Belbroughton
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Belbroughton is a village and civil parish in the Bromsgrove district of Worcestershire, England. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 2,380. It is about six miles north of Bromsgrove, six miles east of Kidderminster and four miles south of Stourbridge, in Worcestershire.
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[edit] Brief Introduction
Belbroughton today is a relatively affluent area with house prices increasing by huge amounts in recent years, most likely due to its convenient position - near to the motorway network and the city of Birmingham allowing villagers to commute to work whilst still living in a green belt countryside environment, with areas such as the Clent Hills nearby. Belbroughton has decent facilities for a village of its size, with a village shop, a post office and recreational centre with tennis courts (the land for this was donated by Mr. Nash a local industrial entrepreneur). The area also has a very high density of public houses in Belbroughton itself and in neighbouring villages. The state schooling system is also of a relatively high standard with pupils first attending Belbroughton First School and the progressing onto Haybridge High School and Sixth Form, with the system recently changing from a three tier system the previously involved Hagley Middle School (which has now disbanded), to a two tier system. Belbroughton is in the constituency of Bromsgrove a traditionally Conservative area with the current MP being Julie Kirkbride member of the Conservative Party (UK).
[edit] Scarecrow weekend
For several years now Belbroughton has been home to the Scarecrow weekend, where villagers create scarecrows and display them outside their homes usually towards the end of the month of September. This is not all that happens though, with the whole village resembling a school fete, which is ironic as it is the local first school which instigated this weekend. It has proved very popular over recent years with thousands of visitors, raising tens of thousands of pounds for local organisations and amenities. 2006 is the tenth anniversary of the event and the organisers wish to express their thanks to villagers for their support in making scarecrows and supporting the event. It takes place the last weekend of September.
[edit] History
Belboughton was at the core of the north Worcestershire scythe-making district. Many of the mills of the area were formerly blade mills used for sharpening them, after a scythesmith had forged them from iron, with a thin strip of steel along the cutting edge. From the late 18th century until about 1870, the Waldron family of Field House Clent were the leading manufacturers. They were succeeded by Isaac Nash, whose business finally closed in about 1970. Scythes were formerly not just made in Belbroughton, but also several adjacent parishes, including Chaddesley Corbett.
