[1] It was one of five settlements created in the land scheme and retains a characteristic grid street plan, along with narrow lanes and many plum and pear trees from its market gardening past.

Some of the remains are also visible and the listed building on the site may include part of the refectory, in particular "a chamfered pointed doorway" on its south west side.

[20] Simon Jenkins relates that the ceiling ribs represent "the fruits of Dodford" and the front bench-end features "John Bungay, the first child born in the Chartist village in 1849".

[22] Five settlements were made, at Herringsgate, Minster Lovell, Snig's End, Lowbands, Redmarley d'Abitot and lastly, Great Dodford.

Chartist leader Feargus O'Connor bought the site of Dodford Priory and 273 adjacent acres from a wealthy local farmer Benjamin Bomford[2] for £10,546 (2011: £869,000) in January 1848, hoping to settle 70 families.

5,000 Midlands Chartists met at Dodford in July, where O'Connor assured them that the settlement would be completed, despite interference from a Parliamentary select committee and a "lying and slandering press".

O'Connor proposed this system reluctantly and really wanted one that would be legal and at the same time would not rule out the acquisition of plots by the "blistered hands, fustian jackets, and un-shorn chins.

However, unlike other Chartists settlements, which continued to do badly, largely because the plots were too small,[26] Dodford could access the growing Birmingham and Black Country markets.

John Wallace realized that with careful treatment the heavy soil was suitable for the cultivation of strawberries and other market-garden crops: early in the 1860s their growing was begun at his suggestion.

[27] Because Dodford enjoyed success, it became used in 1880s campaigns by Jesse Collings and others, calling for land reform: these small cultivators are only acquainted with poor rates from the fact that they have to pay them.

Ironically, the advocates of land reform successfully established allotments at Catshill, which grew strawberries earlier on lighter soils, pushing prices down.

Dodford experienced a brief moment of prosperity during the First World War, as strawberries were sold to Cadbury's for jam, but the tradition died post-war, for a number of reasons.

Better wages could be found in the Austin factory at Longbridge, and the cheap labour force of pickers disappeared, as the Bromsgrove nailmaking industry rapidly declined.