Birlingham

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Birlingham
The Swan, Birlingham.jpg
The Swan, Birlingham
Worcestershire UK location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Birlingham
Location within Worcestershire
OS grid reference SO932428
Civil parish
  • Birlingham
District
Shire county
Region
Country England
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Post town PERSHORE
Postcode district WR10
Dialling code 01386
Police West Mercia
Fire Hereford and Worcester
Ambulance West Midlands
UK Parliament
List of places
UK
England
Worcestershire
52°04′59″N2°06′00″W / 52.083°N 2.1°W / 52.083; -2.1 Coordinates: 52°04′59″N2°06′00″W / 52.083°N 2.1°W / 52.083; -2.1

Birlingham is a village and civil parish in the Wychavon district of Worcestershire. The village is south of Pershore, located in a bend of the River Avon.

Contents

Toponymy

The name Birlingham is derived from the Old English Byrla–inga–hamm, meaning "Land, in a river-bend, of a man called Byrla". It has been recorded as Byrlingahamm (972) and Berlingeham (1086, Domesday Book). [1]

History

Roman Britain

Romans are believed to have settled in Birlingham during the Roman occupation of Britain, suggested by the discovery of a Roman brooch within the village. It is possible that there was a crossing point near the village at Swans Neck, though no evidence has been found of this. [2]

Late Middle Ages

The Swan Inn, the village's public house, is believed to date back to the 16th century. [3]

Governance

The village of Birlingham is primarily governed by Birlingham Parish Council, then by Wychavon District Council. It falls within the West Worcestershire constituency. [4]

Geography and demography

Birlingham is surrounded on the north, south and east sides by a river-bend known as Swans Neck, part of the River Avon. The village is located on a floodplain. [5] Bow Brook passes by the village's west side.

Nearby villages include Defford and Eckington.

In 2001, the parish had a population of 325, compared to a population of 373 in 1991. [6]

Transport

There are two bus services that serve Birlingham: the 52/53, which goes between Worcester and Eckington (via Pershore and Evesham), [7] and the 54, which goes between Worcester and Pershore. [8] Both services are run by FirstGroup.

Places of worship

Church of St James the Great Birlingham Church - geograph.org.uk - 42341.jpg
Church of St James the Great
The church's original chancel arch Entrance Arch, Birlingham Church - geograph.org.uk - 756819.jpg
The church's original chancel arch
Flag flown from the church tower Flag of the Church of St James the Great, Birlingham.svg
Flag flown from the church tower

Birlingham is served by the church of St James the Great, located in the Anglican Diocese of Worcester. The original church was built in the 12th century, with its chancel arch now located outside as the churchyard's entrance. The current west tower was built in the 15th century, the rest of the church being rebuilt around the 1870s by Rev Robert Rashleigh Duke. [9] [10]

Sport

Birlingham is represented in Worcestershire Cricket League Division League Six by Birlingham Cricket Club. [11]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Worcestershire</span> County of England

Worcestershire 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">River Avon, Warwickshire</span> River in central England

The River Avon in central England flows generally southwestwards and is a major left-bank tributary of the River Severn, of which it is the easternmost. It is also known as the Warwickshire Avon or Shakespeare's Avon, to distinguish it from several other rivers of the same name in the United Kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Evesham</span> Human settlement in England

Evesham is a market town and parish in the Wychavon district of Worcestershire, in the West Midlands region of England. It is located roughly equidistant between Worcester, Cheltenham and Stratford-upon-Avon. It lies within the Vale of Evesham, an area comprising the flood plain of the River Avon, which has been renowned for market gardening. The town centre, situated within a meander of the river, is subjected regularly to flooding. The 2007 floods were the most severe in recorded history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pershore</span> Human settlement in England

Pershore is a market town and civil parish in the Wychavon district in Worcestershire, England, on the banks of the River Avon. At the 2011 census, the population was 7,125. The town is best known for Pershore Abbey. Pershore is situated 6 miles (10 km) west of Evesham and 6 miles (10 km) east of Upton-upon-Severn in the Vale of Evesham.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wychavon</span> Non-metropolitan district in England

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. The district extends from the southeast corner of Worcestershire north and west. It borders all the other districts of Worcestershire, as well as the counties of Gloucestershire and Warwickshire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eckington, Worcestershire</span> Human settlement in England

Eckington is a small village near to the southern border of the English county of Worcestershire, according to the 2001 census it had a population of 1,202.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wyre Piddle</span> Human settlement in England

Wyre Piddle is a village and civil parish in the Wychavon district of Worcestershire, England. It is on the River Avon, near where that river is joined by the Piddle Brook - between Evesham and Pershore.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wychbold</span> Human settlement in England

