Evesham
Encyclopedia
Evesham is a market town
and a civil parish in the Local Authority District of Wychavon
in the county of Worcestershire
, England with a population of 22,000. It is located roughly equidistant between Worcester, Cheltenham
and Stratford-upon-Avon
. Evesham lies within the Vale of Evesham, an area comprising the flood plain of the River Avon
, which was once a major centre for market gardening
. The town centre, situated within a meander
of the river, is regularly subject to severe flooding. In 2007 the floods were the most severe
in recorded history.
The town was founded around an early 8th century abbey
, which was once one of the largest in Europe. The abbey was destroyed during the Dissolution of the Monasteries
, with only Abbot Lichfield's Bell Tower
remaining. During the 13th century, one of the two main battles of England's Second Barons' War
took place near the town, marking the victory of Prince Edward who later became King Edward I.
Evesham is derived from the Old English homme or ham, and Eof, the name of a swineherd in the service of Egwin, third bishop of Worcester
. It was originally named Homme or Haum and recorded as Eveshomme in 709 and Evesham in 1086. The second part of the name (homme or ham) typically only signifies a home or dwelling, but in Worcestershire and Gloucestershire was commonly applied to land on the sides of a river, generally in bends of a river, which were liable to flood.
Some sources (notably Tindal) incorrectly cite 'holm' as a source for the town's name; but this is simple ignorance of early forms of the name.
Some sources (Rudge, Tindall, Lewis, May, etc.) incorrectly give the name of the swineherd as Eoves, but it should be Eof, as explained as long ago as 1920 by O.G. Knapp:
"It is impossible that Eoves should have been the Swineherd's name for several reasons. In the first place the letter 'V' is not found in the Saxon alphabet , having been brought to this country by the Normans; so that Eofeshamme, given in one of the charters, indicates the older and better form of the name... But even if Eofes is older and more accurate than Eoves it cannot be the original form of the name. A moment's reflection will show that if Evesham means the meadow of some person, the name of that person must be in what Grammarians call the Genitive (or Possessive) Case, Singular. This in modern English is nearly always denoted by 's placed at the end of the word; the apostrophe showing that a vowel has dropped out of the termination. Anglo-Saxon had a larger selection of endings for the Genitive Case, but the one in –es (the original form of our modern 's) belonged to what are called 'strong' Masculine nouns, which usually ended in a consonant. Eofes, therefore, would be the natural Genitive of a man's proper name, Eof. Ferguson suggests that the original form of the name might have been Eofa, but such a name would correspond to the 'weak' nouns which made their Genitive by adding not –es but –an; in which case the name of the town would have been Eofanham, as is shown in the case of Offenham, the Ham of Offa or Uffa. We may therefore take it as certain that the real name of the Swineherd was not Eoves, Eofes, or even Eofa, but Eof. And this is not a mere theoretical reconstruction, for Eof was actually a Saxon name... The form Eoves, though current for many centuries, is a mere blunder."
, which became possibly the third largest in England, was founded by Saint Egwin
, the third Bishop of Worcester
, in around 701 AD, following the vision of the Virgin Mary
to a local swineherd
or shepherd
named Eof
.
An entry in the Great Domesday Book
of 1086 lists Evesham, mentioning "Two free men; Two radmen; Abbey of St Mary of Evesham; Abbey of St Mary of Pershore; Edmund, Abbot of St Mary of Pershore; Walter, Abbot of St Mary of Evesham; Aethelwig, Abbot of St Mary of Evesham; King William as donor; Odo, Bishop of Bayeux; Ranulph; Turstin, Abbot of St Mary of Pershore; Walter Ponther; Westminster, Gilbert Crispin, Abbot of St Peter."
The abbey was redeveloped and extended after the Norman Conquest, employing many tradesmen and significantly contributing to the growth of Evesham. Income for the abbey came from pilgrim
s to the abbey to celebrate the vision and visitors to the tomb of Simon de Montfort.
As a result of Henry VIII's dissolution of the monasteries
, Evesham Abbey was dismantled in 1540 and sold as building stone, leaving little but the Lichfield Bell Tower
. The abbey remains are a Scheduled Ancient Monument
(No. WT253), and parts of the abbey complex, Abbot Reginald's Wall (registered monument) and the ruins of Abbot Chryton's Wall (Grade II), are English Heritage
listed buildings. The abbey's coat of arms
is used as the crest of Prince Henry's High School
.
a year earlier, where Simon de Montfort
had gained control of parliament, the Battle of Evesham
in August 1265 was the second of two main battles of the Second Barons' War
. It marked the victory of Prince Edward, who led the 8,000 strong army of his father Henry III, over the 6,000 men of de Montfort, and the beginning of the end of the rebellion. The battle was a massacre; de Montfort's army were trapped in the horseshoe bend of the river, and although de Montfort and his son were killed, Prince Edward's victory was not decisive towards the King's hold on the country, and the struggle continued until 1267, after which the kingdom returned to a period of unity and progress that was to last until the early 1290s.
The medieval town developed within the meander of the River Avon, while Bengeworth
developed to the east on the opposite bank of the river. In 1055 a market was granted to the Saxon town by King Edward. In the 11th century Leofric, Earl of Mercia
, had a hunting lodge at Bengeworth. Leofric founded Holy Trinity Church with his wife Godifu (Lady Godiva
). Godifu, who died in about 1067, is possibly buried at the abbey. During the reign of King Stephen, William de Beauchamp erected an adulterine castle at Bengeworth, whose occupants vied for control of the town and abbey. When Abbot William had the castle destroyed between 1149 and 1159, he consecrated the site as a graveyard to prevent the castle being rebuilt.
Worcestershire
and after 1837 head of the Evesham Poor Law Union
which took responsibility for the administration and funding of the Poor Law
, and built a workhouse
for that area.
Evesham is a town and civil parish governed at the lowest tier of local government by Evesham Town Council, part of the Wychavon
District of the County of Worcestershire. Residents in the six council electoral wards are represented by 20 elected members. The wards based on streets are representted by elected councillors: Avon (3), Bengworth (5), Great Hampton (3), Little Hampton (5), South (5), Twyford (3). The council is chaired by a mayor.
. The modern town encompasses Bengeworth and Greater and Little Hampton
, which were originally independent villages on the opposite bank of the river. Evesham is linked to Bengeworth by Workman Bridge and Hampton by Abbey Bridge, or New Bridge the first completely structural concrete bridge in the country.
The Cotswold
hills stretch from the east to the south-west, while to the west the area is bounded by the Malvern Hills
. To the north the land is flat with gentle undulations. The Avon, a tributary of the River Severn
, is navigable but mainly used by leisure traffic and there is a marina providing moorings.
The River Avon at Evesham has always been susceptible to heavy flooding which is well documented from the 13th century. In May 1924 floods at Evesham ranked 5th in the annual flood list 1848 to 1935. In May 1998, Evesham was one of the towns worst hit by record flooding along the River Avon
. The river rose 19 feet (5.8 m) in just a few hours, sinking tethered narrowboat
s, flooding areas of Bengeworth
, and threatening the 19th century Workman Bridge as static homes from a riverside caravan site broke up and became wedged in its arches. In July 2007 Evesham had its heaviest rainfall for 200 years, reaching more than 320% the average in some areas. In the Severn
catchment, it caused some of the heaviest floods recorded, and in Evesham the flooding was the worst in its recorded history.
Location grid
, Evesham had a total population of 22,304. For every 100 females, there were 96.7 males. The average household size was 2.3. Of those aged 16–74 in Evesham, 57.5% had no academic qualifications or one General Certificate of Secondary Education
(GCSE), above the figures for all of the Wychavon
district (44.2%) and England (45.5%). According to the census, 2.4% were unemployed and 9.4% were economically inactive. 20.1% of the population were under the age of 16 and 7.7% were aged 75 and over; the mean age of the people of the civil parish was 38.2. 69.9% of residents described their health as "good", similar to the average of 69.1% for the wider district.
ing is carried out on a commercial scale in the surrounding area, known as the Vale of Evesham, which is known for its production of fruit and vegetables. A decline in the second half of the 20th century resulted in the closing of Evesham's Smithfield Market while the Central Market stopped being used for produce auctions. Between 1983 and 2008, Evesham was home to computer manufacturer Evesham Micros, later renamed Evesham Technology
. It was a significant contributor to the United Kingdom's domestic computer and digital television market. At its peak, the company employed up to 300 people with a chain of 19 retail stores in towns and cities throughout the UK. It went into liquidation in 2008.
