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Coordinates: 52°16'11?N 1°53'29?W? / ?52.26961, -1.89151
Studley is a large village and civil parish in the Stratford-on-Avon district of Warwickshire, England.
Studley is on the western edge of Warwickshire near the border with Worcestershire and is 8 km (5 miles) south-east of Redditch and 21 km (13 miles) north-west of Stratford. The Roman road of Ryknild Street, now the A435, passes through the village on its eastern edge, parallel to the River Arrow.
The village is old to enough have been recorded as existing in the Domesday Book of 1086. It is the site of both a castle and the remains of a medieval priory.
Studley is sometimes claimed to be the largest village in England, however this is incorrect as it is not even the largest village in Warwickshire. Both Polesworth and Bulkington are larger. The 2001 census reported Studley's population as being 6,624.
Studley is also known for being the site of a sewing needle- making industry. In 1977 the old factory where needles were made was burnt down, and the production of "Aero" needles moved to a nearby site. The original factory site now contains a supermarket, other retail outlets, and housing.
One of the streets in the village is named "Crooks Lane", ostensibly because the crooked needles from the original factory were dumped at the end of this lane, but the road was there before the village had a needle factory.
Studley is often noted as having many pubs (17 within one square mile, plus numerous restaurants which also serve alcohol) and it has been suggested that the village has the second-highest number of pubs per head of population (second only to Blackpool).
The original village was along the banks of the river, where the church still remains; it features a window dating back to Norman times. Over the years the village expanded and moved up the hill to the site of the Roman road.
Studley has four schools: Studley Community Infants School (formerly Studley County Infants School), Saint Mary's Roman Catholic School, Saint Mary's Church of England School and Studley High School. Studley High School has recently gained specialist status in Humanities and Music.
[edit] Famous Residents
Andy Smith (darts player) currently ranked 22nd in the Professional Darts Corporation Order of Merit counts Studley as his home town.
[edit] External links
(Source: Wikipedia) |