Wychbold is a village in the

Wychavon Wychavon is a local government district in Worcestershire, England, with a population size of 132,500 according to the 2021 census. Its council is based in the town of Pershore, and the other towns in the district are Droitwich Spa and Evesha ...

district of

Worcestershire Worcestershire ( , ; written abbreviation: Worcs) is a county in the West Midlands of England. The area that is now Worcestershire was absorbed into the unified Kingdom of England in 927, at which time it was constituted as a county (see His ...

. The village is situated on the A38 between

Droitwich Spa Droitwich Spa (often abbreviated to Droitwich ) is an historic spa town in the Wychavon district in northern Worcestershire, England, on the River Salwarpe. It is located approximately south-west of Birmingham and north-east of Worcester, Engl ...

and

Bromsgrove Bromsgrove is a town in Worcestershire, England, about northeast of Worcester and southwest of Birmingham city centre. It had a population of 29,237 in 2001 (39,644 in the wider Bromsgrove/Catshill urban area). Bromsgrove is the main town in the ...

, and by Junction 5 of the

M5 motorway The M5 is a motorway in England linking the Midlands with the South West England, South West. It runs from junction 8 of the M6 motorway, M6 at West Bromwich near Birmingham to Exeter in Devon. Heading south-west, the M5 runs east of West Brom ...

. The first records of Wychbold suggest that it was of great importance to the

Anglo-Saxons The Anglo-Saxons were a Cultural identity, cultural group who inhabited England in the Early Middle Ages. They traced their origins to settlers who came to Britain from mainland Europe in the 5th century. However, the ethnogenesis of the Anglo- ...

, particularly in regards to its proximity to Droitwich Spa. The village is known primarily for the garden centre Webbs of Wychbold.

Toponymy

The name Wychbold is derived from the

Old English Old English (, ), or Anglo-Saxon, is the earliest recorded form of the English language, spoken in England and southern and eastern Scotland in the early Middle Ages. It was brought to Great Britain by Anglo-Saxon settlement of Britain, Anglo ...

''wīc–bold'', meaning "Dwelling near the trading settlement". It has been recorded as ''Uuicbold'' (692) and ''Wicelbold'' (1086,

Domesday Book Domesday Book () – the Middle English spelling of "Doomsday Book" – is a manuscript record of the "Great Survey" of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086 by order of King William I, known as William the Conqueror. The manusc ...

). The "''wych''" element ("near the trading settlement") is likely to refer to Droitwich.

History

Iron Age to Roman times

Evidence has been found of human settlement in Wychbold from the

Iron Age The Iron Age is the final epoch of the three-age division of the prehistory and protohistory of humanity. It was preceded by the Stone Age (Paleolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic) and the Bronze Age (Chalcolithic). The concept has been mostly appl ...

and

Roman times In modern historiography, ancient Rome refers to Roman civilisation from the founding of the city of Rome in the 8th century BC to the collapse of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century AD. It encompasses the Roman Kingdom (753–509 BC ...

. Various pits, ditches and postholes have been found in sites throughout the village, indicating the presence of roundhouses and a permanent Iron Age settlement. Archaeologists have also found various significant items from the Iron Age, such as broken vessels and a salt container from the

Malvern Hills The Malvern Hills are in the English counties of Worcestershire, Herefordshire and a small area of northern Gloucestershire, dominating the surrounding countryside and the towns and villages of the district of Malvern. The highest summit affo ...

and

. The presence of pottery from Malvern suggests that Wychbold had strong trade links outside of its immediate area, even in the Iron Age. Wychbold is located on an old

Roman road Roman roads ( la, viae Romanae ; singular: ; meaning "Roman way") were physical infrastructure vital to the maintenance and development of the Roman state, and were built from about 300 BC through the expansion and consolidation of the Roman Re ...

and

salt road A salt road (also known as a salt route, salt way, saltway, or salt trading route) refers to any of the prehistoric and historical trade routes by which essential salt was transported to regions that lacked it. From the Bronze Age (in the 2nd m ...

