Local Area History Groups

Local Links

Other history sites related to the town are the Redditch History website has a potted history of all aspects of the towns history and, for the more

energetic, the Redditch Walks website has a number of walks around the town and the local area with information on points of  historical interest

on route. These are part of the Explore Redditch group of websites.

Redditch is operated by Redditch Borough Council, whose website has helpful information about the facilities available in the  town. In particular

the Things to Do page gives information on the programme of leisure and cultural events the town offers throughout the year with parks, leisure

centres, sport, theatres and museums.

The town museum is the Forge Mill Needle Museum & Bordesley Abbey Visitor Centre, which encompasses two major national sites, the Forge

Mill Needle Museum based in a 18th Century Water Mill with the original water powered machinery and the ruins of Bordesley Abbey; a medieval

Cistercian Abbey, which has been extensively excavated. The Friends of Forge Mill Needle Museum help to support the museum.

The town centre theatre, the Palace Theatre, one of the few remaining theatres designed by Bertie Crewe, has just celebrated it’s Centenary and

has a wide range of  productions from variety through to plays and musicals.

The Arts in Redditch network provides links and information on art of all forms which you can find within the town. It has information on events in

the town, local groups and societies and the public art which can be seen.

The Visit Redditch site gives information on the town, its facilities and surrounding area.

The are two local ‘free’ newspapers for the town and surrounding area. They are the Redditch Advertiser and Redditch Standard. Both newspapers

have news on what is happening in the town, including local communities, sport and entertainment, as well as a wide range of local advertisements

and sales. They both have web sites and a social media presence, and are  printed weekly in newspaper form and delivered to all households in

the town.

Redditch History gives an introduction to the various aspects of the town’s history using a range of ‘pocket history’ presentations and some

short descriptive text. The site covers EARLY REDDITCH - Birth of Redditch, Bordesley Abbey, Moons Moat and Church Green - INDUSTRY -

Needles, Fish Hooks, Springs, Motor Cycles, Batteries and HDA - TRANSPORT - Roads, Canals, Railway. This site is published independently

as part of the Explore Redditch group of websites.

Redditch Local History Museum has been established as Charitable Incorporated Organisation to campaign for, create and operate a town

centre museum in Redditch. The aims of the museum are to cover all of Redditch’s history and heritage not currently included within the scope

of Forge Mill Needle Museum and the proposed Redditch Cycle & Motorcycle Museum.

Redditch Local History Museum

Forge Mill Needle Museum in Redditch is an historic site illustrating the rich heritage of the needle and fishing tackle industries. Models and

recreated scenes provide a vivid illustration of how needles were once made, and how Redditch once produced 90% of the world’s needles. On

the same site, just a very short walk from Forge Mill Museum, are the ruins of Bordesley Abbey – a medieval Cistercian Abbey which has been

extensively excavated.