Feckenham, Worcestershire

Description
Feckenham, a village and a parish in Worcestershire. The village stands near the boundary with Warwickshire, 5 miles SW of Redditch, and 7 E by S of Droitwich. It has a post, money order, and telegraph office under Redditch.

The manufacture of pins, needles, and fish-hooks is carried on. The parish comprises the hamlets of Astwood Bank,. Hunt End, and Callow Hill, and part of Crab's Cross and Headless Cross. Acreage, 6987; population of the civil parish, 4584; of the ecclesiastical, 3544. The manor belonged to the Culpeppers and the Hanburys, and is now in the hands of the Earl of Coventry. A forest anciently covered a large part of the area. It was cleared in the reign of Charles I. Dunstall Court is a handsome modern house, John de Feckenham, last Abbot of Westminster, and Dean of St Paul's in the reign of Mary, was a dative. The living is a vicarage, to which is united Astwood Bank, in the diocese of Worcester; net value, £245 with residence. Patron, Trustees. The church is ancient, and was restored in 1867. Headless Cross forms a separate ecclesiastical parish. There is a chapel of ease at Astwood Bank. There are Free Methodist, Baptist, and Wesleyan chapels.