Studley is situated on the Warwickshire/Worcestershire border in the English Midlands.

Map

Distances from Studley

 

 

 

 

Geography

The River Arrow flows form north to south in the western section of the parish and the highest land lies in the northern and eatern fringes, rising in the most northernly section to 542 feet in Upper Skilts where it forms part of the Arrow-Alne watershed. Most of the parish area is underlain by Keuper Marl with a small area of drift, mostlly boulder clay and clayey gravels, on the high land. The eastern section of the parish is characterised by rolling topography, dissected by small tributary streams of the Arrow.

History

The modern Alcester to Birmingham road that runs through Studley follows the line of the roman Ryknild Street, but there is no record of a Roman settlement at Studley.

The first historical reference comes in Saxon Times (circa 7th century) when there was a small village behind the site of the parish church, which almost certainly stands on a the site of a Saxon predecessor. The earliest object located to date is a Viking or Saxon axe found within the churchyard.

The Domesday Book refers to Studley as being largely in the hands of William Fitz Corbucion and states that there is a mill. In the 12th century an Augustinian priory was founded on the west bank of the River Arrow by Peter Corbizen and this survived until the Dissolution during Henry VIII's reign.
In 1325 Studley was reported to have two mills and at about this time Peter de Studley built a castle close to the Church. Only the moat and some earthworks remain.

During the 16th century the village expanded on to the west bank of the River Arrow. The old Ryknild street became the Birmingham Road, being turned into a Turnpike in 1721, and gradually the village became centred on the road, extending along both sides.

Although, it is believed that at this time Studley was the centre of needle manufacture, records exist only from 1695. During the 17th and 18th centuries additional industries developed; including tanning, charcoal making, brickmaking and malting. Needle manufacture remained the most important industry, for which Studley became renowned world wide;  and into which in 1800 James Pardoe introduced machinery for the first time.

Studley has continued to develop and diversify into one of the largest villages in England and is now famous for its Pubs and Restuarants which are popular for with people from a wide area, click here for a quick guided tour. Apparently, there are more pubs per person than anywhere else in the UK apart from Blackpool.

Places of Interest

St Mary's Parish Church

The oldest part of hte current structure dates from gthe 12th century. The south aisle was added in the 14th century whilst the small chancel and battlemented waest tower are 15th century.
Features of interest in the church include a mediaeval piscina; a rare 13th century coffin lid; across the top of the chancel arch a Paschal lamb stone that is also of the 13th century; a Jacobean pulpit and a 13th century painting adjacent to the Norman window.

Castle

Within the line of the moat of Peter de Studley castle there now stands a many-gabled 16th century house, and 400 metres to the east, is the 'New castle', a house built in 1834 to the designs of Beezley, a theatrical architect. This rather extraordinary building, whose forbidding lines and massive towers, give the impression of a prison, is now used as the Rover Group marketing centre.