Belbroughton

{{see also|History of Worcestershire}}

The earliest mention of the village was in AD817. In 1086, there was already a priest and a Saxon church, which stood on the same site as the present Holy Trinity church. The church was later rebuilt by the Normans and some remnants of this structure still remain. The church has been altered over the years with large scale restorations in the 1890s. The tower clock was erected in celebration of Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria, and the lychgate was built in 1912 and dedicated to Henry Charles Goodyear, who was a missionary from the parish.{{cite web | url=https://www.belbroughtonstorage.co.uk/belbroughton-history/ | title=History of Belbroughton }}

File:Aerial View of Belbroughton.png

The Church is a Domesday Book Church. The present Churchyard is believed to have been the site of early Pagan religious ceremonies, The base of the existing Woodgate memorial is believed to be a Pagan preaching stone. After conversion to Christianity, it is thought a wooden Church was erected, to be replaced in Norman times with a substantial stone structure. Little of this remains but there is a Norman Chapel in the grounds of Bell Hall. The present Church was built at the beginning of the 14th century. However, the Black Death of 1348-9 had a decimated its activity and claimed the lives of three Priests. The Church at that time was highly decorated and traces of the original colours can still be seen.

Belbroughton was at the core of the North Worcestershire scythe-making district.{{cite web |url=http://www.bromsgrove.gov.uk/cms/PDF/Belbroughton.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110927092634/http://www.bromsgrove.gov.uk/cms/PDF/Belbroughton.pdf |url-status = dead|archive-date=27 September 2011 |title=Belbroughton Conservation Area, designated 1969 extended OCTOBER 1975 |publisher=Bromsgrove District Council head of planning and environment services the council house, burcot lane, bromsgrove b60 1aa |accessdate=1 August 2011 }} "The village [of Belbroughton] was a national centre for scythe making and the mill pools and forges can still be seen along the course of the Belne Brook which runs off the Clent Hills and west to join the River Stour". 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 1967.{{cite web | url=http://scytheassociation.org/english-scythe-making-traditions-at-issac-nash-ltd/ | title=English scythe making traditions at Issac Nash Ltd – the Scythe Association }} Scythes were formerly not just made in Belbroughton, but also several adjacent parishes, including Chaddesley Corbett.

In Belbroughton in 1831, with a population of 1,476, 68 weekly payments for poor relief were made. Poor relief however was only due to residents of a parish, provable through a certificate of residence.{{sfn|Lloyd|1993|p=94}}

At the crossroads in the nearby hamlet of Bell Heath, there is a boulder that was brought by glacial process from Arenig Fawr, a mountain within Snowdonia, in Gwynedd. A plaque reads "Boulder from Arenig Mountain in N. Wales, Brought here by the Welsh Ice-Sheet in the Glacial Period".belbroughtonandfairfield-pc.info

On 7 September 2008 heavy rain caused Belne Brook, which runs through the village, to swell. The rising water was held back by a seven-foot wall but the pressure of the water caused it to break. The surge of water tore through the village sweeping away cars and causing severe water damage (and in some cases structural damage) to many properties.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/herefordandworcester/content/articles/2008/09/08/belbroughton_floods_video_sept08_feature.shtml |title=VIDEO: Deluge in Belbroughton|publisher=BBC Hereford and Worcester|date=September 2008}}{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/2700863/Worse-still-to-come-after-weekend-of-devastating-floods.html |title=Worse still to come after weekend of devastating floods|newspaper=The Daily Telegraph|date=7 September 2008 }}"while in Belbroughton, near Stourbridge, a water-logged cottage collapsed" The current was so strong, it made tarmac ripple.{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KnBVFEaIlyQ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/KnBVFEaIlyQ |archive-date=2021-12-21 |url-status=live|title=Belbroughton flood – Queens car park |via=YouTube|accessdate=1 August 2011}}{{cbignore}}

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Belbroughton is in the constituency of Bromsgrove, which is a traditionally Conservative safe seat. The Conservative party have held the seat since its modern establishment at the 1983 General Election. Sajid Javid, former Chancellor of the Exchequer, served as the constituency's MP from 2010 to 2024. The current MP is Bradley Thomas, who also serves as the Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Shadow Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero.{{Cite web |date=5 July 2024 |title=Bradley Thomas elected as Conservatives hold Bromsgrove seat |url=https://www.bromsgroveadvertiser.co.uk/news/24432500.bradley-thomas-elected-conservatives-hold-bromsgrove-seat/ |access-date=5 July 2024 |website=Bromsgrove Advertiser}}

