Kidderminster Civic Society aims to promote high standards of planning and architecture, and seeks also to further public awareness of the geography, history and architecture of the area.

We wish to secure the protection and preservation of features of historic or public interest.

The Society was formed in April 1993 by a group which had campaigned vigorously to preserve the highly regarded late nineteenth century Library and Schools of Art and Science complex. The campaign was defeated in controversial circumstances and the group vowed ‘never again!’

Since then the Society has run an annual programme of lectures, walks and visits to places of historic and public interest.

The Society has held back the forces in favour of the steady demolition of the town’s historic townscape by a series of successful listing applications. These include the Woodward Grosvenor building at the top of Green Street, which we hope will become the new Carpet Museum in 20011, William Green’s factory buildings at the lower end of the same street, the Morton’s factory between New Road and Green Street, and Puxton Mill by the river in Puxton Lane.

Another success was the preservation of the Piano Building in the teeth of a heated campaign waged against the Society by leading councillors and supporters, particularly through the pages of the Kidderminster Shuttle which ran a ballot on the issue.

The listing of the only surviving 18th century bombazine weavers’ cottages in Horsefair has excited similar opposition from those unable to imagine the transformation which restoration will bring to ‘hideous’ buildings. These cottages will add character and interest to the redeveloped area.

Join the Civic Society

If you would like to join us, please print off the membership form. This should be sent to the membership secretary, Keith Shaw, at the address on the form.

Please read the latest members newsletter. The editor will be pleased to receive comments or contribtions for possible inclusion in the next edition.

The library about to be demolished in late 1992