Retail and food outlets are provided for in the traditional high street and the Riverside Shopping Centre, and Four Pools Lane Retail Park. Evesham Country Park, located out of town, has a garden centre, shops, a miniature railway and a wildlife centre.
as was the Evesham to Alcester road in 1778 improving communications in the area. Evesham is at the junction of the A46
and A44
trunk roads – the 4 miles (6.4 km) £7 million, A46 single-carriageway bypass to the east of the town opened in July 1987 as the A435.
The River Avon is a navigable waterway linking the River Severn at Tewkesbury
to the Stratford-upon-Avon Canal
at Stratford-upon-Avon
. The river between the town and Stratford is managed by the Upper Avon Navigation Trust, and below by the Lower Avon Navigation Trust, reflecting the administration of the river since the Restoration
, when the lower Avon required only modest repairs, but significant investment was required above the town. The ancient Hampton Ferry
links the town to Hampton
.
In 1845 an Act of parliament was passed for the Oxford, Worcester and Wolverhampton Railway
and Evesham Railway Station
opened between Honeybourne
and Pershore
. The station is on the Cotswold Line
from Oxford
to Worcester
, Great Malvern
and Hereford
. There are trains every 45–55 minutes to London
Paddington
that take approximately 1 hour 45 minutes and trains to Birmingham take around 90 minutes (changing at Worcester).
The nearest major airport is Birmingham International about 40 minutes away by trunk roads and the M42 motorway. Gloucestershire Airport
at Staverton
is a general aviation
airport used for pilot training, private charter and scheduled flights to Jersey, Guernsey, and the Isle of Man.
model of first school
(ages 5–10), middle school
(ages 10–13), and high school (ages 13–18) adopted by Wychavon District Council
1974 and completed by 1977. Twelve first (primary) schools which include state non-denominational schools as well as Church of England
and Roman Catholic school feed four middle schools which in turn send their pupils to complete their secondary education at Evesham High School
and Prince Henry's High School
which originated as a grammar school
established by the monastery and was refounded by Henry VIII after the Dissolution. The Vale of Evesham School
, operated by Worcestershire County Council, caters for children from the area aged 2 – 19 with special needs, and learning disabilities. Further education is provided by South Worcestershire College (previously known as Evesham and Malvern Hills College) which caters mainly for students studying at the NVQ and BTEC
level or undertaking practical vocational courses.
The nearest higher education providers are the University of Worcester
and the University of Gloucestershire
.
A University of the Third Age
was established in 2003 and as of 2010 had 600 members.
and St Lawrence
built within the abbey precinct. Religious establishments in Evesham include All Saints Church, Evesham Baptist
Church, Evesham Evangelical Church, Evesham Methodist Church, St Andrew C of E Church, St Mary & Saint Egwin Church, St Peters Church, Vale Of Evesham Christian Centre, and a Quaker meeting place.
produced by the now defunct Evesham Brewery. "Eve-shum" is the more common phonetic pronunciation, but "Eve-uh-shum" is not common.
Evesham Arts Centre was built in 1979 and is staffed and operated by volunteers. It provides a venue for professional and amateur performance. Events hosted include drama, stand-up comedy, brass bands, orchestras, pantomime
to ballet. The centre has a raked
300-seat auditorium
, full technical facilities and film projection and a 60-seat studio space for smaller productions. The centre's foyer it is an exhibition space for local artists. The centre is managed by the Evesham Arts Association, a registered charity.
The Regal Cinema reopened in December 2009. Its Grade II listed building was designed in 1932 by architect Hurley Robinson
. who was responsible for several public buildings in classical and Art Deco
styles, including 55 other cinemas. The Regal is the most important surviving example. In 2009 the cinema signed a contract to show all Universal Studios
films. It also serves as a community arts centre, offering a programme of music and stand-up comedy.
Medieval Evesham, and the Earl of Evesham, inspired a novel Winning His Spurs by historical fiction author G. A. Henty. Local folklore is provided for by the Legend of Evesham surrounding the life of Eof, an 8th century swineherd credited with the founding of the town, and St Egwin the Bishop of Worcester who founded the abbey and who whose feet had been fettered and the key thrown in the River Avon. According to the legend, the key turned up in Rome inside a fish. On returning to Evesham, Egwin declared that a monastery be built on the spot where the key had been cast in the river. A major landmark is the statue of Eof by the sculptor John McKenna
that was funded by the townsfolk and unveiled in the market place in June 2008.
A local museum opened in 1957 and funded by the council, The Almonry Museum, the Heritage Centre, and the Tourist Information Centre are housed in a 14th century half timbered building that was the home of the almoner of Evesham Abbey. Exhibits include many items of local interest including an exhibition themed on the battle of Evesham.
Evesham has a 97-bed community hospital in Waterside, outside the town centre, used mainly by the elderly and for convalescence, although consultants from major Worcester NHS
hospitals hold clinics there. The hospital maintains a 24-hour Minor Injuries Unit. The town has three health centres providing general practitioner first care services, and a dental centre. Evesham also has several nursing and retirement home
s for the care of senior citizens. The Evesham area is covered by the Midlands Air Ambulance service, which has operated from the site of Strensham motorway services
since 1991.
The Evesham Leisure Centre comprises two swimming pools, a climbing wall, a 100-station fitness room to our health and a beauty salon. Sport in Evesham is represented by Evesham United F.C.
which plays in the Southern Football League Premier Division, and Rugby Union
– Senior and Youth Sections at Evesham Rugby Club. The town also has a Petanque
team (Evesham Petanque Club), and a cycling
club, Evesham & District Wheelers, which was founded in 1947. Because of its situation on the river the town is home to various watersports including Evesham Rowing
Club, Kayaking
& Canoeing
provided by the Evesham Paddlesport club, and Evesham Sailing
Club,
Evesham local news has been served since 1860 by the Evesham Journal, now part of the Newsquest
(Midlands South) Ltd. subsidiary of Gannett Corporation, which is predominantly a weekly free newspaper that is distributed over four counties. In 2007 the weekly free newspaper Evesham Observer was launched by Midlands-based Observer-Standard series of newspapers, now the family-owned Bullivant Media.
Commercial radio stations that provide music and local news include Wyvern (radio) broadcsting on 96.7 FM, Touch FM broadcasting on 102 FM, and BBC Hereford & Worcester broadcasting on 104 FM and 94.7 FM.
, France. Melsungen
, Germany. Evesham Township, New Jersey
, USA.
Market town
Market town or market right is a legal term, originating in the medieval period, for a European settlement that has the right to host markets, distinguishing it from a village and city...
and a civil parish in the Local Authority District of Wychavon
Wychavon
Wychavon is a local government district in Worcestershire, England. Its council is based in Pershore. Other towns in the district include Droitwich Spa, Evesham and Broadway. The district extends from the south-east corner of Worcestershire north and west...
in the county of Worcestershire
Worcestershire
Worcestershire is a non-metropolitan county, established in antiquity, located in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire" NUTS 2 region...
, England with a population of 22,000. It is located roughly equidistant between Worcester, Cheltenham
Cheltenham
Cheltenham , also known as Cheltenham Spa, is a large spa town and borough in Gloucestershire, on the edge of the Cotswolds in the South-West region of England. It is the home of the flagship race of British steeplechase horse racing, the Gold Cup, the main event of the Cheltenham Festival held...
and Stratford-upon-Avon
Stratford-upon-Avon
Stratford-upon-Avon is a market town and civil parish in south Warwickshire, England. It lies on the River Avon, south east of Birmingham and south west of Warwick. It is the largest and most populous town of the District of Stratford-on-Avon, which uses the term "on" to indicate that it covers...
. Evesham lies within the Vale of Evesham, an area comprising the flood plain of the River Avon
River Avon, Warwickshire
The River Avon or Avon is a river in or adjoining the counties of Leicestershire, Northamptonshire, Warwickshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire in the Midlands of England...