Belbroughton also composes the Belbroughton & Romsley ward of Bromsgrove District Council. In the latest election for the council, held in 2023, Karen May and Simon Nock of the Conservative party were elected as councillors.{{cite web |title=District council election results |url=https://www.bromsgrove.gov.uk/media/7732988/2023-Bromsgrove-District-Council-Wards-Summary-of-Results.pdf |website=www.bromsgrove.gov.uk |access-date=5 May 2023 |language=en |date=5 May 2023}}{{cite web |title=Your councillors by political grouping |url=https://moderngovwebpublic.bromsgrove.gov.uk/mgMemberIndex.aspx?bcr=1 |website=Bromsgrove District Council |access-date=2 February 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230321142236/https://moderngovwebpublic.bromsgrove.gov.uk/mgMemberIndex.aspx?bcr=1 |archive-date=21 March 2023}} At county council level, the village also composes a part of the Clent Hills division. In the 2021 Worcestershire County Council election, Karen May of the Conservative party was elected.{{cite web|url=https://gis.worcestershire.gov.uk/website/Elections/results.aspx|title=County Election Results|publisher=Worcestershire County Council|date=2021-05-07|access-date=2025-04-27}}

Facilities include a village shop, which includes the post office, a deli/coffee Shop, a hairdressers, and a recreational centre with tennis courts, children's playground and playing field.{{cite web |url=http://www.belbroughtontennis.co.uk/ |title=Belbroughton Tennis Club|accessdate=1 August 2011| archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20110722013914/http://www.belbroughtontennis.co.uk/| archivedate= 22 July 2011 |url-status = live}}{{cite web| url= http://www.belbroughton.com/index.htm| title= Belbroughton – a village in North East Worcestershire| publisher= Operated on behalf of Belbroughton Parish Council| accessdate= 1 August 2011| archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20110720165455/http://www.belbroughton.com/index.htm| archivedate= 20 July 2011|url-status = dead}} There is an active cricket club on the outskirts of the village.{{cite web|url=http://belbroughton.play-cricket.com/ |title=Belbroughton Cricket Club|publisher=Play-Cricket|accessdate=1 May 2014}}"Belbroughton Cricket Club" The area also has a number of public houses in Belbroughton itself and in neighbouring villages.

Belbroughton Primary School is located in the village, after which students progress to Haybridge High School, in the nearby town of Hagley.

Since 1996, Belbroughton has hosted Scarecrow Weekend in the last weekend of each September. The festival was founded by Steve Haywood (The Crowman) - a children's author and artist.{{cite journal|first=Jo |last=Travis|url=

http://www.thefreelibrary.com/CUTTING-EDGE+OF+HISTORY%3B+DOWN+YOUR+WAY+Jo+Travis+reports+on+a+rural...-a0176929739|title=CUTTING-EDGE OF HISTORY; DOWN YOUR WAY Jo Travis reports on a rural idyll that was once a world capital of industry|journal=Birmingham Post & Mail Ltd|year=2008}}

Villagers create scarecrows and display them outside their homes. It has proved very popular over recent years with thousands of visitors, raising tens of thousands of pounds for local organisations and amenities.{{cite journal |url=http://www.bromsgroveadvertiser.co.uk/news/local/8404854.Thousands_expected_to_flock_to_Belbroughton_Scarecrow_Festival/ |title=Thousands expected to flock to Belbroughton Scarecrow Festival |date=21 September 2010|journal=Bromsgrove Advertiser}} "THOUSANDS of people are expected to flock to Belbroughton to see an ex-straw special scarecrow at this year's 13th annual event".

File:Church Lane, Belbroughton.jpg|Church Road

File:Belbroughton Church Hall, Church Road, Belbroughton - geograph.org.uk - 2416424.jpg|Church Hall

File:Belbroughton Club - geograph.org.uk - 1997144.jpg|Belbroughton Workmen's Club and High Street in 2010

File:Belbroughton_High_Street_-_2016.png|High Street in 2016

File:Belbroughton_High_Street_-_2018.png|High Street in March 2018

File:Belbroughton_High_Street_-_2021.png|High Street in 2021

File:Belbroughton High Street.jpg|High Street in 2022

File:Welcome to Belbroughton - geograph.org.uk - 2050218.jpg|Holy Cross Lane

File:Seat in Bradford Lane, Belbroughton - geograph.org.uk - 2416894.jpg|Belbroughton Church

File:Church of England Primary School ^ Nursery (1), Bradford Lane, Belbroughton - geograph.org.uk - 2416391.jpg|Belbroughton Church of England Primary School

File:Belbroughton_Working_Men's_Club.png|Belbroughton Workmen's Club in 2023

File:Belbroughton_-_Coronation_2023.png|Belbroughton during the Coronation of Charles III and Camilla in 2023

File:Belbroughton_Cricket_Ground.png|The village's cricket ground

{{reflist}}

• {{cite book |last1=Lloyd |first1=David J. |title=A History of Worcestershire |date=1993 |publisher=Phillimore |isbn=978-0-85033-658-0 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Df0WAQAAIAAJ |language=en}}

{{Commons category|Belbroughton}}

• [https://web.archive.org/web/20071009050225/http://www.belbroughton.net/ Belbroughton Net] (This site utilises Flash 8 Player)
• [https://www.bbc.co.uk/herefordandworcester/features/2003/09/scarecrows.shtml Belbroughton scarecrows come out to play] BBC 25 September 2003

{{Bromsgrove}}

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Category:Villages in Worcestershire