# Redditch New Town Development Photos



## Foxylady (Apr 5, 2008)

I've been sorting through a lot of old photos and came across some that I took when the old red-brick town of Redditch in Worcestershire was being cleared for redevelopment into a new town. So I thought it would be fun and interesting to post them up.
The photos were taken circa 1975/76, during Stage 1 of the development.The Redditch Development Corporation were nicknamed by some of us local kids 'The red Devils'. 
Please excuse the poor quality of the pics, but hope you enjoy them anyway.

Ipsley Street, also known as Back Hill.












Evesham Street, also known as Front Hill. 











Lower end of Evesham Street showing the first stage of the new Redditch Shopping Centre (on the right), which was eventually extended outwards.






The former bus station in the centre of the town. Many buildings had already been demolished to give a clear view of the station.






One of the needle mills close to the town centre.






Rows of terraced housing just off prospect Hill, just prior to demolition.
















More to follow in a mo...


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## Foxylady (Apr 5, 2008)

The building on the left may have been a small factory.






Coal cellars/out houses at the bottom of the gardens, in the process of being demolished.






Inside one of them.






The former bus depot/garage.
















Random parts of the town where the buildings had been left empty prior to demolition.
















Derelict houses out towards Crabbs Cross.






Derelict farmhouse.






Cheers,
Foxy


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## borntobemild (Apr 5, 2008)

This is really interesting.
I was living in Birmingham in the 70's and always assumed that the old Redditch was demolished in the 50's.

Think you're right about the building in the first photo being a factory. The windows look very much like those in the watchmaker's workshops in Coventry, designed to let in a lot of light

I have to say the place had a bit of a reputation - as a lot of new towns have. 

Remember drinking at Washford Mill on a few occasions. I believe it was an old needle mill but i might be wrong.

Still visit the place occasionally through work. It's all very green now.


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## Foxylady (Apr 5, 2008)

borntobemild said:


> Think you're right about the building in the first photo being a factory. The windows look very much like those in the watchmaker's workshops in Coventry, designed to let in a lot of light



That's amazing! You may have just answered a family-history question for me. My great grandfather was a watchmaker in Clerkenwell, London (a family tradition spanning three generations) yet his son was born in Coventry. I didn't realise there were watchmakers in Coventry, so he may have moved there for work reasons. Nice one! 



borntobemild said:


> Remember drinking at Washford Mill on a few occasions. I believe it was an old needle mill but i might be wrong.



I knew it was a water mill but not sure what for so I just googled to find out, and yes, you're right...it was used to power a needle factory.


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## smileysal (Apr 5, 2008)

WOW Foxy, that place has changed loads, it looks nothing like your pictures now. Excellent pics, there was some gorgous looking buildings in your pics. Really like the bus depot building, has that been demolished too? That's a travesty 

Excellent Work Foxy,

 Sal


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## Foxylady (Apr 5, 2008)

smileysal said:


> Really like the bus depot building, has that been demolished too?



Cheers Sal. Don't know about the depot but thought I'd put those pics in just in case it's gone.  
The last time I visited was '85 and that side of the town was still all there. I really don't want to go back again though, as a lot of what I remembered from my childhood had already gone and I suspect it all has now.
The sad thing is that my adopted 'home town' in Devon is just starting redevelopment.  Feel all depressed now!


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## smileysal (Apr 5, 2008)

Cheers Foxy. I really hope it hasn't gone in the name of progress. Will have to have a nosey around Redditch at some point and see whats there now and what isn't. We're losing far too much nowadays, instead of keeping loads of historical buildings, they demolish them all and stick up either tiny boxes, or concrete or glass things instead.

Much prefer all the old stuff instead.

Thanks again Foxy,

 Sal


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## Foxylady (Apr 5, 2008)

I lived outside of Redditch in a farming community and all the land there has now been built over with housing. I don't know how they managed to do it but 'The Red Devils' prevented anyone born locally from buying or renting any of the new housing. We were literally forced out of our own town. :icon_evil


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## Richard Davies (Apr 5, 2008)

Simon would like the old lampposts in many of those pictures.

Redditch has the only cloverleaf junction in England, there were 2 in Livingstone, but one has been pulled down, & the other is due to come down soon.


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## Virusman26 (Apr 5, 2008)

My God, I work just around the corner from the Washford Mill. This is a small world!!!


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## borntobemild (Apr 5, 2008)

> I didn't realise there were watchmakers in Coventry, so he may have moved there for work reasons.



It was probably Chapelfields. It's a conservation area now. There's an interesting web site about it.

http://www.coventry-walks.org.uk/conservation-areas/chapelfields.html

used to drive past it every morning - well Mondays to Fridays anyway 

They did a Time Team History Hunters special on it about 10 years ago. Difficult to find any reference to it on t'internet though. 