, now the A38. Romans are believed to have settled in the Wychbold area between the 1st and 4th century, shown by the presence of

Severn Valley The Severn Valley is a rural area of the West Midlands region of England, through which the River Severn runs and the Severn Valley Railway steam heritage line operates, starting at its northernmost point in Bridgnorth, Shropshire and running ...

and samian pottery.

Middle Ages to Early modern period

The earliest known record of Wychbold is in a charter of 692 (where it is known as ''Uuicbold''), describing how

Æthelred of Mercia Æthelred (; died after 704) was king of Mercia from 675 until 704. He was the son of Penda of Mercia and came to the throne in 675, when his brother, Wulfhere of Mercia, died from an illness. Within a year of his accession he invaded Kent, wh ...

"granted ten hides of land there to his

thegn In Anglo-Saxon England, thegns were aristocratic landowners of the second rank, below the ealdormen who governed large areas of England. The term was also used in early medieval Scandinavia for a class of retainers. In medieval Scotland, there w ...

Oslaf". The charter is generally considered to be fabricated, but describes the village as being "distinguished", suggesting that the village belonged to royalty at the time. The next known record of Wychbold is in a charter issued by

Coenwulf of Mercia Coenwulf (; also spelled Cenwulf, Kenulf, or Kenwulph; la, Coenulfus) was the King of Mercia from December 796 until his death in 821. He was a descendant of King Pybba, who ruled Mercia in the early 7th century. He succeeded Ecgfrith, the son ...

in 815. In this, and a later charter issued by

Wiglaf of Mercia Wiglaf (died 839) was King of Mercia from 827 to 829 and again from 830 until his death. His ancestry is uncertain: the 820s were a period of dynastic conflict within Mercia and the genealogy of several of the kings of this time is unknown. Wigst ...

in 831, Wychbold is referred to as a

royal vill A royal vill, royal ''tun'' or ''villa regalis'' ( ang, cyneliċ tūn) was the central settlement of a rural territory in Anglo Saxon England, which would be visited by the King and members of the royal household on regular circuits of their kingdo ...

, suggesting its importance as a royal base or even residence. Documents point to the existence of the Anglo–Saxon estate within Wychbold, but its location is currently unknown. During the 11th century, possession of Wychbold passed from

Earl Godwine Godwin of Wessex ( ang, Godwine; – 15 April 1053) was an English nobleman who became one of the most powerful earls in England under the Danish king Cnut the Great (King of England from 1016 to 1035) and his successors. Cnut made Godwin the ...

Osbern fitzRichard Osbern fitzRichard (sometimes Osbern fitz Richard Scrob;Baxter ''Earls of Mercia'' p. 122 died after 1088) was a Frenchman, perhaps Norman, who was a landowner and tenant-in-chief in England. Osbern served as a royal judge and sided with the baroni ...

, who held it at the time of the

. There were 11 hides (4 of which were exempt from tax), 5 mills and 26 salt–pans in the village. The population was around 50 people. In 1204, William de Cantilupe,

Sheriff of Worcestershire This is a list of sheriffs and since 1998 high sheriffs of Worcestershire. The Sheriff is the oldest secular office under the Crown. Formerly the Sheriff was the principal law enforcement officer in the county but over the centuries most of the ...

and steward to

King John King John may refer to: Rulers * John, King of England (1166–1216) * John I of Jerusalem (c. 1170–1237) * John Balliol, King of Scotland (c. 1249–1314) * John I of France (15–20 November 1316) * John II of France (1319–1364) * John I o ...