, which was once a major centre for market gardening
Market gardening
A market garden is the relatively small-scale production of fruits, vegetables and flowers as cash crops, frequently sold directly to consumers and restaurants. It is distinguishable from other types of farming by the diversity of crops grown on a small area of land, typically, from under one acre ...
. The town centre, situated within a meander
Meander
A meander in general is a bend in a sinuous watercourse. A meander is formed when the moving water in a stream erodes the outer banks and widens its valley. A stream of any volume may assume a meandering course, alternately eroding sediments from the outside of a bend and depositing them on the...
of the river, is regularly subject to severe flooding. In 2007 the floods were the most severe
2007 United Kingdom floods
The 2007 United Kingdom floods were a series of destructive floods that occurred in various areas across the country during the summer of 2007. The most severe floods occurred across Northern Ireland on 12 June; East Yorkshire and The Midlands on 15 June; Yorkshire, The Midlands, Gloucestershire,...
in recorded history.
The town was founded around an early 8th century abbey
Evesham Abbey
Evesham Abbey was founded by Saint Egwin at Evesham in England between 700 and 710 A.D. following a vision of the Virgin Mary by Eof.According to the monastic history, Evesham came through the Norman Conquest unusually well, because of a quick approach by Abbot Æthelwig to William the Conqueror...
, which was once one of the largest in Europe. The abbey was destroyed during the Dissolution of the Monasteries
Dissolution of the Monasteries
The Dissolution of the Monasteries, sometimes referred to as the Suppression of the Monasteries, was the set of administrative and legal processes between 1536 and 1541 by which Henry VIII disbanded monasteries, priories, convents and friaries in England, Wales and Ireland; appropriated their...
, with only Abbot Lichfield's Bell Tower
Bell tower
A bell tower is a tower which contains one or more bells, or which is designed to hold bells, even if it has none. In the European tradition, such a tower most commonly serves as part of a church and contains church bells. When attached to a city hall or other civic building, especially in...
remaining. During the 13th century, one of the two main battles of England's Second Barons' War
Second Barons' War
The Second Barons' War was a civil war in England between the forces of a number of barons led by Simon de Montfort, against the Royalist forces led by Prince Edward , in the name of Henry III.-Causes:...
took place near the town, marking the victory of Prince Edward who later became King Edward I.
History
Worcester
The City of Worcester, commonly known as Worcester, , is a city and county town of Worcestershire in the West Midlands of England. Worcester is situated some southwest of Birmingham and north of Gloucester, and has an approximate population of 94,000 people. The River Severn runs through the...
. It was originally named Homme or Haum and recorded as Eveshomme in 709 and Evesham in 1086. The second part of the name (homme or ham) typically only signifies a home or dwelling, but in Worcestershire and Gloucestershire was commonly applied to land on the sides of a river, generally in bends of a river, which were liable to flood.
Some sources (notably Tindal) incorrectly cite 'holm' as a source for the town's name; but this is simple ignorance of early forms of the name.
Some sources (Rudge, Tindall, Lewis, May, etc.) incorrectly give the name of the swineherd as Eoves, but it should be Eof, as explained as long ago as 1920 by O.G. Knapp:
"It is impossible that Eoves should have been the Swineherd's name for several reasons. In the first place the letter 'V' is not found in the Saxon alphabet , having been brought to this country by the Normans; so that Eofeshamme, given in one of the charters, indicates the older and better form of the name... But even if Eofes is older and more accurate than Eoves it cannot be the original form of the name. A moment's reflection will show that if Evesham means the meadow of some person, the name of that person must be in what Grammarians call the Genitive (or Possessive) Case, Singular. This in modern English is nearly always denoted by 's placed at the end of the word; the apostrophe showing that a vowel has dropped out of the termination. Anglo-Saxon had a larger selection of endings for the Genitive Case, but the one in –es (the original form of our modern 's) belonged to what are called 'strong' Masculine nouns, which usually ended in a consonant. Eofes, therefore, would be the natural Genitive of a man's proper name, Eof. Ferguson suggests that the original form of the name might have been Eofa, but such a name would correspond to the 'weak' nouns which made their Genitive by adding not –es but –an; in which case the name of the town would have been Eofanham, as is shown in the case of Offenham, the Ham of Offa or Uffa. We may therefore take it as certain that the real name of the Swineherd was not Eoves, Eofes, or even Eofa, but Eof. And this is not a mere theoretical reconstruction, for Eof was actually a Saxon name... The form Eoves, though current for many centuries, is a mere blunder."
Abbey
Evesham AbbeyEvesham Abbey
Evesham Abbey was founded by Saint Egwin at Evesham in England between 700 and 710 A.D. following a vision of the Virgin Mary by Eof.According to the monastic history, Evesham came through the Norman Conquest unusually well, because of a quick approach by Abbot Æthelwig to William the Conqueror...
, which became possibly the third largest in England, was founded by Saint Egwin
Egwin
Egcwine was the third Bishop of Worcester in England.-Life:He was the founder of the Evesham Abbey. His biographers say that king, clergy, and commonalty all united in demanding his elevation as bishop; but the popularity which led him to the episcopal office dissipated in response to his...
, the third Bishop of Worcester
Bishop of Worcester
The Bishop of Worcester is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Worcester in the Province of Canterbury, England. He is the head of the Diocese of Worcester in the Province of Canterbury...
, in around 701 AD, following the vision of the Virgin Mary
Marian apparitions
A Marian apparition is an event in which the Blessed Virgin Mary is believed to have supernaturally appeared to one or more people. They are often given names based on the town in which they were reported, or on the sobriquet which was given to Mary on the occasion of the apparition...
to a local swineherd
Swineherd
A swineherd is a person who looks after pigs. The term has fallen out of popular use in favour of pig farmer.-Swineherds in literature:* Hans Christian Andersen wrote a Fairy tale called, "The Swineherd"....
or shepherd
Shepherd
A shepherd is a person who tends, feeds or guards flocks of sheep.- Origins :Shepherding is one of the oldest occupations, beginning some 6,000 years ago in Asia Minor. Sheep were kept for their milk, meat and especially their wool...
named Eof
Eof
Eof was a swineherd who claimed to have seen a vision of the Virgin Mary at Evesham in England, about 701. Eof related this vision to Egwin, Bishop of Worcester, who founded the great Evesham Abbey on the site of the apparation. Evesham means Eof's ham .Some people think Eof may have been a shepherd...
.
An entry in the Great Domesday Book
Domesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
of 1086 lists Evesham, mentioning "Two free men; Two radmen; Abbey of St Mary of Evesham; Abbey of St Mary of Pershore; Edmund, Abbot of St Mary of Pershore; Walter, Abbot of St Mary of Evesham; Aethelwig, Abbot of St Mary of Evesham; King William as donor; Odo, Bishop of Bayeux; Ranulph; Turstin, Abbot of St Mary of Pershore; Walter Ponther; Westminster, Gilbert Crispin, Abbot of St Peter."
The abbey was redeveloped and extended after the Norman Conquest, employing many tradesmen and significantly contributing to the growth of Evesham. Income for the abbey came from pilgrim
Pilgrim
A pilgrim is a traveler who is on a journey to a holy place. Typically, this is a physical journeying to some place of special significance to the adherent of a particular religious belief system...
s to the abbey to celebrate the vision and visitors to the tomb of Simon de Montfort.
As a result of Henry VIII's dissolution of the monasteries
Dissolution of the Monasteries
The Dissolution of the Monasteries, sometimes referred to as the Suppression of the Monasteries, was the set of administrative and legal processes between 1536 and 1541 by which Henry VIII disbanded monasteries, priories, convents and friaries in England, Wales and Ireland; appropriated their...
, Evesham Abbey was dismantled in 1540 and sold as building stone, leaving little but the Lichfield Bell Tower
Bell Tower
Bell Tower is an office tower in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, completed in 1982. The tower comprises 31 stories, and stands 130 meters tall. It was formerly known as the Canadian Commercial Bank Tower, was the headquarters of the Canadian Commercial Bank before that bank failed in 1985...
. The abbey remains are a Scheduled Ancient Monument
Scheduled Ancient Monument
In the United Kingdom, a scheduled monument is a 'nationally important' archaeological site or historic building, given protection against unauthorized change. The various pieces of legislation used for legally protecting heritage assets from damage and destruction are grouped under the term...
