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| People living in Oversley, whether at
Oversley Green or in Alauna Avenue, undoubtedly regard themselves as being in Alcester.
But once they were not, being an independent manor. It was not until after World War 2
that Oversley became part of Alcester: in 1909 it had already joined the ecclesiastical
parish of Alcester, having previously been part of Arrow. There were things about this place which once gave it a sense of oneness -its castle (albeit a small one), its mill and its two public houses. The large proportion of its residents who adhered to the old religion also contrasted with the protestantism of neighbouring Alcester. Oversley parish was always a farming community, part of the estates of the Coughton Throckmortons. Its greatest fame in industrial terms lies with the Houton family, skilled clockmakers from the 18th to 19th centuries. |
 Oversley Castle 1880 |
| Before Oversley manor was ruled in the
early Middle Ages by the Boteler family, it had been the site of a Roman
fort (on Primrose Hill), which eventually led to the creation of Alcester town. . Boteler's Castle is no more; the two public houses have gone; Throckmorton influence has disappeared; Oversley hunting park is a far distant memory; there is now no water mill. Oversley still exists, however, in spite of itself and is a welcome and pleasing addition to Alcester. |
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