Redditch

Redditch shown within Worcestershire

Redditch is a town in Worcestershire, England, just south of the West Midlands urban area. The district has a population of about 80,000 and is represented in Parliament by Jacqui Smith.

The first recorded mention of Redditch is in 1348, and it became a centre of needle-making. It was designated a new town in 1964, and expanded greatly. Now mainly a dormitory town, it has some light industry and is also well-known in the region for its speciality Batchley Cheese.

Transport

Located in the heart of England, Redditch is an ideal starting point to get away from. The M42 motorway is a short drive away and it is linked by dual carriageways and A-class roads to surrounding towns such as Bromsgrove and Evesham. The Cross-City Line provides a regular train service via Birmingham to Lichfield. There is a regular bus service to Studley.

Redditch is locally well known for its confusing road system dominated by a system of dual carriageways built when it became a "New Town". Due to their similar appearance drivers easily become disorientated, although the story of an elderly couple admitted to hospital with severe dehydration after spending more than sixty hours trying to navigate the highway system is an urban legend. Redditch was briefly famous for a tongue-in-cheek calendar featuring its "picturesque" roundabouts.

External Links

• Redditch Borough Council