, came into possession of properties within the village. During the Middle Ages, a manor house was built in Wychbold, north of Church Lane. Now known as Wychbold Court, the current

timber-frame Timber framing (german: Holzfachwerk) and "post-and-beam" construction are traditional methods of building with heavy timbers, creating structures using squared-off and carefully fitted and joined timbers with joints secured by large wooden ...

house dates back to the 16th or 17th century. Minor alterations have been made to the house, during the 19th and 20th centuries. Excavation near the Grade II listed house revealed pottery dating to the 13th or 14th century and evidence of farming in the area at the time. There also once stood a manor house called Wychbold Hall within the village, the residence of the Amphlett family, described as being "modern" in 1911. It was in "perfect preservation" when it stood. The stone-flagged floor of the house was moved to

Greyfriars, Worcester Greyfriars, Worcester is a Grade I listed building in Worcester, England. Its location near to a former friary of the Franciscan order of Greyfriars has in the past led to speculation that it was constructed as their guest house, but it is now ...

20th Century

During the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, communal

air raid shelters Air raid shelters are structures for the protection of non-combatants as well as combatants against enemy attacks from the air. They are similar to bunkers in many regards, although they are not designed to defend against ground attack (but many ...

were built on either end of Wychbold, along with a concrete

blast shelter A blast shelter is a place where people can go to protect themselves from blasts and explosions, like those from bombs, or in hazardous worksites, such as on oil and gas refineries or petrochemical facilities. It differs from a fallout shelter, ...

near the main road. The village's

Home Guard Home guard is a title given to various military organizations at various times, with the implication of an emergency or reserve force raised for local defense. The term "home guard" was first officially used in the American Civil War, starting wi ...

worked out of the Crown Inn.

Governance

Wychbold is primarily governed by Dodderhill Parish Council, which performs maintenance on the village's public areas. It is then governed by

Wychavon District Council Wychavon is a local government district in Worcestershire, England, with a population size of 132,500 according to the 2021 census. Its council is based in the town of Pershore, and the other towns in the district are Droitwich Spa and Evesham ...

. It falls within the

Mid Worcestershire Mid Worcestershire is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2015 by Nigel Huddleston, a Conservative. Members of Parliament Constituency profile Income levels are on average considerably higher than th ...

constituency, being represented in Parliament by

Nigel Huddleston Nigel Paul Huddleston (born 13 October 1970) is a British politician serving as Lord Commissioner of the Treasury since September 2022 and as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for International Trade since October 2022. He served as Parliame ...

. Wychbold falls under

Ombersley Ombersley is a village and civil parish in Wychavon district, in the county of Worcestershire, England. The parish includes the hamlet of Holt Fleet, where Telford's 1828 Holt Fleet Bridge crosses the River Severn. The 2011 census recorded a ...

division within

Worcestershire County Council Worcestershire County Council is the county council for the non-metropolitan county of Worcestershire in England. The most recent elections to it were in 2021. Worcestershire County Council has its headquarters at County Hall in Worcester, wh ...

and is represented by Peter Tomlinson.

Geography and demography

Wychbold is located between the towns of

and

. The

River Salwarpe The River Salwarpe is a long river in Worcestershire, England. It is a left bank tributary of the River Severn, which it joins near Hawford. Course The Salwarpe is formed by the confluence of the Battlefield and Spadesbourne Brooks in Bromsg ...

runs around the outside of the village. Nearby villages include

Upton Warren Upton Warren is a village and civil parish in the Wychavon district, in Worcestershire, England. The village is situated just off the A38 road between Bromsgrove and Droitwich Spa, and on the River Salwarpe. In the 2001 census, the parish, whic ...

and Stoke Prior to the north-east, and Rashwood to the south-west. The Droitwich transmitting station is located just outside the village, near Upton Warren. At the

2011 UK census A census of the population of the United Kingdom is taken every ten years. The 2011 census was held in all countries of the UK on 27 March 2011. It was the first UK census which could be completed online via the Internet. The Office for National ...

