About Martley

About Martley

Martley is a rural parish on the western edge of Worcestershire with a population of 1200, of whom about half live in the village. Its central feature, running the length of the parish, is an interrupted ridge of fine, wooded hills, 500ft to 600ft in height. These are edged on the west by the banks of the River Teme and on the east by the parish of Wichenford. Worcester City lies roughly 7.5 miles to the east and the Herefordshire border follows the Teme.

The parish is a complex and, in places, intimate landscape of winding lanes, irregularly shaped woodlands, old orchards and highly productive farming land. Martley village sits at the heart of the parish landscape being at the junction of the two major roads that bisect the parish, the B 4197 that runs north and south and the B 4204 running east to Worcester. Spread across the parish are a number of old established hamlets and greens: Prickley Green, Willow Green, Berrow Green, Collins Green and Kingswood, Pudford, Martley Hillside and New Town. Agricultural land in the parish is of extremely high quality and allows for a range of farming interests, including market gardening, fruit growing.

The area is also known for livestock and cereal production as well as the recent return of hop cultivation.

The village of Martley is a designated Conservation Area. The Norman church of St Peters and the Old Hall (formerly the Rectory) are Grade 1 listed, and there are a further seven listed buildings within the conservation area. Elsewhere across the parish there are a further 57 Grade 2 listed buildings. Overlooking Martley village to the South is a three-acre Iron Age Camp on Berrow Hill, which is a scheduled ancient monument.

A recent addition to Parish amenities is Martley Countryside Burial Ground situated on the B4197 between Martley and Berrow Green. The 5 acre site commands glorious views over rural Worcestershire and connects local public footpaths. The site comprises a burial area, community land, multi-purpose shelter and car parking.