Alvechurch

Alvechurch means "Ælfgyth's church". In the eighth century, Ælfgyth founded a church on the site of the church of St. Laurence. King Offa of Mercia gave the land forming the parish to Bishops of Worcester in 780. The parish is mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1068 as Alvievecherche with a small population of under 20 people. In the thirteenth century the Bishop of Worcester built a palace in the village, and a weekly market and an annual fair were established. The Bishop's Palace was pulled down in the seventeenth century, the only remnants being part of the moat and a yew tree which formerly stood in the palace grounds. From the nineteenth century to the mid-twentieth century there was a…

The village has a number of medieval half-timbered buildings, as well as many Georgian, Edwardian and Victorian buildings. The church of St Laurence dates back to 1239. It is situated on high ground, and was probably the site of an earlier Mercian church, although nothing remains of the earlier wooden building. Much of the church was rebuilt between 1858 and 1861 by William Butterfield. There is a 1,348-pipe organ. The tower has a peal of eight bells, rung regularly by the North Worcestershire and District Change Ringing Association. The Ark, a £1m extension to the church was built in 2005 despite a village referendum in February 2004 voting against the erection of the building. There are…