Cradley, Herefordshire

{{Short description|Village in Herefordshire, England}}

{{about|the village in Herefordshire|the village in the Metropolitan Borough of Dudley|Cradley, West Midlands}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2019}}

{{Infobox UK place

|country= England

|official_name= Cradley

|population= 1,667

|population_ref= (2011){{cite web|url=http://www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadKeyFigures.do?a=7&b=11122403&c=cradley&d=16&e=62&g=6385936&i=1001x1003x1032x1004&o=362&m=0&r=1&s=1446133749078&enc=1|title=Civil Parish population 2011|accessdate=29 October 2015}}

|civil_parish= Cradley and Storridge

|unitary_england= Herefordshire

|lieutenancy_england= Herefordshire

|region = West Midlands

|static_image= Cradley Church - geograph.org.uk - 34128.jpg

|static_image_caption = Cradley Church

|constituency_westminster= North Herefordshire

|post_town= Malvern

|postcode_district= WR13

|postcode_area= WR

|dial_code=

|os_grid_reference= SO735471

|coordinates= {{coord|52.1220|-2.3877|display=inline,title}}

|label_position= left

}}

__NOTOC__

Cradley ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|k|r|æ|d|l|i}}) is a village in the civil parish of Cradley and Storridge, in Herefordshire, England.{{cite web|url=https://mapit.mysociety.org/area/62281.html|title=Cradley and Storridge|publisher=Mapit|accessdate=29 June 2019}}{{cite web|url=http://councillors.herefordshire.gov.uk/documents/s50060641/Request%20by%20Cradley%20Parish%20Council%20to%20change%20its%20name%20to%20Cradley%20and%20Storridge%20Council%20main%20report.pdf|title=Request by Cradley Parish Council to change its name to Cradley and Storridge Parish Council|publisher=Herefordshire Council|accessdate=29 June 2019}} The nearest Herefordshire towns to Cradley are Ledbury, {{convert|9|mi}} to the south and Bromyard, 9 miles to the north-west. The Worcestershire town of Malvern is {{convert|4|mi|0}} to the south-east on the farther side of the Malvern Hills. Cradley and Storridge parish had a 2011 population of 1,667. On 12 October 2018 the parish was renamed from "Cradley" to "Cradley & Storridge".{{cite web|url=https://www.ukbmd.org.uk/reg/districts/herefordshire.html|title=Herefordshire Registration District|publisher=UKBMD|accessdate=23 August 2023}}

Cradley village hall is a 16th-century timbered building. It was built as a school for boys.Herefordshire. The Western Gate of England. Kings England Series of books Edited by Arthur Mee. Pub.1938.Page 48. It has been renovated and restored after a fire destroyed a large part of the roof.{{when|date=June 2023}} It has 21st-century additions of meeting rooms, and is a heritage and village resource centre. Used for research into local history and genealogy, it has computer, printing and copying services. Since the closure of the combined village shop and post office,{{when|date=June 2023}} a post office counter with usual services is part of the village hall.{{cn|date=June 2023}} A new village stores opened in 2022.Banner, Tom; [https://www.worcesternews.co.uk/news/20072948.cradley-village-store-finally-opens-lengthy-campaign/ "Cradley Village Store finally opens after lengthy campaign"], Worcester News, 15 April 2022. Retrieved 17 June 2023

The parish church is dedicated to St James. The chancel was added by Sir George Gilbert Scott in 1868.The Buildings of England: Herefordshire, Nikolaus Pevsner, 1963 p106 {{ISBN|0-14-071025-6}} Pevsner also mentions a mediaeval lychgate, a font dated 1722 and the remains of a previous carved font incorporated into a doorway in the tower. Carved stones in the fabric of the church have been identified as dating from the Saxon period.{{cn|date=June 2023}}

The "Three Villages Festival" celebrates the rural Herefordshire life of the villages of Cradley, Storridge and Mathon. In 2011, the event's theme was "Masquerade", an exploration of mask making and wearing.{{cn|date=June 2023}}