Redditch facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Redditch
Town and borough
From left to right: Top: Church Green East Middle: Parish Church of St Stephen & Arrow Valley Lake Bottom: Forge Mill Needle Museum & Redditch Cloverleaf Interchange
Motto(s):  REDDITE DEO
Redditch Location in Worcestershire
Country	United Kingdom
Constituent country	England
Region	West Midlands
Ceremonial County	Worcestershire
District	Redditch
New Town status	10 April 1964
Borough status	15 May 1980
UK Parliament	Redditch
District	Redditch
Government
• Type	Non-metropolitan district council
• Body	Redditch Borough Council
Area
• District	20.95 sq mi (54.25 km2)
Area rank	267th
Elevation	430 ft (130 m)
Population  (2020)
• District	85,261
• Rank	283rd
• Urban	81,635
Ethnicity (2021)
• Ethnic groups	List 89.8% White 5.7% Asian 2.6% Mixed 1.2% Black 0.6% other
Religion (2021)
• Religion	List 48.9% Christianity 40% no religion 4.2% Islam 0.4% Hinduism 0.1% Judaism 0.4% Sikhism 0.2% Buddhism 0.4% other 5.5% not stated
Time zone	GMT
Postcodes	B96, B97, B98
Post town	redditch
Dialling code	01527
ONS code	47UD (ONS) E07000236 (GSS)

Redditch is a town in Worcestershire, England. It is located south of Birmingham and is known for its history in making needles and fishing hooks. In 2021, about 81,637 people lived in the town.

In the 1800s, Redditch was a global leader in making needles. By the end of that century, 90% of the world's needles came from Redditch and the areas around it. In the 1960s, Redditch became a "new town." This meant it was planned to grow and include nearby villages. Today, it is the second largest town in Worcestershire, after Worcester.

History of Redditch

A special plaque on Alcester Street that remembers Redditch's history.

The first time Redditch was written about was in 1348. This was the year the Black Death, a terrible sickness, started spreading. The name "Red-Ditch" likely came from the red clay found near the River Arrow.

During the Middle Ages, Redditch became famous for making needles. Later, it also became known for making fish-hooks, fishing tackle, motorcycles, and springs. A well-known company, Herbert Terry and Sons, made springs here.

Redditch as a New Town

On April 10, 1964, Redditch was officially named a "new town." This led to a huge increase in its population, from 32,000 to about 77,000 people. New housing areas like Church Hill, Matchborough, Winyates, Lodge Park, and Woodrow were built. These homes were for people moving from Birmingham, which was growing fast with new industries.

Redditch was designed as a modern "flagship" town. Its main roads, including new dual carriageways and a ring road around the town centre, were built with banks to reduce noise for the new homes. The whole town was also carefully planned with green spaces. Even though parts of Redditch used to be in Warwickshire, the whole town is now part of Worcestershire.

Modern Industries in Redditch

By the 2000s, the old industries like needle-making were replaced by modern light industries and services. Redditch also became a "dormitory town." This means many people who live in Redditch travel to Birmingham for work.

Big companies like Halfords, which sells car parts and bikes, and GKN, an engineering company, have their main offices in Redditch. Samuel Taylor Ltd, a company that makes special metal parts, also has factories here. After the Kingfisher Shopping Centre was updated in 2002, Redditch began to grow economically and culturally.

Historical Places to Visit

Redditch has several interesting historical sites. The National Needles Museum shows how needles were made in the past. You can also see the ruins of Bordesley Abbey, which was once a large monastery. The remains of a medieval settlement called Moons Moat are also in the Church Hill area.

How Redditch is Governed

Redditch has two main levels of local government. These are the Redditch Borough Council and the Worcestershire County Council. The borough council works from the Redditch Town Hall, which was built in 1982.

Most of Redditch is an "unparished area," meaning it doesn't have smaller local councils. However, the village of Feckenham in the southwest part of the borough does have its own local council.

The town of Redditch is represented in the UK Parliament by Chris Bloore from the Labour Party. He was elected in 2024.

Geography and Environment

Redditch is located south of the West Midlands urban area. It is east of the A435 road, which goes around the town. Major roads like the A441 and A448 connect Redditch to motorways like the M42 and M5. An old Roman Road called Icknield Street runs through the eastern side of the town.

Districts of Redditch

The Redditch area is split into different districts. The "New Town Districts" were built in the 1970s and 1980s and are mostly in the east. Older "Former Village Districts" are found in the south and west. You can find more details about these areas on the Districts of Redditch page.

Redditch is also part of the Greater Birmingham & Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership. This group works with nearby areas like Birmingham and Solihull to help the region's economy grow.

Green Belt Areas

Redditch is surrounded by a "green belt" area. This is a special protected zone that stops towns from growing too much and keeps countryside areas safe. It helps to prevent cities like Birmingham and Coventry from merging together.

While the main parts of Redditch are not in the green belt, many smaller villages and rural areas around it, like Feckenham, are. This helps to protect the natural beauty and open spaces around the town.

Getting Around Redditch

Redditch is well-connected by roads. The M42 motorway is close by, and dual carriageways link Redditch to towns like Bromsgrove and Evesham. There are also regular bus services to nearby areas and to Birmingham.