> Programme FOUR 12 DECEMBER
> Coventry is known for car manufacturing and the bombing of its cathedral, but did you know that, in the 18th and 19th centuries, it had a thriving watchmaking sector? This week, three teams of history hunters investigate the few remaining factory premises, the archives and the beautiful products of Coventry craftsmen to shed light on a little known corner of this city's history.


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## Foxylady (Apr 6, 2008)

Richard Davies said:


> Redditch has the only cloverleaf junction in England, there were 2 in Livingstone, but one has been pulled down, & the other is due to come down soon.



I must admit, not being a driver, I had to google for cloverleaf junction as I didn't know what it was. Cheers for that RD. 



Virusman26 said:


> My God, I work just around the corner from the Washford Mill. This is a small world!!!



Heehee. My urbexing started with the mills when I was a child. The weirdest thing was to be playing in the woods then suddenly come across a derelict mill pond, perfectly circular with a brick surround and still, stagnant water. Quite spooky!



borntobemild said:


> It was probably Chapelfields. It's a conservation area now. There's an interesting web site about it.



Thankyou very much for the link. Just had a troll through it and to another link to the museum and shortcut them for a proper look later. That is so interesting and I can see now why my great grandad probably moved there. His name, and his dad and grandad before him, appear in the guild roll in Clerkenwell museum. The funny thing is, I only found out about this a year or so ago through researching family history. It's amazing what you can turn up! 

Thanks everyone.


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## Richard Davies (Apr 6, 2008)

Foxylady said:


> I must admit, not being a driver, I had to google for cloverleaf junction as I didn't know what it was. Cheers for that RD.



It's ok, Normally there isn't enough space to build them over here, unlike in America I only found it by accident at:

http://www.cbrd.co.uk/reference/interchanges/cloverleaf.shtml

Try here for a map:
http://www.multimap.com/maps/?&t=l&map=52.29288,-1.94610|14|4&loc=GB:52.29288:-1.94610:14&dp=841#t=l&map=52.29288,-1.94593|15|4&dp=841&loc=GB:52.29288:-1.94610:14

http://www.flashearth.com/?lat=52.41427&lon=-0.789404&z=19.6&r=0&src=ggl


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## mikey-t (Nov 3, 2008)

sorry for the thread resurection but this thread really did intrest me, i have lived in redditch all my life and may be able to shed some light on a few of your questions,, 
yes the town was redeveloped several times but there is still quite a bit of history on display , 
in the future i will try and take some modern day pics of the pics above to give a comparison

the bus depot / garage still exists although it has been remodelled a fair bit, it is now the garage for red diamond busses as midland red moved to a more modern garage,

it looks more like this now






old redditch bus station







nowadays its gone for the whole glass and sheet metal is good look,,, 

as i said i will hopefully do a comparison soon


as for the cloverleaf,, thats awesome fun, used mainly by bikers early on sunday mornings now, as some kind of time challenge race track


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## Foxylady (Nov 3, 2008)

Cool! Cheers for that, Mikey-t. I look forward to seeing your comparison shots. Shame about the bus depot...a bit down-market to the earlier one!


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## mikey-t (Nov 3, 2008)

very much so ,
there are now 2 competing bus companies in redditch , midland red and diamond red, diamond have taken over the previous bus depot. (which just so happens to be in front of a site im eyeing up) and midlands red moved to worcester but they still have a maintenance depot just down the road, alongside the bus station, (the old railway tunnel is still accesible through a manhole within these grounds as i found out working security there) 

a lot has gone on in the town but there is still a hell of a lot of history visible


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## Keep out! (Mar 30, 2009)

I used to live in Redditch for 20 years. So glad to get out though.

The top picture is where Halfords is, recognised it instantly.

Oh, and the old bus station where Lester's cafe used to be. lol, mispent youth in there for me playing the arcade games. I still have family there hence my dangerous building video recently at The Dog island.

Great pics.


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## Foxylady (Mar 31, 2009)

Keep out! said:


> I used to live in Redditch for 20 years. So glad to get out though.



I think I recall you saying on your Redditch thread that you left around '75? That was two years before I did. 
I would have been back to visit myself if I still had family there, but apart from a quick visit with my sister in '85 when I stayed with her (she lives near Pershore), I haven't been back since. I don't recall a pub called The Dog...perhaps it had a different name when I lived there. Is the Pig still there (The Unicorn), by any chance?  I'd love to know if it is and if people still call it the pig (I can tell you why it was called that, too!  ).
Cheers for your comments, Keep Out.


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## Vintage (Mar 31, 2009)

Richard Davies said:


> It's ok, Normally there isn't enough space to build them over here, unlike in America I only found it by accident at:
> 
> http://www.cbrd.co.uk/reference/interchanges/cloverleaf.shtml
> 
> ...