(No. WT253), and parts of the abbey complex, Abbot Reginald's Wall (registered monument) and the ruins of Abbot Chryton's Wall (Grade II), are English Heritage
English Heritage
English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
listed buildings. The abbey's coat of arms
Coat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
is used as the crest of Prince Henry's High School
Prince Henry's High School
Prince Henry's High School, also known as Prince Henry's, is a secondary school in Evesham, Worcestershire, England. It is a co-educational comprehensive high school, in which there are about 1260 students enrolled, aged between 13 and 18...
.
Battle
Following the Battle of LewesBattle of Lewes
The Battle of Lewes was one of two main battles of the conflict known as the Second Barons' War. It took place at Lewes in Sussex, on 14 May 1264...
a year earlier, where Simon de Montfort
Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester
Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester, 1st Earl of Chester , sometimes referred to as Simon V de Montfort to distinguish him from other Simon de Montforts, was an Anglo-Norman nobleman. He led the barons' rebellion against King Henry III of England during the Second Barons' War of 1263-4, and...
had gained control of parliament, the Battle of Evesham
Battle of Evesham
The Battle of Evesham was one of the two main battles of 13th century England's Second Barons' War. It marked the defeat of Simon de Montfort, Earl of Leicester, and the rebellious barons by Prince Edward – later King Edward I – who led the forces of his father, King Henry III...
in August 1265 was the second of two main battles of the Second Barons' War
Second Barons' War
The Second Barons' War was a civil war in England between the forces of a number of barons led by Simon de Montfort, against the Royalist forces led by Prince Edward , in the name of Henry III.-Causes:...
. It marked the victory of Prince Edward, who led the 8,000 strong army of his father Henry III, over the 6,000 men of de Montfort, and the beginning of the end of the rebellion. The battle was a massacre; de Montfort's army were trapped in the horseshoe bend of the river, and although de Montfort and his son were killed, Prince Edward's victory was not decisive towards the King's hold on the country, and the struggle continued until 1267, after which the kingdom returned to a period of unity and progress that was to last until the early 1290s.
Town
Bengeworth
Bengeworth is a locality adjoining Evesham in Worcestershire, England. In 1887 it had a population of 1,311. Today it has a school and an Anglican church....
developed to the east on the opposite bank of the river. In 1055 a market was granted to the Saxon town by King Edward. In the 11th century Leofric, Earl of Mercia
Leofric, Earl of Mercia
Leofric was the Earl of Mercia and founded monasteries at Coventry and Much Wenlock. Leofric is remembered as the husband of Lady Godiva.-Life and political influence:...
, had a hunting lodge at Bengeworth. Leofric founded Holy Trinity Church with his wife Godifu (Lady Godiva
Lady Godiva
Godiva , often referred to as Lady Godiva , was an Anglo-Saxon noblewoman who, according to legend, rode naked through the streets of Coventry in order to gain a remission of the oppressive taxation imposed by her husband on his tenants...
). Godifu, who died in about 1067, is possibly buried at the abbey. During the reign of King Stephen, William de Beauchamp erected an adulterine castle at Bengeworth, whose occupants vied for control of the town and abbey. When Abbot William had the castle destroyed between 1149 and 1159, he consecrated the site as a graveyard to prevent the castle being rebuilt.
Governance
Evesham was a borough and market town in the hundred of Blackenhurst in county ofWorcestershire
Worcestershire
Worcestershire is a non-metropolitan county, established in antiquity, located in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire" NUTS 2 region...
and after 1837 head of the Evesham Poor Law Union
Poor Law Union
A Poor Law Union was a unit used for local government in the United Kingdom from the 19th century. The administration of the Poor Law was the responsibility of parishes, which varied wildly in their size, populations, financial resources, rateable values and requirements...
which took responsibility for the administration and funding of the Poor Law
Poor Law
The English Poor Laws were a system of poor relief which existed in England and Wales that developed out of late-medieval and Tudor-era laws before being codified in 1587–98...
, and built a workhouse
Workhouse
In England and Wales a workhouse, colloquially known as a spike, was a place where those unable to support themselves were offered accommodation and employment...
for that area.
Evesham is a town and civil parish governed at the lowest tier of local government by Evesham Town Council, part of the Wychavon
Wychavon
Wychavon is a local government district in Worcestershire, England. Its council is based in Pershore. Other towns in the district include Droitwich Spa, Evesham and Broadway. The district extends from the south-east corner of Worcestershire north and west...
District of the County of Worcestershire. Residents in the six council electoral wards are represented by 20 elected members. The wards based on streets are representted by elected councillors: Avon (3), Bengworth (5), Great Hampton (3), Little Hampton (5), South (5), Twyford (3). The council is chaired by a mayor.
Geography
Evesham is situated on a horse shoe shaped peninsula almost completely surrounded by water in a meander of the River Avon between Stratford-on-Avon and TewkesburyTewkesbury
Tewkesbury is a town in Gloucestershire, England. It stands at the confluence of the River Severn and the River Avon, and also minor tributaries the Swilgate and Carrant Brook...
. The modern town encompasses Bengeworth and Greater and Little Hampton
Hampton, Worcestershire
Hampton is an area of Evesham in Worcestershire, England having formerly been a separate village.It is linked to the nearby town of Evesham by the ancient Hampton Ferry.-Hampton floods July 2007 :...
, which were originally independent villages on the opposite bank of the river. Evesham is linked to Bengeworth by Workman Bridge and Hampton by Abbey Bridge, or New Bridge the first completely structural concrete bridge in the country.
The Cotswold
Cotswold
The Cotswolds are a range of hills in central England that give their name to:*Cotswold *Cotswold *Cotswold Chase, a horse race*Cotswold Games, annual games in Chipping Campden, Gloucestershire...
hills stretch from the east to the south-west, while to the west the area is bounded by the Malvern Hills
Malvern Hills
The Malvern Hills are a range of hills in the English counties of Worcestershire, Herefordshire and a small area of northern Gloucestershire, dominating the surrounding countryside and the towns and villages of the district of Malvern...
. To the north the land is flat with gentle undulations. The Avon, a tributary of the River Severn
River Severn
The River Severn is the longest river in Great Britain, at about , but the second longest on the British Isles, behind the River Shannon. It rises at an altitude of on Plynlimon, Ceredigion near Llanidloes, Powys, in the Cambrian Mountains of mid Wales...
, is navigable but mainly used by leisure traffic and there is a marina providing moorings.
The River Avon at Evesham has always been susceptible to heavy flooding which is well documented from the 13th century. In May 1924 floods at Evesham ranked 5th in the annual flood list 1848 to 1935. In May 1998, Evesham was one of the towns worst hit by record flooding along the River Avon
River Avon, Warwickshire
The River Avon or Avon is a river in or adjoining the counties of Leicestershire, Northamptonshire, Warwickshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire in the Midlands of England...
. The river rose 19 feet (5.8 m) in just a few hours, sinking tethered narrowboat
Narrowboat
A narrowboat or narrow boat is a boat of a distinctive design, made to fit the narrow canals of Great Britain.In the context of British Inland Waterways, "narrow boat" refers to the original working boats built in the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries for carrying goods on the narrow canals...
s, flooding areas of Bengeworth
Bengeworth
Bengeworth is a locality adjoining Evesham in Worcestershire, England. In 1887 it had a population of 1,311. Today it has a school and an Anglican church....
, and threatening the 19th century Workman Bridge as static homes from a riverside caravan site broke up and became wedged in its arches. In July 2007 Evesham had its heaviest rainfall for 200 years, reaching more than 320% the average in some areas. In the Severn
River Severn
The River Severn is the longest river in Great Britain, at about , but the second longest on the British Isles, behind the River Shannon. It rises at an altitude of on Plynlimon, Ceredigion near Llanidloes, Powys, in the Cambrian Mountains of mid Wales...
catchment, it caused some of the heaviest floods recorded, and in Evesham the flooding was the worst in its recorded history.
Location grid
Demography
As of the 2001 UK censusUnited Kingdom Census 2001
A nationwide census, known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday, 29 April 2001. This was the 20th UK Census and recorded a resident population of 58,789,194....