Train Services

The train station is the last stop on the Cross-City Line. This line offers regular train services through Birmingham New Street to Four Oaks and Lichfield. The first Redditch station opened in 1859. The current station was built in 1993.

Bus Services

The former Redditch Bus Station, around 1996.

Redditch has a large network of local bus services run by different companies. Many buses leave from the bus station in the town centre. This bus station was rebuilt in 2002 as part of the shopping centre's expansion.

Road System and Roundabouts

Redditch is known for its unique road system. It has many dual carriageways built when it became a New Town. These roads help traffic move quickly around the different districts and into the town centre, keeping fast cars away from residential streets.

Redditch even has the only "cloverleaf interchange" in England, where the A441 and A448 roads meet. The town also became famous for a funny calendar called Roundabouts of Redditch, which showed pictures of its many roundabouts!

Education in Redditch

Redditch uses a "three-tier system" for its schools. Children go to first school from age four, then middle school from age nine, and finally high school from age 13. Many other parts of England use a different system, but Redditch has kept this one.

Redditch has four high schools: RSA Academy Arrow Vale, Saint Augustine's Catholic High School, Tudor Grange Academy, and Trinity High School. There are also six middle schools.

Heart of Worcestershire College (often called "HOW College") has a campus in central Redditch. This college offers further education for students after high school. The closest university is the University of Birmingham, about 20 km (12.5 miles) away.

Local Media

For local news and TV shows, Redditch gets its programmes from BBC West Midlands and ITV Central. Radio stations like BBC Hereford and Worcester and Heart West Midlands also serve the area.

Redditch has two local newspapers: The Redditch Standard and The Redditch Advertiser.

Things to Do and See

St Stephen's Church, a Church of England church in Redditch.

Redditch has several places of interest for visitors and locals:

• Bordesley Abbey: These are the remains of an old Cistercian abbey.
• Forge Mill Needle Museum: This museum shows how needles were traditionally made.
• Redditch Library: A local library for books and learning.

Kingfisher Shopping Centre

Worcester Square in the Kingfisher Shopping Centre.

The Kingfisher Shopping Centre opened in 1976 and is the main shopping area in Redditch. It has over 110,000 square metres (1.1 million square feet) of shops, making it one of the largest covered shopping centres in the UK. You can find many popular stores there, plus a Vue cinema that opened in 2007.

Arrow Valley Country Park

A view across Arrow Valley Lake.

Redditch is home to the huge Arrow Valley Country Park, which covers 900 acres (3.6 square kilometres). Inside the park is the 30-acre (12-hectare) Arrow Valley Lake, which is fed by the River Arrow. The park also has a special Local Nature Reserve called Proctor's Barn Meadow.

The Arrow Valley Countryside Centre, opened in 2000, has a café, gift shop, and an interactive exhibition. The lake is used for water sports, and there are walking and cycling trails around the lake and through the park. You can also find a skate park and a children's play area.

Royal Enfield Motorcycles

Redditch was once the home of Royal Enfield motorcycles. The main factory for these famous bikes was located here. Production continued until the 1960s, with the Interceptor being one of the last models made in England. The Redditch factory closed in 1967.

However, in the 1950s, Royal Enfield started a partner company in India, called Madras Motors. This Indian factory still makes new models today, carrying on the Royal Enfield name. Some of the original factory buildings in Redditch can still be seen on Hewell Road.

Famous People from Redditch

Many well-known people have connections to Redditch:

• Josh Baker (2003–2024), a cricketer, was born in Redditch.
• John Bonham (1948–1980), the drummer for the band Led Zeppelin, was born in Redditch.
• Charles Dance (born 1946), a famous actor, was born in Redditch.
• Harry Styles (born 1994), a singer, songwriter, and actor, and a member of the boy band One Direction, was born in Redditch.
• John Taylor (born 1960), the musician from the band Duran Duran, went to school in Redditch.
• Jacqui Smith, a former Member of Parliament for Redditch, was the first female British Home Secretary.

Town Twinning

Redditch has special "twinning" links with other towns around the world:

• In 1956, Redditch became twinned with Auxerre, a town in France.
• In 1986, Redditch also twinned with Mtwara in Tanzania.

Redditch also has "Friendship" links with:

• St. Elizabeth in Jamaica
• Gruchet-le-Valasse in France
• Gujar Khan in Pakistan

Sports in Redditch

Redditch has many sports teams:

• Redditch United F.C. and Redditch Borough F.C. play football.
• NEW Ravens play Rugby league.
• Redditch RFC plays Rugby Union.
• Redditch CC plays Cricket.
• Redditch Arrows is an American football team.
• Longmeadow Redditch Badminton Club plays Badminton.
• Redditch Roller Sports Club offers roller derby and roller skating.
• Redditch Rockets Skater Hockey Club plays skater hockey.
• Redditch Swimming Club is for swimming.
• The Redditch Road and Path Cycling Club is for cycling.

Climate

Redditch has an oceanic climate, which is typical for most of the United Kingdom. This means it has mild temperatures and rainfall throughout the year.

Images for kids

• 

  The former Redditch Bus Station, around 1996.

See also

In Spanish: Redditch para niños