Hagley

Hagley
The Lyttleton Arms
Population	4,283 (2001) for Civil Parish; approximately 5600 for the whole village
Civil 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
UK Parliament	Bromsgrove

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, 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, 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. 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, 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.

Landmarks

Hagley is known for

• Hagley Hall, the home for several centuries of the Lyttelton family, whose head is Viscount Cobham, and
• Wychbury Hill with its 'monument' (an obelisk). The body of "Bella" was believed to be found in a wood near the hill, sparking the murder mystery "Who put Bella in the Witch Elm?" about which a play was written by the local drama society. However contrary to the urban myth the body was found in Hagley Wood off a lane on the side of nearby Clent Hill.
• St. Saviour's Church, a stone-built church near the centre of West Hagley, dedicated in 1908 and consecrated in 1957. The church consists of a nave and chancel without a tower. It has a series of windows by Francis Skeat.

Significant events

Hagley Obelisk before it was restored in 2010

Three tragic events during the late 20th century drew media attention to Hagley.

Murder of a student

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.

Child murder

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.

School minibus crash

Main article: M40 Minibus Crash

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.

Famous residents

• Jon Bentley Channel Five's Fifth Gear and Gadget Show presenter currently lives in Hagley
• Adrian Chiles, presenter of The One Show and Match of the Day 2.
• Andrew Downes, composer.
• Clive Everton, snooker commentator.
• Jason Koumas lived in Hagley
• Dan O'Hagan, television football commentator.
• Lee Sharpe, former professional footballer with (among other teams) Manchester United was a former student of Hagley RC High School.
• Victoria Stanton, interior designer and co-presenter of Tommy Walsh's Eco House.
• Jon Ford, former professional association footballer among teams Swansea AFC, Bradford City. now a retired assistant manager for Stourbridge fc.
• Charles Lyttelton (bishop), born here, and buried at the parish church

See also

• Hagley Hall
• Wychbury Hill
• Hagley railway station
• Hagley Catholic High School
• Haybridge High School

External links

• Hagley Catholic High School
• Haybridge High School
• Hagley Hall
• Photos of Hagley and surrounding area on geograph