Welcome to Roman Alcester, once home to a Polar explorer and lucrative needle works
ALCESTER
Points of interest on Katie B Morgan's map:
Roman heritage: Founded as a walled Roman fort in AD47. Icknield Street runs through.
Oversley Wood: Some of the coppiced limes may have been in the Forest of Arden.
Yellow duck: Annual ‘bath toy’ Duck Race in July.
Book: Polar explorer and author George Frederick Jackson was born here (1860-1938).
Sheep: Henley Street used to be called Sheep Street.
Angel: The building, once The Angel Inn, closed in 1865.
Bowens Drapery: Established in 1887.
Roman coin: In 1967, a Roman coin hoard is found.
Musicians: Alcester Victoria Silver Band was formed in 1897.
Elephant on coin: An old oak tree trunk – that looked like the shape of an elephant – was cut down for the bypass road to Bidford, and moved to near the footbridge. It has since lost its grey bark.
Gold post box: In recognition of showjumper Nick Skelton, who lives nearby.
Tueries: Six old walkways: Bulls Head Yard, Oak, Nelson, Priory, Market Place and Lions.
Town criers: The Heart of England Town Criers’ championships are held in Alcester.
Sebastian Coe pancake-racing: The annual Alcester Court Leet pancake race is held on the High Street (Sebastian Coe used to live in Alcester, though didn't necessarily try pancake-racing).
Alauna: Celtic river goddess. Her name can be found throughout the town.
READ MORE: An illustrated guide to Shipston-on-Stour.
Football: Alcester Town FC.
BC on coin: The stamp of Bernard Cuzner (1877-1956), product designer and silversmith.
Tea pot: A steam train, running on the Evesham and Redditch Railway through the town, was nicknamed ‘the teapot’.
Needle: There was once a bodkin factory on Malt Mill Lane.
Alcester Abbey: The buried remains and earthwork are to the north of the town. It was once a Benidictine Abbey, founded c.1138-40.
Fish: Roman brooch in the shape of a fish was found on Gas House Lane, 1989.
Hat pin with bird: Minerva Needle Works was built 1880-5, and bought in 1912 by Terry’s Springs, makers of the Anglepoise lamp.
White bird on hat pin: The National Trust’s Kinwarton Dovecote.
Letters: Post Office on the High Street.
St Nicholas Church: It’s worth going inside to see the benefaction board. The clock on the tower is placed on a corner so that it could be seen from the High Street.
Arrow: Pointing towards the village of Arrow, around a mile SW of Alcester.
Tennis racket: Alcester Tennis Club is off Moorfield Road.
Rook: The Rookery on Stratford Road.
Globe: Roundabout Sculpture. There used to be a pub nearby called the Globe, so the roundabout gained a local nickname.
Thanks to friends Pete and Julie, and alcester-tc.gov.uk
Prints and cards of Katie B Morgan’s maps and illustrations are available from: kbmorgan.co.uk