, Wychbold had a population of 1,366 in 586 dwellings. 16.9% of the population were under the age of 16 and 11.1% were aged 75 and over. The

White British White British is an ethnicity classification used for the native white population identifying as English, Scottish, Welsh, Cornish, Northern Irish, or British in the United Kingdom Census. In the 2011 census, the White British population wa ...

ethnic group made up 93.1% of the population. In recent years, Wychbold has seen the development of multiple

housing estates A housing estate (or sometimes housing complex or housing development) is a group of homes and other buildings built together as a single development. The exact form may vary from country to country. Popular throughout the United States a ...

, such as the Elmbridge Gardens site built in 2014. The increase in population put pressure on the village's school, with rising demand for admissions places forcing the school to expand. Plans for further housing developments have been criticised, citing pressures on local infrastructure.

Economy and transport

Wychbold has several restaurants and pubs, including a Harvester and a

McDonald's McDonald's Corporation is an American Multinational corporation, multinational fast food chain store, chain, founded in 1940 as a restaurant operated by Richard and Maurice McDonald, in San Bernardino, California, United States. They rechri ...

Holiday Inn Holiday Inn is an American chain of hotels based in Atlanta, Georgia. and a brand of IHG Hotels & Resorts. The chain was founded in 1952 by Kemmons Wilson, who opened the first location in Memphis, Tennessee that year. The chain was a division ...

runs a hotel within the village, next to the motorway junction. There are also multiple

petrol stations A filling station, also known as a gas station () or petrol station (), is a facility that sells fuel and engine lubricants for motor vehicles. The most common fuels sold in the 2010s were gasoline (or petrol) and diesel fuel. Gasoline ...

within the village, along the A38. Webbs of Wychbold, a garden centre, is located just outside of Wychbold, and hires large numbers of staff from the local area. It is known for the number of events it puts on throughout the year, such as their Christmas ice rink, which bring visitors to the village. There is also a

Hobbycraft Hobbycraft is an arts and crafts superstore retail chain in the United Kingdom. It is currently owned by investment group Bridgepoint. History It was started by the Haskins Group, a nursery and garden supplier in the south of England, an ...

and

Cotswold Outdoor Cotswold Outdoor is a trading brand of Outdoor and Cycle Concepts Limited, who also own the Snow and Rock, Cycle Surgery and Runners Need chains of shops. An outdoor recreation retailer in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. Hist ...

within the garden centre. The A38 runs through Wychbold, connecting it to

and

. The village is by Junction 5 of the

, allowing easy travel to

Worcester Worcester may refer to: Places United Kingdom * Worcester, England, a city and the county town of Worcestershire in England ** Worcester (UK Parliament constituency), an area represented by a Member of Parliament * Worcester Park, London, Englan ...

and

Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1.145 million in the city proper, 2.92 million in the West ...

. Wychbold main bus service is the 144, run by

FirstGroup FirstGroup plc is a British multi-national transport group, based in Aberdeen, Scotland.Diamond Bus operate service 145/145A between

Rubery Rubery is a village in the Bromsgrove District and a suburb of Birmingham in the counties of Worcestershire and West Midlands, England. It is from Birmingham city centre and a similar distance from Bromsgrove. Rubery was built on a sandstone qua ...

and

Droitwich Droitwich Spa (often abbreviated to Droitwich ) is an historic spa town in the Wychavon district in northern Worcestershire, England, on the River Salwarpe. It is located approximately south-west of Birmingham and north-east of Worcester. The ...

via

. Both Droitwich Spa and Bromsgrove have train stations, providing services to

Hereford Hereford () is a cathedral city, civil parish and the county town of Herefordshire, England. It lies on the River Wye, approximately east of the border with Wales, south-west of Worcester and north-west of Gloucester. With a population ...

and Birmingham.

Places of worship

Wychbold's

parish church A parish church (or parochial church) in Christianity is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish. In many parts of the world, especially in rural areas, the parish church may play a significant role in community activities, ...

is the church of St Mary de Wyche, located within the

Anglican Diocese of Worcester The Diocese of Worcester forms part of the Church of England (Anglican) Province of Canterbury in England. The diocese was founded around 679 by St Theodore of Canterbury at Worcester to minister to the kingdom of the Hwicce, one of the many ...