, Evesham had a total population of 22,304. For every 100 females, there were 96.7 males. The average household size was 2.3. Of those aged 16–74 in Evesham, 57.5% had no academic qualifications or one General Certificate of Secondary Education
General Certificate of Secondary Education
The General Certificate of Secondary Education is an academic qualification awarded in a specified subject, generally taken in a number of subjects by students aged 14–16 in secondary education in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and is equivalent to a Level 2 and Level 1 in Key Skills...
(GCSE), above the figures for all of the Wychavon
Wychavon
Wychavon is a local government district in Worcestershire, England. Its council is based in Pershore. Other towns in the district include Droitwich Spa, Evesham and Broadway. The district extends from the south-east corner of Worcestershire north and west...
district (44.2%) and England (45.5%). According to the census, 2.4% were unemployed and 9.4% were economically inactive. 20.1% of the population were under the age of 16 and 7.7% were aged 75 and over; the mean age of the people of the civil parish was 38.2. 69.9% of residents described their health as "good", similar to the average of 69.1% for the wider district.
Economy
Due to its exceptionally fertile soil, market gardenMarket garden
A market garden is the relatively small-scale production of fruits, vegetables and flowers as cash crops, frequently sold directly to consumers and restaurants. It is distinguishable from other types of farming by the diversity of crops grown on a small area of land, typically, from under one acre ...
ing is carried out on a commercial scale in the surrounding area, known as the Vale of Evesham, which is known for its production of fruit and vegetables. A decline in the second half of the 20th century resulted in the closing of Evesham's Smithfield Market while the Central Market stopped being used for produce auctions. Between 1983 and 2008, Evesham was home to computer manufacturer Evesham Micros, later renamed Evesham Technology
Evesham Technology
Evesham Technology was a computer manufacturing and retail company based in Evesham, Worcestershire, England. It began operations in 1983 and closed in 2008 following financial difficulties. It was a significant contributor to the United Kingdom's domestic computer and digital television market...
. It was a significant contributor to the United Kingdom's domestic computer and digital television market. At its peak, the company employed up to 300 people with a chain of 19 retail stores in towns and cities throughout the UK. It went into liquidation in 2008.
Retail and food outlets are provided for in the traditional high street and the Riverside Shopping Centre, and Four Pools Lane Retail Park. Evesham Country Park, located out of town, has a garden centre, shops, a miniature railway and a wildlife centre.
Transport
In 1728 the London to Worcester road through Evesham was turnpikedTurnpike trust
Turnpike trusts in the United Kingdom were bodies set up by individual Acts of Parliament, with powers to collect road tolls for maintaining the principal highways in Britain from the 17th but especially during the 18th and 19th centuries...
as was the Evesham to Alcester road in 1778 improving communications in the area. Evesham is at the junction of the A46
A46 road
The A46 is an A road in England. It starts east of Bath, Somerset and ends in Cleethorpes, North East Lincolnshire, but it does not form a continuous route. Large portions of the old road have been lost, bypassed, or replaced by motorway development...
and A44
A44 road
The A44 is a major road in the United Kingdom that runs from Oxford in southern England to Aberystwyth in west Wales.-History:The original route of the A44 was Chipping Norton to Aberystwyth. No changes were made to the route of the A44 in the early years...
trunk roads – the 4 miles (6.4 km) £7 million, A46 single-carriageway bypass to the east of the town opened in July 1987 as the A435.
The River Avon is a navigable waterway linking the River Severn at Tewkesbury
Tewkesbury
Tewkesbury is a town in Gloucestershire, England. It stands at the confluence of the River Severn and the River Avon, and also minor tributaries the Swilgate and Carrant Brook...
to the Stratford-upon-Avon Canal
Stratford-upon-Avon Canal
The Stratford-upon-Avon Canal is a canal in the south Midlands of England.The canal, which was built between 1793 and 1816, runs for in total, and consists of two sections. The dividing line is at Kingswood Junction, which gives access to the Grand Union Canal...
at Stratford-upon-Avon
Stratford-upon-Avon
Stratford-upon-Avon is a market town and civil parish in south Warwickshire, England. It lies on the River Avon, south east of Birmingham and south west of Warwick. It is the largest and most populous town of the District of Stratford-on-Avon, which uses the term "on" to indicate that it covers...
. The river between the town and Stratford is managed by the Upper Avon Navigation Trust, and below by the Lower Avon Navigation Trust, reflecting the administration of the river since the Restoration
English Restoration
The Restoration of the English monarchy began in 1660 when the English, Scottish and Irish monarchies were all restored under Charles II after the Interregnum that followed the Wars of the Three Kingdoms...
, when the lower Avon required only modest repairs, but significant investment was required above the town. The ancient Hampton Ferry
Hampton Ferry (River Avon)
The Hampton Ferry is a pedestrian chain ferry linking Evesham and the district of Hampton across the River Avon in the English county of Worcestershire. The route dates back to the 13th century, when it was established by monks....
links the town to Hampton
Hampton, Worcestershire
Hampton is an area of Evesham in Worcestershire, England having formerly been a separate village.It is linked to the nearby town of Evesham by the ancient Hampton Ferry.-Hampton floods July 2007 :...
.
In 1845 an Act of parliament was passed for the Oxford, Worcester and Wolverhampton Railway
Oxford, Worcester and Wolverhampton Railway
The Oxford, Worcester and Wolverhampton railway was a company authorised on 4 August 1845 to construct a railway line from the Oxford and Rugby Railway at Wolvercot Junction to Worcester, Stourbridge, Dudley, and Wolverhampton, with a branch to the Grand Junction Railway at Bushbury...
and Evesham Railway Station
Evesham railway station
Evesham railway station is in the town of Evesham in Worcestershire, England. It is operated by First Great Western, and is between Honeybourne and Pershore stations on the Cotswold Line from Oxford to Worcester, Great Malvern and Hereford...
opened between Honeybourne
Honeybourne railway station
Honeybourne railway station serves the village of Honeybourne in Worcestershire, England. It is on the Cotswold Line and was formerly a junction with four platforms.-History:...
and Pershore
Pershore railway station
- External links :...
. The station is on the Cotswold Line
Cotswold Line
The Cotswold Line is an railway line between and in England.-Route:The line comprises all or part of the following Network Rail routes:*GW 200 from Oxford*GW 310 from Wolvercot Junction*GW 300 from Norton Junction*GW 340 from Worcester Shrub Hill...
from Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
to Worcester
Worcester
The City of Worcester, commonly known as Worcester, , is a city and county town of Worcestershire in the West Midlands of England. Worcester is situated some southwest of Birmingham and north of Gloucester, and has an approximate population of 94,000 people. The River Severn runs through the...
, Great Malvern
Great Malvern
Great Malvern is an area of Malvern, Worcestershire, England. It is the historical centre of the town, and the location of the headquarters buildings of the of Malvern Town Council, the governing body of the Malvern civil parish, and Malvern Hills District council of the county of...
and Hereford
Hereford
Hereford is a cathedral city, civil parish and county town of Herefordshire, England. It lies on the River Wye, approximately east of the border with Wales, southwest of Worcester, and northwest of Gloucester...
. There are trains every 45–55 minutes to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
Paddington
Paddington station
Paddington railway station, also known as London Paddington, is a central London railway terminus and London Underground complex.The site is a historic one, having served as the London terminus of the Great Western Railway and its successors since 1838. Much of the current mainline station dates...
that take approximately 1 hour 45 minutes and trains to Birmingham take around 90 minutes (changing at Worcester).
The nearest major airport is Birmingham International about 40 minutes away by trunk roads and the M42 motorway. Gloucestershire Airport
Gloucestershire Airport
Gloucestershire Airport , formerly Staverton Airport, is located at Staverton, in the Borough of Tewkesbury within Gloucestershire, England. It lies west of Cheltenham, near the city of Gloucester and close to the M5 motorway. According to the sign at the airport's entrance it is Gloucestershire's...
at Staverton
Staverton, Gloucestershire
Staverton is a village between the city of Gloucester and the town of Cheltenham in Gloucestershire, England, in the borough of Tewkesbury.It is the location of Gloucestershire Airport, which was previously called Staverton Airport and RAF Staverton. It is the home of the Dowty Rotol and...
is a general aviation
General aviation
General aviation is one of the two categories of civil aviation. It refers to all flights other than military and scheduled airline and regular cargo flights, both private and commercial. General aviation flights range from gliders and powered parachutes to large, non-scheduled cargo jet flights...
airport used for pilot training, private charter and scheduled flights to Jersey, Guernsey, and the Isle of Man.
