Tanworth-in-Arden

Tanworth-in-Arden (/ˈtænwərθ ɪn ˈɑːrdən/; often abbreviated to Tanworth) is a small village and civil parish in the county of Warwickshire, England. It is 14.5 miles southeast of Birmingham and 5.5 miles northeast of Redditch, and is administered by Stratford-on-Avon District Council. The civil parish includes Tanworth-in-Arden itself plus the nearby settlements of Earlswood, Wood End, Forshaw Heath, Aspley Heath and Danzey Green.[1] The population of the parish was 3,104 at the 2011 UK census.[2]

Not to be confused with Tamworth, Staffordshire.
Tanworth-in-Arden

Village centre
Tanworth-in-Arden
Location within Warwickshire
Population3,104 (parish 2011)
Civil parish
  • Tanworth-in-Arden
Unitary authority
Ceremonial county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townSOLIHULL
Postcode districtB94
Dialling code01789
PoliceWarwickshire
FireWarwickshire
AmbulanceWest Midlands
UK Parliament

The village is of Anglo-Saxon origin, with the name derived from Tanewotha; meaning the thane's 'worth' or estate. In the 19th century, the suffix 'in-Arden' was added to the name, in order to avoid confusion with the town of Tamworth in Staffordshire, it refers to the Forest of Arden in which the village lay.[3][4] Notable historical buildings still standing in the village include The Bell Inn public house and the 14th-century Church of St. Mary Magdalene. The boxer "Gentleman" Jack Hood was the licensee of The Bell for 36 years, displaying above the bar the Lonsdale belt that he won on 31 May 1926.[5] (The belt was sold by his daughters in 2011.)[6]

Nick Drake's gravestone. The epitaph reads: 'Now we rise / And we are everywhere', from his song "From the Morning" (on Pink Moon).

Tanworth was the childhood home of folk musician Nick Drake and his sister, the actress Gabrielle Drake. His grave lies in the parish churchyard.[7]

The grave of nine-times world motorcycle champion Mike Hailwood MBE, GM, and his daughter Michelle, who were both killed in a car accident at Portway in 1981, are also to be found here.[8] An annual memorial motorcycle run was held every March from the former Norton motorcycle factory to Tanworth, although this was stopped after the 2011 event.[9]

The village was a filming location for the fictional village of Kings Oak from the British television series Crossroads until 1988.[10]

The parish includes Umberslade Hall, which dates from around 1695, and for six hundred years the home of the Archer family and later the industrialist George Frederic Muntz.[4]

The village lies close to the ex-Great Western Railway line from Birmingham to Stratford-upon-Avon but has never had a station of its own: rather it lies midway between two others - Wood End to the north and Danzey to the south, both about a mile distant, though the latter was once known as Danzey for Tanworth.[11]

References
  1. "Tanworth-in-Arden Parish Council". Retrieved 17 July 2020.
  2. "TANWORTH-IN-ARDEN Parish in West Midlands". City Population. Retrieved 20 July 2020.
  3. The Warwickshire Village Book. Countryside Books. 2000. pp. 187–190. ISBN 1-85306-652-4.
  4. Geoff, Allen (2000). Warwickshire Towns & Villages. Sigma Press. pp. 131–133. ISBN 1-85058-642-X.
  5. Lillington, Catherine (2011) "Boxer "Gentleman" Jack Hood's belt sells for £36,000", Birmingham Mail, 12 September 2011. Retrieved 27 July 2014
  6. Antiques Trade Gazette, 1 October 2011, page 22
  7. "Nick Drake", Find a Grave. Retrieved 20 October 2019
  8. "Mike Hailwood", Find a Grave. Retrieved 20 October 2019
  9. "Mike Hailwood Memorial Run", Google Sites, social self-published original research article. Retrieved 20 October 2019
  10. "TV programmes made in Birmingham: Crossroads". Birmingham Mail. 26 June 2013. Retrieved 23 July 2020.
  11. "Danzey (DZY)", National Rail Enquiries. Retrieved 20 October 2019
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