|
|
Kinver
Kinver is one of the larger villages in the South Staffordshire area and is situated in the far south-western edge of the county and borders the counties of Shropshire, Worcestershire and the West Midlands. Kinver is close to the towns of Stourbridge and Kidderminster and the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal passes through Kinver and runs close to the course of the River Stour. The 2001 census recorded that Kinver has a population of some 6,805 people. 280 acres of the land surrounding Kinver is owned and maintained by the National Trust, and there is a large country park towards the edge of the area. The Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal is well maintained and draws boaters from the four corners of the country to Kinver to enjoy this miracle of the industrial revolution.
The historic setting of St Peter's Church is located just south of the village and this attracts many tourists and people with an interest in the historic architecture of the structure to the area. This chuch can be dated back to the 12th century and exists in the memory of St Peter. The parish of Kinver is also home to a number of smaller villages such as Compton, Sourton and Whttington. The main pub in Kinver (The White Hart) is also historic in nature, dating from the 14th century, and the nearby Anchor Hotel dating back to the 15th century. The Grammar School is preserved even though it was closed in 1915 and stands as a beautiful example of 16th Century architecture. Kinver itself saw a major growth period in modern times party due to the cloth industry, the flow of the Stour was used to turn fulling mills and dyeing equipment to produce woollen goods. Kinver was also situated on the "Irish Road" that meandered from Bristol to Chester, and this attracted a large amount of trade to the area.
Many flock to the area to view the natural beauty spot known as Kinver Edge, this lies to the south-west of the village and is a fine example of ancient rock and cave houses carved from sandstone. Some of these remained inhabited recently; certainly within what is considered to be living memory. Just outside of Kinver are the famous Drakelow Tunnels that were used by the Ministry of Defence for many years, and during World War II these tunnels were home to factory complexes that would have been used to build aircraft engines should the factories in Birmingham ever be bombed. These tunnels near Kinver were used once again during the Cold War when they become regional government headquarters used to house government officials, VIP's and military leaders should war have ever broken out. This site is currently being turned into a tourst attraction to preserve the Kinver regions wartime history.
|
|