Education
Schools in Evesham follow the three-tier educationThree-tier education
Three-tier education refers to those structures of schooling, which exist in some parts of England, where pupils are taught in three distinct school types. A similar experiment was also trialled in Scotland....
model of first school
First School
First school and lower school are terms used in some areas of the United Kingdom to describe the first stage of primary education. Some English Local Education Authorities have introduced First Schools since the 1960s...
(ages 5–10), middle school
Middle school
Middle School and Junior High School are levels of schooling between elementary and high schools. Most school systems use one term or the other, not both. The terms are not interchangeable...
(ages 10–13), and high school (ages 13–18) adopted by Wychavon District Council
Wychavon
Wychavon is a local government district in Worcestershire, England. Its council is based in Pershore. Other towns in the district include Droitwich Spa, Evesham and Broadway. The district extends from the south-east corner of Worcestershire north and west...
1974 and completed by 1977. Twelve first (primary) schools which include state non-denominational schools as well as Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
and Roman Catholic school feed four middle schools which in turn send their pupils to complete their secondary education at Evesham High School
Evesham High School
Evesham High School , also known as EHS, is a dual Specialist Sports College and Maths and Computing College located in Evesham, Worcestershire, England...
and Prince Henry's High School
Prince Henry's High School
Prince Henry's High School, also known as Prince Henry's, is a secondary school in Evesham, Worcestershire, England. It is a co-educational comprehensive high school, in which there are about 1260 students enrolled, aged between 13 and 18...
which originated as a grammar school
Grammar school
A grammar school is one of several different types of school in the history of education in the United Kingdom and some other English-speaking countries, originally a school teaching classical languages but more recently an academically-oriented secondary school.The original purpose of mediaeval...
established by the monastery and was refounded by Henry VIII after the Dissolution. The Vale of Evesham School
Vale of Evesham School
Vale of Evesham School in Evesham, in the county of Worcestershire, England, is a special needs school for around 150 mixed gender pupils pupils aged 2 to 19 of whom approximately 35 are in the 6th form. It caters for children with special educational needs and also accommodates 15 pupils as...
, operated by Worcestershire County Council, caters for children from the area aged 2 – 19 with special needs, and learning disabilities. Further education is provided by South Worcestershire College (previously known as Evesham and Malvern Hills College) which caters mainly for students studying at the NVQ and BTEC
Business And Technology Education Council (BTEC)
The Business and Technology Education Council is the British body which awards vocational qualifications. Such qualifications are commonly referred to as "BTECs"....
level or undertaking practical vocational courses.
The nearest higher education providers are the University of Worcester
University of Worcester
The University of Worcester is a British university, based in Worcester, Worcestershire, England. It was granted university status in September 2005.-History:...
and the University of Gloucestershire
University of Gloucestershire
The University of Gloucestershire is a university primarily based in Gloucestershire, England, spread over four campuses, three in Cheltenham and one in Gloucester...
.
A University of the Third Age
University of the Third Age
The University of the Third Age is an international organisation whose aims are the education and stimulation of retired members of the community - those in the third 'age' of life. It is commonly referred to as U3A.- France :...
was established in 2003 and as of 2010 had 600 members.
Religion
It is possible that the 8th century Saxon Minster Church of Evesham Abbey was founded on the site of an even older church. The medieval town had two parish churches, All SaintsAll Saints
All Saints' Day , often shortened to All Saints, is a solemnity celebrated on 1 November by parts of Western Christianity, and on the first Sunday after Pentecost in Eastern Christianity, in honour of all the saints, known and unknown...
and St Lawrence
St Lawrence's Church, Evesham
St Lawrence's Church, Evesham, is a redundant Anglican church in the centre of the town of Evesham, Worcestershire, England. It has been designated by English Heritage as a Grade II* listed building, and is under the care of the Churches Conservation Trust...
built within the abbey precinct. Religious establishments in Evesham include All Saints Church, Evesham Baptist
Baptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
Church, Evesham Evangelical Church, Evesham Methodist Church, St Andrew C of E Church, St Mary & Saint Egwin Church, St Peters Church, Vale Of Evesham Christian Centre, and a Quaker meeting place.
Culture
Evesham had a distinctive dialect, which locals called "Asum Grammar", or "Asum Grammer". The editor of the local newspaper quoted extracts from a fictitious dictionary of the language. In 1891, a glossary was published of words and phrases in South-East Worcestershire, comprising the district around Evesham and Pershore. This publication itself built on that of an 1882 author identified only as "Mrs Chamberlain". Prior to the 1882 book, little attention had been paid to the dialect of "the old Worcestershire folks", despite it being "interesting and peculiar". A decline in the dialect was already being noted, attributed at that time to standardisation of English schooling, something noted also by later writers on English dialects. The dialect continues to decline, but is stronger in older generations. More recent factors in its decline are attributed to changes in the market gardening scene, where the dialect was to be heard at its fullest, and the impact of television. In the local dialect, "Asum" is a contraction of the town's name. Asum was an aleAle
Ale is a type of beer brewed from malted barley using a warm fermentation with a strain of brewers' yeast. The yeast will ferment the beer quickly, giving it a sweet, full bodied and fruity taste...
produced by the now defunct Evesham Brewery. "Eve-shum" is the more common phonetic pronunciation, but "Eve-uh-shum" is not common.
Evesham Arts Centre was built in 1979 and is staffed and operated by volunteers. It provides a venue for professional and amateur performance. Events hosted include drama, stand-up comedy, brass bands, orchestras, pantomime
Pantomime
Pantomime — not to be confused with a mime artist, a theatrical performer of mime—is a musical-comedy theatrical production traditionally found in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Jamaica, South Africa, India, Ireland, Gibraltar and Malta, and is mostly performed during the...
to ballet. The centre has a raked
Rake (theatre)
English theatre stages in the Middle Ages and early Modern era typically sloped upwards away from the audience. This is known as a rake or raked stage and improves the view for the audience....
300-seat auditorium
Auditorium
An auditorium is a room built to enable an audience to hear and watch performances at venues such as theatres. For movie theaters, the number of auditoriums is expressed as the number of screens.- Etymology :...
, full technical facilities and film projection and a 60-seat studio space for smaller productions. The centre's foyer it is an exhibition space for local artists. The centre is managed by the Evesham Arts Association, a registered charity.
The Regal Cinema reopened in December 2009. Its Grade II listed building was designed in 1932 by architect Hurley Robinson
Archibald Hurley Robinson
Archibald Hurley Robinson F.R.I.B.A., known as Hurley Robinson, was a prolific British architect of cinemas prior to World War II. Following World War II, the demand for new cinemas had diminished and his work focussed more on office buildings...
. who was responsible for several public buildings in classical and Art Deco
Art Deco
Art deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...
styles, including 55 other cinemas. The Regal is the most important surviving example. In 2009 the cinema signed a contract to show all Universal Studios
Universal Studios
Universal Pictures , a subsidiary of NBCUniversal, is one of the six major movie studios....
films. It also serves as a community arts centre, offering a programme of music and stand-up comedy.
Medieval Evesham, and the Earl of Evesham, inspired a novel Winning His Spurs by historical fiction author G. A. Henty. Local folklore is provided for by the Legend of Evesham surrounding the life of Eof, an 8th century swineherd credited with the founding of the town, and St Egwin the Bishop of Worcester who founded the abbey and who whose feet had been fettered and the key thrown in the River Avon. According to the legend, the key turned up in Rome inside a fish. On returning to Evesham, Egwin declared that a monastery be built on the spot where the key had been cast in the river. A major landmark is the statue of Eof by the sculptor John McKenna
John McKenna
John McKenna , born in County Monaghan, Ireland, was a self-made businessman and former rugby player, who was the first manager of Liverpool....
that was funded by the townsfolk and unveiled in the market place in June 2008.
