Bromsgrove
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Bromsgrove is a town in north west Worcestershire, part of the West Midlands in England. It is the main settlement in the Bromsgrove district.
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Background
The name Bromsgrove may derive from the Old English Brommsgraf, meaning a small wood frequented by highway robbers. An alternative source comes from the Domesday book of 1086 where the town is mentioned as Bremesgrave. Breme may have been a famous person and grave is a fortified clearing.
In its early days, Bromsgrove was a centre for the woollen trade, which went into decline before the 17th century.
Nail making was introduced by the French Huguenots in the 17th Century and became a thriving industry. At one point Bromsgrove was the world centre of nail making. Mechanisation quickly put the industry into decline. It is now a dormitory town for Birmingham, with few places of interest. The fish and chip shop above which Lord Lucan was rumoured to have hidden in during the late 1970s has been demolished.
Bromsgrove currently has a fast growing population in large new developments like the Oakalls estate. The reason for the town's popularity is due to its positioning close to Birmingham and the excellent links to the A38 that cuts through the town, the M5 motorway bordering the west side and the M42 motorway starting at the north of the town. Bromsgrove also benefits from a relatively low crime rate.
Famous Residents
Poet Alfred Edward Housman was born in Bromsgrove in 1859.
Poet Geoffrey Hill was born in Bromsgrove in 1932.
Sport
Bromsgrove is home to Bromsgrove Rugby Football Club, one of the oldest clubs in the country. Bromsgrove also hosts Bromsgrove Rovers F.C. (football) and Bromsgrove Cricket Club.
Economy
Many of Bromsgrove's residents find employment in Birmingham, Redditch, Worcester and other places along the motorway network. Prior to the collapse of MG Rover in May 2005, it was also a major employer of Bromsgrove residents.
Bromsgrove is still home to LG Harris Ltd, a maker of quality paint brushes.
New business parks in Aston Fields, Buntsford Hill and Harris's Business Park are helping to revitalise the local economy. Bromsgrove District Council is aiming to create a technology corridor along the A38 to take advantage of the area's excellent road links, partly to mitigate the effects of the MG Rover collapse.
Attractions
The Avoncroft Museum of Buildings has its home in Bromsgrove.
Bromsgrove's nightlife scene is dominated by "Euphoria" (known to insiders as "Euph" or "Euthanasia"), a nightclub which features a mixture of styles ranging from pure pop to commercial dance.
Bromsgrove enjoys a position near to the Lickey Hills, Clent Hills, Wasley Hills and rural Worcestershire.
Learning
Bromsgrove is the main site of North East Worcestershire College, better known as NEW College.
Political
Bromsgrove's MP is Julie Kirkbride (Conservative).
External links
- Bromsgrove District Council (http://www.bromsgrove.gov.uk)
- NEW College in Bromsgrove and Redditch (http://www.ne-worcs.ac.uk)
- Bromsgrove School (http://www.bromsgrove-school.co.uk)
- Bromsgrove Advertiser (http://www.thisisbromsgrove.co.uk/) (newspaper)
- Bromsgrove Rugby Football Club (http://www.bromsgroverfc.co.uk/)
References
- Bromsgrove (Images of England) - ISBN 0752411462
- Glory Gone: The Story of Nailing in Bromsgrove - ISBN 0951352512