Stoke Prior is a village in Herefordshire, England, 4 km (2.5 mi) south east of Leominster.
Stoke Prior is a large parish lying in mid-Worcestershire to the north-east of the town of Droitwich. It has an area of 3,835 acres, (fn. 1) of which 994 are arable land, 2,232 permanent grass and 1½ woods. (fn. 2) The village of Stoke Prior, in the west of the parish, lies in the valley of the Salwarpe, at about 200 ft. above the ordnance datum, but the land rises in the north, reaching a height of over 400 ft. at Finstall. The subsoil is Keuper Marl and the upper soil is clay, growing crops of wheat, barley and turnips.
The village lies on the Bromsgrove and Alcester high road, which passes through the parish from north to south, connecting the village with the hamlet of Sharpway Gate on the southern boundary of the parish. A branch from this road at Stoke Heath leads north-east to Aston Fields and Finstall.
The River Salwarpe, which rises in the Lickey Hills, flows south-west through the parish. On its course through Stoke Prior it is fed by several tributaries, of which the most important is Sugar Brook. On the banks of the Salwarpe lies the village of Stoke Prior, the inhabitants of which are almost exclusively engaged in the manufacture of salt. A new village has sprung up in the course of the last century to the south of the original settlement, clustering round the Stoke Prior Salt Works. These were built by Mr. Corbett, and now belong to the Salt Union. Salt was found here in 1828, (fn. 3) and the works are now the most complete and compact in the world. (fn. 4)
The Stoke Farm Reformatory for Boys, to the south of the village, was founded by Joseph Sturge about the middle of the 19th century, (fn. 5) and is managed by a committee under Government inspection. It contains on an average eighty inmates, who are employed in gardening, tailoring, carpentry, shoemaking, and general work on the farm. Near the Reformatory is the Colonial Training College, which has for its object the practical training in domestic work of ladies desiring to proceed to the colonies. To the north of the village at Stoke Heath (fn. 6) is the Grange, the residence of Mr. Arthur James Norton. To the west are needle-scouring mills, (fn. 7) and to the south-east is an old pound. To the south of the village are workshops and a wharf on the Worcester and Birmingham Canal, which passes through a great many locks in its passage through the parish of Stoke Prior.
Finstall, now a separate ecclesiastical parish, lies in the north, and practically constitutes a suburb of Bromsgrove. It includes Finstall Park, of 120 acres, the property of Mr. Ernest Montague Everitt, J.P., and now occupied by Mr. John Boultbee Brooks, J.P. The village hall was presented to the parish in 1904 by Miss Albright, and is used for religious services on Sundays and as a men's social club during the week.
The newer portion grouped round Bromsgrove station is locally known as Aston Fields and lies to the south of Finstall. It is a populous district, inhabited by the employees of the Midland Railway's wagon works, which are in this parish. The Aston Fields Workmen's Club was opened in 1891.
The Bristol and Birmingham branch of the Midland railway runs through the parish from south-west to north-east, with a station called Stoke Works near the salt works. This is also the terminus of the Stoke branch of the Great Western railway. Bromsgrove station lies in this parish, to the west of Aston Fields, and to the north of Finstall is the beginning of the Lickey incline on the Midland railway, with a gradient of 1 in 37.
School
Stoke Prior Community Primary School has three classes and caters for children from the age of 4 up to 11. In a 2007 Ofsted inspection, the Overall effectiveness of the school was rated as Grade: 1 - Outstanding. The Head Teacher is Mrs Sally McCamley.
Stoke Prior is a large parish lying in mid-Worcestershire to the north-east of the town of Droitwich. It has an area of 3,835 acres, (fn. 1) of which 994 are arable land, 2,232 permanent grass and 1½ woods. (fn. 2) The village of Stoke Prior, in the west of the parish, lies in the valley of the Salwarpe, at about 200 ft. above the ordnance datum, but the land rises in the north, reaching a height of over 400 ft. at Finstall. The subsoil is Keuper Marl and the upper soil is clay, growing crops of wheat, barley and turnips.
The village lies on the Bromsgrove and Alcester high road, which passes through the parish from north to south, connecting the village with the hamlet of Sharpway Gate on the southern boundary of the parish. A branch from this road at Stoke Heath leads north-east to Aston Fields and Finstall.
The River Salwarpe, which rises in the Lickey Hills, flows south-west through the parish. On its course through Stoke Prior it is fed by several tributaries, of which the most important is Sugar Brook. On the banks of the Salwarpe lies the village of Stoke Prior, the inhabitants of which are almost exclusively engaged in the manufacture of salt. A new village has sprung up in the course of the last century to the south of the original settlement, clustering round the Stoke Prior Salt Works. These were built by Mr. Corbett, and now belong to the Salt Union. Salt was found here in 1828, (fn. 3) and the works are now the most complete and compact in the world. (fn. 4)
The Stoke Farm Reformatory for Boys, to the south of the village, was founded by Joseph Sturge about the middle of the 19th century, (fn. 5) and is managed by a committee under Government inspection. It contains on an average eighty inmates, who are employed in gardening, tailoring, carpentry, shoemaking, and general work on the farm. Near the Reformatory is the Colonial Training College, which has for its object the practical training in domestic work of ladies desiring to proceed to the colonies. To the north of the village at Stoke Heath (fn. 6) is the Grange, the residence of Mr. Arthur James Norton. To the west are needle-scouring mills, (fn. 7) and to the south-east is an old pound. To the south of the village are workshops and a wharf on the Worcester and Birmingham Canal, which passes through a great many locks in its passage through the parish of Stoke Prior.
Finstall, now a separate ecclesiastical parish, lies in the north, and practically constitutes a suburb of Bromsgrove. It includes Finstall Park, of 120 acres, the property of Mr. Ernest Montague Everitt, J.P., and now occupied by Mr. John Boultbee Brooks, J.P. The village hall was presented to the parish in 1904 by Miss Albright, and is used for religious services on Sundays and as a men's social club during the week.
The newer portion grouped round Bromsgrove station is locally known as Aston Fields and lies to the south of Finstall. It is a populous district, inhabited by the employees of the Midland Railway's wagon works, which are in this parish. The Aston Fields Workmen's Club was opened in 1891.
The Bristol and Birmingham branch of the Midland railway runs through the parish from south-west to north-east, with a station called Stoke Works near the salt works. This is also the terminus of the Stoke branch of the Great Western railway. Bromsgrove station lies in this parish, to the west of Aston Fields, and to the north of Finstall is the beginning of the Lickey incline on the Midland railway, with a gradient of 1 in 37.
School
Stoke Prior Community Primary School has three classes and caters for children from the age of 4 up to 11. In a 2007 Ofsted inspection, the Overall effectiveness of the school was rated as Grade: 1 - Outstanding. The Head Teacher is Mrs Sally McCamley.