Amenities and media
The Evesham Library, managed by Worcestershire Libraries & Learning division of Worcestershire County Council, is located in the town centre and was completely modernised following a closure for refurbishment in January 2011. It offers community services that include an online catalogue, Wi-Fi internet access, public internet terminals, and a mobile library.A local museum opened in 1957 and funded by the council, The Almonry Museum, the Heritage Centre, and the Tourist Information Centre are housed in a 14th century half timbered building that was the home of the almoner of Evesham Abbey. Exhibits include many items of local interest including an exhibition themed on the battle of Evesham.
Evesham has a 97-bed community hospital in Waterside, outside the town centre, used mainly by the elderly and for convalescence, although consultants from major Worcester NHS
National Health Service
The National Health Service is the shared name of three of the four publicly funded healthcare systems in the United Kingdom. They provide a comprehensive range of health services, the vast majority of which are free at the point of use to residents of the United Kingdom...
hospitals hold clinics there. The hospital maintains a 24-hour Minor Injuries Unit. The town has three health centres providing general practitioner first care services, and a dental centre. Evesham also has several nursing and retirement home
Retirement home
A retirement home is a multi-residence housing facility intended for senior citizens. Typically each person or couple in the home has an apartment-style room or suite of rooms. Additional facilities are provided within the building, including facilities for meals, gathering, recreation, and some...
s for the care of senior citizens. The Evesham area is covered by the Midlands Air Ambulance service, which has operated from the site of Strensham motorway services
Strensham services
Strensham services is a motorway service station on the M5 in Worcestershire, England. In August 2011, it was rated as 4 stars and 3 stars by quality assessors at Visit England....
since 1991.
The Evesham Leisure Centre comprises two swimming pools, a climbing wall, a 100-station fitness room to our health and a beauty salon. Sport in Evesham is represented by Evesham United F.C.
Evesham United F.C.
Evesham United F.C. are an English football club based in Evesham, Worcestershire. They reached the First Round Proper of the FA Cup for the first time in the 2008-2009 season. In 2005, they entered the Southern League Premier Division for the first time in their history but were relegated after...
which plays in the Southern Football League Premier Division, and Rugby Union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
– Senior and Youth Sections at Evesham Rugby Club. The town also has a Petanque
Pétanque
Pétanque is a form of boules where the goal is, while standing inside a starting circle with both feet on the ground, to throw hollow metal balls as close as possible to a small wooden ball called a cochonnet or jack. It is also sometimes called a bouchon or le petit...
team (Evesham Petanque Club), and a cycling
Cycling
Cycling, also called bicycling or biking, is the use of bicycles for transport, recreation, or for sport. Persons engaged in cycling are cyclists or bicyclists...
club, Evesham & District Wheelers, which was founded in 1947. Because of its situation on the river the town is home to various watersports including Evesham Rowing
Rowing (sport)
Rowing is a sport in which athletes race against each other on rivers, on lakes or on the ocean, depending upon the type of race and the discipline. The boats are propelled by the reaction forces on the oar blades as they are pushed against the water...
Club, Kayaking
Kayaking
Kayaking is the use of a kayak for moving across water. Kayaking and canoeing are also known as paddling. Kayaking is distinguished from canoeing by the sitting position of the paddler and the number of blades on the paddle...
& Canoeing
Canoeing
Canoeing is an outdoor activity that involves a special kind of canoe.Open canoes may be 'poled' , sailed, 'lined and tracked' or even 'gunnel-bobbed'....
provided by the Evesham Paddlesport club, and Evesham Sailing
Sailing
Sailing is the propulsion of a vehicle and the control of its movement with large foils called sails. By changing the rigging, rudder, and sometimes the keel or centre board, a sailor manages the force of the wind on the sails in order to move the boat relative to its surrounding medium and...
Club,
Evesham local news has been served since 1860 by the Evesham Journal, now part of the Newsquest
Newsquest
Newsquest is the third largest publisher of regional and local newspapers in the United Kingdom with 300 titles in its portfolio. Newsquest is based in Weybridge, Surrey and employs a total of more than 5,500 people across the UK...
(Midlands South) Ltd. subsidiary of Gannett Corporation, which is predominantly a weekly free newspaper that is distributed over four counties. In 2007 the weekly free newspaper Evesham Observer was launched by Midlands-based Observer-Standard series of newspapers, now the family-owned Bullivant Media.
Commercial radio stations that provide music and local news include Wyvern (radio) broadcsting on 96.7 FM, Touch FM broadcasting on 102 FM, and BBC Hereford & Worcester broadcasting on 104 FM and 94.7 FM.
Notable people
- John AldridgeJohn Aldridge (cricketer)Keith John Aldridge was an English cricketer. He was a right-arm fast-medium bowler who took more than 250 first-class wickets. As a batsman he offered little, with a career batting average of under seven...
, a professional English and international cricketer who also played for Worcestershire, was born in Evesham in 1935. - Molly BadhamMolly BadhamMolly Winifred Badham MBE was a co-founder of Twycross Zoo. She trained the chimpanzees who appeared on the Brooke Bond PG Tips television advertisements in the 1960s to the 1980s....
who was awarded the MBEOrder of the British EmpireThe Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
was a co-founder of Twycross ZooTwycross ZooTwycross Zoo is an zoo near the village of Twycross in Leicestershire, close to the border of Warwickshire . The zoo claims the largest collections of monkeys and apes in the World, and in 2006 re-launched itself as "Twycross Zoo – The World Primate Centre."The zoo attracts around 500,000 visitors...
. She trained the chimpanzees who appeared on the famous Brooke BondBrooke BondBrooke Bond is a brand-name of tea owned by Unilever, formerly an independent manufacturer in the United Kingdom, known for its PG Tips brand and its Brooke Bond tea cards.- History :...
PG TipsPG TipsPG Tips is a brand of tea in the United Kingdom, manufactured by Unilever UK. It is claimed that Britons drink 35 million cups of the tea every day.-Brand name:...
TV ads for tea, was born in Evesham in 1914. - Jim CapaldiJim CapaldiNicola James "Jim" Capaldi was an English musician and songwriter. His musical career lasted more than four decades. He co-founded Traffic in Birmingham with Steve Winwood, and the band's psychedelic rock was influential in Britain and the United States...
, songwriter and founding member of TrafficTraffic (band)Traffic were an English rock band whose members came from the West Midlands. The group formed in April 1967 by Steve Winwood, Jim Capaldi, Chris Wood and Dave Mason...
was born and raised in Evesham. - Muzio ClementiMuzio ClementiMuzio Clementi was a celebrated composer, pianist, pedagogue, conductor, music publisher, editor, and piano manufacturer. Born in Italy, he spent most of his life in England. He is best known for his piano sonatas, and his collection of piano studies, Gradus ad Parnassum...
was a celebrated classicalClassical period (music)The dates of the Classical Period in Western music are generally accepted as being between about 1750 and 1830. However, the term classical music is used colloquially to describe a variety of Western musical styles from the ninth century to the present, and especially from the sixteenth or...
composerComposerA composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
, pianistPianistA pianist is a musician who plays the piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers, solo instrumentalists, or other performers.-Choice of genres:...
, pedagogue, conductor, music publisher, and piano manufacturer. He spent his final years in Evesham where he died in 1832. - Daniel FlynnDaniel Flynn (Actor)Daniel Flynn is an English actor born in 1961 in Evesham, Worcestershire but moved to Bromley, Kent as a baby. He is the son of actor Eric Flynn and the brother of actor Jerome Flynn...
, the actor who plays Superintendent John Heaton in the long-running ITV1ITV1ITV1 is a generic brand that is used by twelve franchises of the British ITV Network in the English regions, Wales, southern Scotland , the Isle of Man and the Bailiwicks of Jersey and Guernsey. The ITV1 brand was introduced by Carlton and Granada in 2001, alongside the regional identities of their...
police drama The BillThe BillThe Bill is a police procedural television series that ran from October 1984 to August 2010. It focused on the lives and work of one shift of police officers, rather than on any particular aspect of police work...
was born in 1961 in Evesham but moved to BromleyBromleyBromley is a large suburban town in south east London, England and the administrative headquarters of the London Borough of Bromley. It was historically a market town, and prior to 1963 was in the county of Kent and formed the administrative centre of the Municipal Borough of Bromley...
