Martley
| Martley | |
| Worcestershire | |
|---|---|
 The Crown | |
| Location | |
| Grid reference: | SO754597 |
| Location: | 52°14’9"N, 2°21’37"W |
| Data | |
| Post town: | Worcester |
| Postcode: | WR6 |
| Dialling code: | 01886 |
| Local Government | |
| Council: | Malvern Hills |
| Parliamentary constituency: |
West Worcestershire |
Martley is a village and parish in the Doddingtree hundred of Worcestershire. It is approximately nine miles north-west of Worcester. The population of the village is approximately 1,200 people. The mixed farming of the area includes arable, formerly cherry, apple, damson orchards and hopyards.
It is a popular village for retired people and professionals working in the city and surrounding towns, and has a large high school to which around 700 pupils are bussed daily from the surrounding area. It has a sports hall with rock climbing wall and a gym within the grounds of the school can be used by the public out of school times.
Geology
The village and its extensive parish sits astride the Malvern Line, a north-south aligned lineament originating in Precambrian times. To the east are Triassic sandstones whilst to the west are Devonian mudstones. Along the lineament itself are a complex mix of rocks of Precambrian, Cambrian and Silurian age.[1]
History
Berrow Hill, an Iron Age hillfort, is one of several in the area, which hosts a beacon.
A lane leads south from the village to the church which stands close to a spring known as St Peters Well, suggesting a pre-Christian origin for the site.[2] The red sandstone parish church of St Peter is Norman in origin.[3] Its peal of six bells, cast locally in 1673 by the bellfounder Richard Keene of Woodstock, in Oxfordshire, is the only complete set of original bells in the county. The bells are a Maiden Ring, a peal of bells that sounds the correct notes immediately after casting and needs no further tuning. St Peter's was one of the first churches in Worcestershire to have as many as six bells and at the beginning of the 18th century[4] very few churches had more than three or four bells. In 1894 the bells were rehung on the original frame and no further major work has been required since.
The church also contains some mediæval wall paintings and an alabaster effigy of Sir Hugh Mortimer, Lord of Kyre & Martley, killed in battle at the Battle of Wakefield in 1460. In 1999 a new stained-glass window was cut, leaded and installed by Patrick Costeloe for the artist Tom Denny.[5]
Notable people
- Sir Charles Hastings (1794-1866) founder of the British Medical Association was raised in Martley.
- Francis Jukes (1745-1812) engraver was born in Martley.
- Martin Stainforth (1866-1957) equine artist was born in Martley.
Amenities
Martley has a village shop, the Crown public house, and a petrol station/garage. Schools in Martley include a primary school and the Chantry High School which has approximately 700 students and has a special technology status. It serves a large rural catchment area. Its sports hall is shared with the public.
There are many walks in the local area such as the Worcestershire Way which passes close by Rodge Hill, and the River Teme is also near the village.
The village is home to Martley Cricket Club, running teams in the Worcestershire League Division 3 (Sat), Division 8 (Sat) and the Worcester Evening League (Tues) with friendly games on Sunday's throughout the season. In 2000 Australian cricketer Glenn McGrath played a match in Martley.[6] The football club has two Saturday teams and a Sunday team.
References
- ↑ "Teme Valley Geological Society". http://www.geo-village.eu.
- ↑ Bridges, Tim 2000rev ed 2005 Churches of Worcestershire, p161 Logaston Press, Herefordshire ISBN 1 904396 39 9
- ↑ Pevsner, Nikolas and Brookes, Alan Worcestershire 2007 Yale University Press p490 ISBN 9780300112986
- ↑ The bells of St Peter's Church, Martley
- ↑ St Peter's, Martley. Stained glass window Retrieved 21 June 2009
- ↑ DJ fractures kneecap playing for Lampitt's XI Retrieved 31 July 2011
- Pevsner, Nikolaus (1968). The Buildings of England: Worcestershire. Penguin Publishings. pp. 221–222.
Outside links
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("Wikimedia Commons" has material about Martley) |