. The Grade II* listed church was built between 1888 and 1889, funded by the Amphlett family and

John Corbett John Joseph Corbett Jr. (born May 9, 1961) is an American actor and country music singer. On television, he is best known for his roles as Chris Stevens on '' Northern Exposure'' (1990–1995), Aidan Shaw on ''Sex and the City'' (2000–2003 ...

, an industrialist and the local Member of Parliament. The southeast tower contains an original late 13th century doorway. There also stood a

Congregational church Congregational churches (also Congregationalist churches or Congregationalism) are Protestant churches in the Calvinist tradition practising congregationalist church governance, in which each congregation independently and autonomously runs its ...

within the village, dating from 1836.

Services and education

Wychbold's surgery on De Wyche Road is run as a branch by St Johns Surgery as part of NHS Redditch and Bromsgrove. The village's closest A&E is

Worcestershire Royal Hospital The Worcestershire Royal Hospital is an acute general hospital located in Charles Hastings Way in Worcester, England. It is managed by the Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust. The hospital replaced the Worcester Royal Infirmary in 2002 as the ...

, although there are non-urgent hospitals within

and

. Other emergency services are provided by

West Mercia Police West Mercia Police (), formerly the West Mercia Constabulary, is the territorial police force responsible for policing the counties of Herefordshire, Shropshire (including Telford and Wrekin) and Worcestershire in England. The force area cover ...

and

Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service The Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service (HWFRS) is the statutory fire and rescue service covering Herefordshire and Worcestershire in the West Midlands region of England. The service covers an area of , and a population of around 780 ...

, both having stations in Droitwich Spa. Wychbold's only school is Wychbold First and Nursery School, which opened in September 1972. It teaches children from the age of 3–10.

Leisure and sport

In August 2018, a new play area opened opposite Wychbold Village Hall, containing new swings, climbing frames and slides. The play area will be improved further in the future, adding a small games area for

table tennis Table tennis, also known as ping-pong and whiff-whaff, is a sport in which two or four players hit a lightweight ball, also known as the ping-pong ball, back and forth across a table using small solid rackets. It takes place on a hard table div ...

and

boules ''Boules'' () is a collective name for a wide range of games similar to bowls and bocce (In French: jeu or jeux, in Croatian: boćanje and in Italian: gioco or giochi) in which the objective is to throw or roll heavy balls (called in France, ...

. The village hall also maintains football pitches, with access to changing rooms and a car park. Wychbold also has a rural walk site called Centurion Way Woods. After the sudden closure of the village's

social club A social club may be a group of people or the place where they meet, generally formed around a common interest, occupation, or activity. Examples include: book discussion clubs, chess clubs, anime clubs, country clubs, charity work, criminal ...

in April 2017, Wychbold's villagers raised over £20,000 to reopen the club. The Wychbold Sports and Social Club reopened in July 2017, with the aim to "bring the community together amidst several new housing developments" within the village. It offers a large lounge and function room, small bar and a snooker room. Wychbold is represented in

Sunday league football Sunday league football is a term used in Britain and Ireland to describe the amateur association football competitions which take place on Sunday rather than the more usual Saturday. The term pub league may also be used, owing to the number of ...

by Wychbold FC, who have played on the pitches outside the village hall for over 50 years.

Notable people

George Lashwood George Lashwood (born Edward George Wright; 25 April 1863 – 20 January 1942) was a popular English singer and comedian of the Edwardian era, who performed in music halls throughout the country, especially in London's East End and at seaside l ...

(1863–1942), English

music hall Music hall is a type of British theatrical entertainment that was popular from the early Victorian era, beginning around 1850. It faded away after 1918 as the halls rebranded their entertainment as variety. Perceptions of a distinction in Bri ...

singer, buried at St Mary de Wyche

References

External links

{{authority control Villages in Worcestershire Anglo-Saxon royal vills