, KentKentKent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
as a baby. - Sir Henry FowlerHenry Fowler (engineer)Sir Henry Fowler, KBE was a Chief Mechanical Engineer of the Midland Railway and subsequently the London, Midland and Scottish Railway.- Biography :...
, Chief Mechanical EngineerChief Mechanical EngineerChief Mechanical Engineer and Locomotive Superintendent are titles applied by British, Australian, and New Zealand railway companies to the person ultimately responsible to the board of the company for the building and maintaining of the locomotives and rolling stock...
of the Midland RailwayMidland RailwayThe Midland Railway was a railway company in the United Kingdom from 1844 to 1922, when it became part of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway....
and subsequently the London, Midland and Scottish RailwayLondon, Midland and Scottish RailwayThe London Midland and Scottish Railway was a British railway company. It was formed on 1 January 1923 under the Railways Act of 1921, which required the grouping of over 120 separate railway companies into just four...
was born in Evesham, on 29 July 1870. - Edmund Hort NewEdmund Hort NewEdmund Hort New was an English artist, member of the Birmingham Group, and leading illustrator of his day.-Life and work:New was born in Evesham Worcestershire, a cousin of Thomas New. He studied at the Birmingham Municipal School of Art under Edward R. Taylor and A. J...
, was an artist who was born and grew up in Evesham in 1871. In 1905, he moved to OxfordOxfordThe city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
where he started work on a series of drawings of the University of OxfordUniversity of OxfordThe University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
colleges, a project which occupied him for the rest of his life. - Harry KingHarry KingHenry Edward "Harry" King was an English footballer.King was born in Northampton, Northamptonshire and began his career at Evesham Star and Worcester City, before joining Birmingham in 1907. A centre-forward, he played 29 games and scored six goals for the Second Division side in two seasons....
(1886–1968) was a professional EnglishEnglish peopleThe English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
footballerFootball (soccer)Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
who was born in NorthamptonNorthamptonNorthampton is a large market town and local government district in the East Midlands region of England. Situated about north-west of London and around south-east of Birmingham, Northampton lies on the River Nene and is the county town of Northamptonshire. The demonym of Northampton is...
, and began his career at Evesham Star F.C.. - Robert LanchburyRobert LanchburyRobert John Lanchbury is a former English cricketer who played first-class cricket for Gloucestershire and Worcestershire in the early 1970s, as well as making a few one-day appearances.-Early years:...
, is a former EnglishEnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
cricketerCricketerA cricketer is a person who plays the sport of cricket. Official and long-established cricket publications prefer the traditional word "cricketer" over the rarely used term "cricket player"....
who played first-class cricketFirst-class cricketFirst-class cricket is a class of cricket that consists of matches of three or more days' scheduled duration, that are between two sides of eleven players and are officially adjudged first-class by virtue of the standard of the competing teams...
for GloucestershireGloucestershire County Cricket ClubGloucestershire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the historic county of Gloucestershire. Its limited overs team is called the Gloucestershire Gladiators....
and WorcestershireWorcestershire County Cricket ClubWorcestershire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Worcestershire...
in the early 1970s. He was born in Evesham in 1950. - Alistair McGowanAlistair McGowanAlistair McGowan is a British impressionist, stand-up comic, actor, singer and writer best known to British audiences for The Big Impression , which was, for four years, one of BBC1's top-rating comedy programmes - winning numerous awards, including a BAFTA in 2003...
(impressionist and actor) was born in Evesham, on 24 November 1964. - Andy PreeceAndy PreeceAndrew Preece is a part-time English footballer and manager. He is currently the player-manager at Northwich Victoria.-Career:...
, a part-time professional English footballer and manager. He began his career as a junior with Worcester CityWorcester City F.C.Worcester City Football Club is an English football club based in Worcester, Worcestershire. The club are currently members of the Conference North and play at St George's Lane.-History:...
. He subsequently played for Evesham UnitedEvesham United F.C.Evesham United F.C. are an English football club based in Evesham, Worcestershire. They reached the First Round Proper of the FA Cup for the first time in the 2008-2009 season. In 2005, they entered the Southern League Premier Division for the first time in their history but were relegated after...
. Preece was born in 1967 in Evesham. - P J Proby (American pop singer) lives in Evesham.
- Edward RightonEdward Righton, seniorEdward Grantham Righton was an English cricketer who played four first-class matches for Worcestershire between 1911 and 1913....
(1884–1964) was an EnglishEnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
cricketerCricketerA cricketer is a person who plays the sport of cricket. Official and long-established cricket publications prefer the traditional word "cricketer" over the rarely used term "cricket player"....
who played first-class cricketFirst-class cricketFirst-class cricket is a class of cricket that consists of matches of three or more days' scheduled duration, that are between two sides of eleven players and are officially adjudged first-class by virtue of the standard of the competing teams...
matches for WorcestershireWorcestershire County Cricket ClubWorcestershire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Worcestershire...
between 1911 and 1913, was born in Evesham - John WatsonJohn Watson (Bishop)-Life:He was born in Evesham, Worcestershire England, the son of Thomas Watson and Agnes nee Weeks. Thomas Watson was born in Evesham around 1491 and in 1544 purchased part of the former Evesham Abbey lands and the lordship of Bengeworth, across the River Avon from Evesham town. On those lands he...
was born in Evesham around 1491 and was a Bishop of WinchesterBishop of WinchesterThe Bishop of Winchester is the head of the Church of England diocese of Winchester, with his cathedra at Winchester Cathedral in Hampshire.The bishop is one of five Church of England bishops to be among the Lords Spiritual regardless of their length of service. His diocese is one of the oldest and...
, and a Chancellor of St Pauls Cathedral, London. Today's Evesham Hotel, is a Tudor mansionTudor architectureThe Tudor architectural style is the final development of medieval architecture during the Tudor period and even beyond, for conservative college patrons...
he built as the family home. - William JonesWilliam Jones (VC)William Jones VC was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross for his action at the Battle of Rorke's Drift in January 1897, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.- Details :Jones was born and...
, (1839–1913) was awarded the Victoria CrossVictoria CrossThe Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
for bravery at Rorke's DriftRorke's DriftThe Battle of Rorke's Drift, also known as the Defence of Rorke's Drift, was a battle in the Anglo-Zulu War. The defence of the mission station of Rorke's Drift, under the command of Lieutenant John Chard of the Royal Engineers, immediately followed the British Army's defeat at the Battle of...
, the highest military award that can be awarded to British and CommonwealthCommonwealth of NationsThe Commonwealth of Nations, normally referred to as the Commonwealth and formerly known as the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of fifty-four independent member states...
citizens. He was born in Evesham c1839. - Guy WhittinghamGuy WhittinghamGuy Whittingham is a retired professional footballer with over 450 appearances for a number of English clubs, after leaving the British Army. He is currently serving as joint caretaker manager of Portsmouth together with Stuart Gray...
is a retired professional footballer with over 450 appearances for a number of English clubs including Premier League Aston Villa F.C.Aston Villa F.C.Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...
and Sheffield Wednesday F.C. He was born in Evesham in 1964.
Twin towns
Evesham is twinned with: DreuxDreux
Dreux is a commune in the Eure-et-Loir department in northern France.-History:Dreux was known in ancient times as Durocassium, the capital of the Durocasses Celtic tribe. Despite the legend, its name was not related with Druids. The Romans established here a fortified camp known as Castrum...
, France. Melsungen
Melsungen
Melsungen is a small climatic spa in the Schwalm-Eder district in northern Hesse, Germany.-Geography:Melsungen lies on the river Fulda in the North Hesse Highland. The brooks Pfieffe and Kehrenbach flow into the Fulda here...
, Germany. Evesham Township, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, USA.
External links
- Evesham Town Council
- Almonry Museum and Heritage Centre
- Evesham - a 1904 book about the town, by Edmund H. New, from Project GutenbergProject GutenbergProject Gutenberg is a volunteer effort to digitize and archive cultural works, to "encourage the creation and distribution of eBooks". Founded in 1971 by Michael S. Hart, it is the oldest digital library. Most of the items in its collection are the full texts of public domain books...
- Evesham Arts Centre
- Worcestershire County Council web site
- BBC Battle of Evesham, 4 August 1265
- BBC Battle of Evesham timeline