That flash earth map thing is old... My house isn't even on it... And it was built 7-8 years ago!!


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## mikey-t (Mar 31, 2009)

the dog pub is out just past winyates and matchborough at the bottom of gorcott hill, heading towards wooton wawen etc.. 
cant say i know of a pub called the pig.. were about was it located


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## Foxylady (Mar 31, 2009)

mikey-t said:


> the dog pub is out just past winyates and matchborough at the bottom of gorcott hill, heading towards wooton wawen etc..
> cant say i know of a pub called the pig.. were about was it located



Ah, the dog must be after my time then.
The pig was a nickname given to The Unicorn, slap bang in the centre of town. I think it just had the one bar...a huge room with an old forge recreated at one end, and all the forge implements hanging on the walls.
Perhaps it was demolished! 
Cheers, mikey. 

EDIT: Thinking about it, I think it was at the top of Prospect Hill...or one of the roads that lead towards Batchley. It was a long time ago and I don't remember much in the way of names.


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## night crawler (Mar 31, 2009)

My Aunty lives in Batchly estate and the last time I was up there I was amazed how much the whole area has chaged since I was a kid and used to vist. Photo's have not come up for me yet but I remember going round the town in the early 70's befor the redevlopment. The place canhed considerably nad not for the good either. Last time I was round there it looked like it needed redevloping again.


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## Foxylady (Mar 31, 2009)

night crawler said:


> My Aunty lives in Batchly estate and the last time I was up there I was amazed how much the whole area has chaged since I was a kid and used to vist. Photo's have not come up for me yet but I remember going round the town in the early 70's befor the redevlopment. The place canhed considerably nad not for the good either. Last time I was round there it looked like it needed redevloping again.



My Aunty lived on Batchley Estate too! We're not related, are we? 

I'd hate to go back again, tbh. They should have left things well alone in the first place, imo. It was a lovely little town...real industrial red-brick place with loads of history. Ah well, the mind-set of those in authority never changes, does it! :icon_evil
Cheers, nc.


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## night crawler (Mar 31, 2009)

Don't think so unless your called patrica and come from Irland


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## Keep out! (Apr 2, 2009)

The Unicorn is gone, so is The Swinging Sporran.


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## mildred (Apr 18, 2009)

Does anyone know anything about... time travel? I want to go back and have a nose around! Other than the top of Ipsley St looking up towards Mount Pleasant, I don't recognise anything!

Great pictures, by the way!


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## Foxylady (Apr 18, 2009)

Keep out! said:


> The Unicorn is gone, so is The Swinging Sporran.







markesp said:


> Does anyone know anything about... time travel? I want to go back and have a nose around! Other than the top of Ipsley St looking up towards Mount Pleasant, I don't recognise anything!
> 
> Great pictures, by the way!



Cheers, markesp.


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## Scrub2000 (Apr 18, 2009)

A Brill and amazing post! Love the pics. Bet that was an explore of mammoth proportions at the time.

Good play....Thanks for sharing


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## Foxylady (Apr 18, 2009)

Cheers, Scrub.  The pics were taken as and when over a period of time...can't recall how long as it was too long ago.  I'm really glad I've got some record of it, but I wish I'd have taken more now.


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## mikey-t (May 12, 2009)

a bit late i know but family things going on etc etc,,,will be out to get some photos of redditch etc today just to show you what a pigs ear they have made of it


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## mikey-t (May 12, 2009)

some pics in this album, it should allow you to view,,just happy snaps nothing special, but this is various bits of redditch now

http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v479/cruisemidlands/redditch old town/


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## Foxylady (May 14, 2009)

mikey-t said:


> some pics in this album, it should allow you to view...



Cheers for that, Mikey.  I didn't recognise any of that...lol...apart from the top of Prospect Hill and the water tower at Crabbs Cross. I've got some pics of the water tower and that particular road was new at the time and edged with saplings...lovely mature trees now on your pics, of course.


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## mikey-t (May 17, 2009)

yeah,, most of that was the bus station / train station , and coming down from mount pleasant towards the station


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## Lightbuoy (May 17, 2009)

What a shame -to think that all of this has been flattened 

Well done for getting some pics before it was buldozed


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## Foxylady (May 17, 2009)

Lightbuoy said:


> Well done for getting some pics before it was buldozed



Cheers, Lb.  The odd thing is, I never thought I was doing it for posterity at the time. I just loved taking photos of buildings...especially derelict ones!


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## Virusman26 (Jul 16, 2009)

ok, so a bit of triva, out of the 100 or more neelde mills that were around from the early 1700's, how many are still standing? I know of the Washford, Forge Mill and the frontage of the old S. Thomas and Sons British Mills is incorporated into flats now. Are there any still standing that are derelict? I've looked for old maps of Redditch, but the scale is so far out I can't decide where they would have been in relation to modern maps.


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