| Hagley | |
The Lyttleton Arms |
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Hagley
Hagley shown within Worcestershire |
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| Population | 4,283 (2001) for Civil Parish; approximately 5600 for the whole village |
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| Parish | Hagley |
| District | Bromsgrove |
| Shire county | Worcestershire |
| Region | West Midlands |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | STOURBRIDGE |
| Postcode district | DY9 |
| Dialling code | 01562 |
| Police | West Mercia |
| Fire | Hereford and Worcester |
| Ambulance | West Midlands |
| EU Parliament | West Midlands |
| UK Parliament | Bromsgrove |
| List of places: UK • England • Worcestershire | |
Hagley is a village and civil parish on the northern boundary of Worcestershire, England, near to the towns of Kidderminster and Stourbridge. The parish had a population of 4,283 in 2001,[1] but the whole village had a population of perhaps 5,600, including the part in Clent parish. It is in Bromsgrove District.
The name Hagley refers to the area of the original village, near Hagley Hall. The majority of what is today known as Hagley is strictly West Hagley. This area grew up in the late 19th century near the railway station and contains the shopping area and schools. The precise dividing line between the two areas is undefined and is therefore debatable. Nevertheless, both settlements lie within the parish of Hagley.
Hagley is separated from Stourbridge and thus the urban Black Country by a narrow strip of green belt. It lies at the foot of the Clent Hills. The village is served by its own railway station on the Kidderminster to Birmingham line.
It is situated on the A456 Birmingham to Kidderminster road, which is known as the Hagley Road in Birmingham, because it was once administered by a turnpike trust,[2] whose responsibilities ended at the former boundary of the parish (now in Blakedown).
Despite having a population larger than some market towns (such as Tenbury Wells), Hagley lacks the essential characteristics of a market town.[3] While it has a healthy shopping street and many local services, it is a fundamentally unbalanced community economically, in that there is little local employment (other than in local services). However, unemployment is low,[4] because of the ease of commuting to work. Accordingly Hagley is essentially a dormitory village. The population of Hagley greatly increased after the arrival of the railway in 1862, which enabled people to commute into Birmingham or the adjacent Black Country.
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Hagley is known for
Three tragic events during the late 20th century drew media attention to Hagley.
In 1983, Susan Renhard from West Hagley, a student at Manchester Polytechnic, was murdered while taking photos in the Peak District. Her body was discovered showing indications that she had fought violently to defend herself before being strangled. The murder made national headlines and Norman Hugh Smith, a 17 year old computer student, was found guilty of the crime and described by the judge a "very wicked man". Susan's father, a retired law lecturer, became heavily involved in two charities that seek to help relatives who have lost loved ones through homicide.
In January 1988, Stuart Gough, a 14-year-old newspaper delivery boy was found murdered some 20 miles away near Worcester. Serial paedophile Victor Miller later admitted murdering Stuart and was sentenced to life imprisonment. The trial judge said that he didn't know whether it would be safe ever to release him. An article in the Daily Telegraph listed Miller as one of 35 murderers that the Home Secretary had recently recommended never to be released from prison.
In November 1993 a serious collision occurred on the M40 motorway near Warwick, approximately 30 miles from Hagley, resulting in the deaths of twelve pupils and a teacher. Only two girls survived the accident that made national headlines and caused moves for new legislation to improve safety and driving standards for school vehicles.
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