Our meeting on 22nd April was well attended. Emma Hancox who works for the Worcestershire Archive and Archaeology Service, gave a talk on 'The Archaeology of Redditch New Town'.
It is hard to believe that Redditch New Town celebrated its 50th Anniversary in April 2014. Many of the new towns of that era were based on the idea of "Garden Cities". Over 100,000 trees were planted around the new town and views were very important, with houses fitted into the landscape but hidden from view. It was thought to be a very healthy place to live.
However, in 1964, Redditch was designated as a car-orientated town with a high regard for transport, hence the many roundabouts and highways surrounding the town. Today the archaeology of the area is always taken into consideration when new planning proposals are put forward. Fifty years ago careful records were made of what was to be destroyed and what was to be kept but many old buildings were lost.
Since 1629 Redditch has always been associated with the needle trade. In the mid-19th Century it produced ninety percent of the world's needles but in 1980 cheap imports from East Asia overtook the Redditch output. Old ponds, mills and forges needed for the industry have been discovered by the introduction of LIDAR or Light Detecting and Ranging, which uses laser beams in aerial surveys producing images similar to contour maps. Many old archaeological features including ridge and furrow fields and old river courses have been discovered using this system.
Emma's interesting talk revealed that although Redditch New Town is only 50 years old, these surveys show that the area was always partly an agricultural community in the past.
Pat Evans