Hagley, Worcestershire

Description
Hagley, a village and a parish in Worcestershire. The village stands near the boundary with Staffordshire, 2 1/4 miles SSE of Stourbridge, and 6 NE of Ridderminster, and has a station on the G.W.R., and a post, money order, and telegraph office under Stourbridge. The parish contains also the hamlets of Stakenbridge and Blakedown. Acreage, 2431; population of the civil parish, 1311; of the ecclesiastical, 820. The manor, with Hagley Hall, belongs to Viscount Cobham. Hagley Hall was built by the first Lord Lyttelton, the historian, is beautifully situated on the slope of the Park, was frequently visited by Pope, Shenstone, Thomson, and Addison; contains many interesting paintings, a valuable library, and other objects of art. The grounds, of great natural beauty, were laid out by the first Lord Lyttelton, and formerly contained an octagon temple erected by him to the memory of the poet Thomson. Many other seats are in the neighbourhood. A large Roman camp is on Wychbury Hill. The living is a rectory in the diocese of Worcester; net value, £290 with residence. Patron, Viscount Cobham. The church was built in 1200, was repaired and enlarged by the first Lord Lyttelton, and has been partially restored and enlarged at later dates from designs by Mr Street, and contains monuments of the Lytteltons. There is a chapel of ease at Blakedown.