Wychbold is a village in the Wychavon district of Worcestershire. The village is situated on the A38 between Droitwich Spa and Bromsgrove, and by Junction 5 of the M5 motorway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Badsey</span> Human settlement in England

Badsey is a village and civil parish in the Wychavon district of Worcestershire, England. It has two parks and a small first school located in the centre of the village.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Throckmorton, Worcestershire</span> Human settlement in England

Throckmorton is a small village and civil parish in the administrative district of Wychavon, in the county of Worcestershire, England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Broughton Hackett</span> Human settlement in England

Broughton Hackett is a village and civil parish in the Wychavon district of the county of Worcestershire, England. It is about 5 miles east of the city of Worcester, on the A422 and according to the 2001 census had a population of 173.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ombersley</span> Village in Worcestershire, England

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 population of 2,360 for the parish.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charlton, Worcestershire</span> Human settlement in England

Charlton is a village in the Wychavon district of the county of Worcestershire, England. During the 2007 United Kingdom floods, many homes were affected for the second time in a decade. Charlton lies between the River Avon and Bredon Hill. Evesham is 3 miles to the east, and Pershore 5 miles to the west, but its postal address is Pershore rather than Evesham. Fladbury and Cropthorne are its neighbouring villages, both within a mile Fladbury is just over the River Avon and Cropthorne up the hill.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harvington</span> Human settlement in England

Harvington is a village near Evesham in Worcestershire, England. Bounded by the River Avon to the south and the Lench Hills to the north, three miles northeast of Evesham and now on the Worcestershire/Warwickshire border. The village today is an amalgamation of two smaller villages, Harvington and Harvington Cross, and has a population of around 1,750.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hinton on the Green</span> Human settlement in England

Hinton on the Green is a village and civil parish in the Wychavon district of Worcestershire in England. It is situated at the foot of Bredon Hill, about two miles south of Evesham.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wick, Worcestershire</span> Human settlement in England

Wick is a village in the district of Wychavon in the county of Worcestershire, England. It is located 2 miles from the town of Pershore in the Vale of Evesham, and nestles in a large bend in the River Avon. It is bounded by areas of parkland listed by the Wychavon District Council as Locally Important Parks and Gardens.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tibberton, Worcestershire</span> Human settlement in England

Tibberton is a village in Worcestershire, England. It is located around 4 miles north-east of Worcester and less than a mile from junction 6 of the M5 motorway. The Worcester and Birmingham Canal passes just to the north of the village.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peopleton</span> Human settlement in England

Peopleton is a village and civil parish in the Wychavon district of Worcestershire, England. In 2001 the parish had a population of 640, with 245 households.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sedgeberrow</span> Human settlement in England

Sedgeberrow is a village and civil parish in the Wychavon district of Worcestershire, England, about 3 miles (4.8 km) south of Evesham. It stands beside the River Isbourne, a tributary of the River Avon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Strensham</span> Human settlement in England

Strensham is a village in the Wychavon district of Worcestershire. In the 2001 census, the civil parish of Strensham had a population of 314 across 127 households. Since 1991, the population has risen 28.7% from 244 residents.

References

  1. Mills, A. D.; Room, Adrian (2002). The Oxford Names Companion. Oxford University Press. p. 946. ISBN   0198605617.
  2. Griffin, Simon; Mann, Andrew; Darch, Erica B.; Pearson, Elizabeth (14 January 2003). Archaeological 'Strip and Record' and Watching Brief at Birlingham, Worcestershire (PDF) (Report). Archaeological Service - Worcestershire County Council. pp. 2–8. Retrieved 14 September 2018.
  3. "The Swan at Birlingham, near Pershore, gets new owners and a new look". Evesham Journal. 18 June 2014. Retrieved 14 September 2018.
  4. "West Worcestershire - UK Parliament". beta.parliament.uk. Retrieved 15 September 2018.
  5. Bretherton, Jeremy; Pearson, Liz (6 July 2000). Watching Brief at Gwen Finch Nature Reserve, Birlingham, Worcestershire (PDF) (Report). Archaeological Service - Worcestershire County Council. pp. 1–9. Retrieved 14 September 2018.
  6. Worcestershire County Council (2001). 2001 Census Worcestershire County Population Report (Report). p. 28.
  7. "Timetables | Worcestershire | First Bus". First Bus. Retrieved 14 September 2018.
  8. "Timetables | Worcestershire | First Bus". First Bus. Retrieved 14 September 2018.
  9. "About us - St James the Great -A Church Near You". www.achurchnearyou.com. Retrieved 14 September 2018.
  10. Upton, Chris (30 January 2014). "Pretty legacy from beyond the grave". birminghampost. Retrieved 14 September 2018.
  11. "Title glory for Birlingham cricketers". Evesham Journal. 22 August 2018. Retrieved 14 September 2018.