
Tardebigge
wharf
on
Birmingham-Worcester
canal
was
opened.
This
gave
Redditch
manufacturers
an
easy
transport
system
for
the
UK’,
and
world,
markets.
Pocket
Histories
of
Redditch
-
Timeline
Designed
and
Produced
by
Anthony
Green
2015
1826
AD
The
Turnpike
system
arrived
at
Redditch
with
the
building
of
the
Pershore
Road.
This
gave
Redditch
a
rapid
transport
highway
to
Birmingham
and
its
markets.
1840
AD
With
the
development
of
steam
power,
industry
was
able
to
move
from
its
reliance
on
the
River
Arrow's
water
power,
into
the
town.
Henry
Milward,
for
example,
moved
into
their
town
centre
factory
but
kept
the
name
Washford
Mill.
Exterior
of
Millward’s
factory,
Washford
Mills,
in
Ipsley
Street
1850
AD
By
this
time
the
needle
district
was
producing
around
25
million
needles
and
5
million
fishhooks
per
week
Pocket
Histories
of
Redditch
-
Timeline
Designed
and
Produced
by
Anthony
Green
2015
1855
AD
Herbert
Terry
began
in
small
workshop
and,
by
his
inventiveness,
quickly
expanded
into
one
of
the
town
foremost
manufacturers
1859
AD
The
construction
of
the
railway
line
to
Redditch
from
Barnt
Green
began
in
1858
and
opened
for
passengers
and
goods
traffic
in
1859.
Initially
the
railway
was
only
to
Redditch
and
the
station
was
in
Clive
Road
The
Railway
Station
at
Redditch
1868
AD
The
railway
line
was
extended
from
Redditch
to
Evesham
and
Ashchurch
(the
London
line),
via
Alcester.
The
passenger
station
was
then
moved
to
a
site
at
the
corner
of
Bromsgrove
Road
–
Oakley
Road.
The
extension
of
the
line
included
a
300
yard
tunnel
under
the
Ridgeway.
Pocket
Histories
of
Redditch
-
Timeline
Designed
and
Produced
by
Anthony
Green
2015
1870
AD
The
population
of
Redditch
at
this
time
was
about
7,000
1900
AD
The
population
of
Redditch
had
now
risen
to
about
14,000
1897
AD
The
Enfield
Cycle
Company
was
created
in
Hunt
End.
This
grew
from
the
Townsend
cycle
company
which
was
founded
in
1880.
Aerial
view
of
the
Royal
Enfield
site
(now
the
Enfield
Industrial
Estate
1907
AD
The
Royal
Enfield
had
continued
to
expand
and
it
now
moved
to
a
much
larger
site
in
Hewell
Road
on
the
norther
side
of
the
town
and
close
by
the
railway
line.
Pocket
Histories
of
Redditch
-
Timeline
Designed
and
Produced
by
Anthony
Green
2015
1918
AD
Batteries
Limited
purchased
the
ex-Enfield
site
in
Hunt
End
and
began
manufacturing
nickel-cadmium
batteries.
1929
AD
Britannia
Batteries
began
battery
manufacture
at
the
Union
Street
site
which
had
been
used
by
the
BSA.
Aerial
view
of
the
High
Duty
Alloys
site
in
Windsor
Road
(the
circular
objects
on
the
left
are
the
gas
holders
for
the
town
gas
supply)
1939
AD
High
Duty
Alloys
began
manufacturing
at
their
brand
new
site
in
Windsor
Road
for
the
War
effort.
During
WW2
the
Redditch
plant
produced
10
million
aero
engine
pistons
as
well
as
many
other
castings
and
components.
At
the
same
time,
also
for
the
war
effort,
a
new
BSA
factory
opened
on
Studley
Road
to
manufacture
the
BESA
machine
gun.
Pocket
Histories
of
Redditch
-
Timeline
Designed
and
Produced
by
Anthony
Green
2015
1947
AD
The
Batteries
Limited
Hunt
End
site
was
closed
and
they
were
incorporated
into
the
Britannia
Batteries
Union
Street
site.
Its
name
was
later
changed
to
Alcad
Ltd.
1964
AD
Although
Redditch
already
has
existed
as
a
town
for
800
years,
it
was
identified
for
a
‘New
Town’
development
and
at
this
stage
the
population
was
around
30,000.
Aerial
view
of
the
Alcad
Limited
in
Union
Street
(Image
from
the
1980s))
1985
AD
When
the
New
Town
Development
Corporation
was
finally
wound
up
the
population
of
the
town
had
risen
to
about
70,000.
Since
that
time
the
town
has
continued
a
natural
development
and
in
mid-2012
was
84,400
(ONS
figure)