B98 (Redditch) area guide
B98
Redditch
The B98 postcode district lies within or includes part of the following towns, counties, localities, electoral wards and stations: Abbey, Abbeydale, Alvechurch, Beoley, Central, Church Hill, Church Hill North, Greenlands, Headless Cross and Oakenshaw, Ipsley, Lakeside, Lodge Park, Mappleborough Green, Matchborough, Moons Moat North Industrial Estate, Oakenshaw, Park Farm Industrial Estate, Redditch, Riverside, Sambourne, Southcrest, Tanworth, Warwickshire, Winyates, Winyates Green, Worcestershire.
Redditch has a long history that spans many centuries. What is now modern Redditch was once a small hamlet close to the great forest of Feckenham. In 1141, Cistercian Monks established their Abbey following the granting of a charter. The monks helped establish a strong community that was altered by King Henry VIII’s decision to dissolve the abbey and have the property given to Lord Windsor.
Needle-making emerged as the leading industry in Redditch and dominated the area. Needle scouring mills sprang up all around the Redditch area, as early as 1639. Built in 1730, the Forge Mill is now the only remaining water-driven needle scouring mill in existence today. At one point, 90 per cent of the needles produced in the world were from the Redditch area. The town became a parish in 1855, the same year St. Stephens Church replaced the chapel in the town centre.
Industry thrived in Redditch with the arrival of spring making, fishing tackle, and cycle manufacturers. The New Town designation lead to new housing estates and industrial centres throughout Redditch. The town centre was demolished and replaced by the Kingfisher Shopping Centre, new schools, and a road system.
Redditch today is a landscaped community located right in the heart of England. It has excellent parks and recreational areas, as well as laid out residential and industrial areas that are serviced by a unique and efficient road system. Within the last few years the town has seen a massive rise in industry, retail, and entertainment. Million of pounds have been invested into the towns shopping areas, pubs, clubs, and leisure facilities.
The current population of Redditch is nearly 80,000—49,000 of whom reside in postcode district B98. The average house price in B98 is £125,000—well below the national average. The most common type of housing in Redditch is terrace, which accounts for nearly 40 per cent of the housing stock. One of the most expensive streets to live on in Redditch is Gorcott Hill, where detached houses sell for around £500,000. Wapping Lane offers rural detached homes that are worth around £490,000.
Less expensive property for sale can be found on Winyates Centre, where three bedroom flats are priced around £70,000. Other flats located near the heart of the town can be found on The Firs and are valued near £75,000.
The Kingfisher Shopping Centre is the town’s primary retail centre and is well known for the palm trees in the centre’s Worcester Square. Aside from the many stores and shops, the centre has a variety of restaurants and a cinema. Battens Drive is the entry way for Arrow Valley Country Park, which incorporates Arrow Valley Lake and four beautiful marked trials used for walking and cycling.
The Forge Hill Needle Museum on Needle Mill Lane is an industrial museum with unique displays and collections telling the stories of needle-making in Victorian times. The Palace Theatre on Alcester Street is located in the heart of the community and is home to a variety of entertainment shows and performances.
Transportation services include buses and a railway station. The town’s location is an ideal point of departure for destinations to the surrounding cities and towns. It is also known for its unusual and sometimes confusing road system, which was installed when it was designated as a New Town. It has one of only two cloverleaf interchanges and is dominated by a system of dual carriageways.
The Redditch educational system operates on a three-tier system, with students in Redditch attending the first school from the age of five, middle school from the age of nine, and then secondary school from the age of thirteen. A few of the secondary schools are Kingsley College on Woodrow Drive, Trinity High School on Easemore Road, and Arrow Vale High School on Green Sward Lane.