Evesham facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Evesham
Evesham
Population	27,684 (2021 Census)
OS grid reference	SP0343
District	Wychavon
Shire county	Worcestershire
Region	West Midlands
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	EVESHAM
Postcode district	WR11
Dialling code	01386
Police	West Mercia
Fire	Hereford and Worcester
Ambulance	West Midlands
EU Parliament	West Midlands
UK Parliament	Droitwich and Evesham
List of places UK England Worcestershire 52°05′31″N 1°56′49″W / 52.092°N 1.947°W / 52.092; -1.947

Evesham is a lively market town and parish in the Wychavon area of Worcestershire, England. It's located in the West Midlands, about the same distance from Worcester, Cheltenham, and Stratford-upon-Avon.

The town sits in the Vale of Evesham, a flat area near the River Avon. This area is famous for growing fruits and vegetables. The town centre is built in a bend of the river, which means it sometimes gets flooded. The floods in 2007 were the biggest ever recorded there.

Evesham grew up around a large abbey that was built in the 700s. This abbey was one of the biggest in Europe, but it was destroyed a long time ago. Only the Bell Tower is left today. In the 1200s, a major battle called the Battle of Evesham happened near the town. Prince Edward, who later became King Edward I, won this battle.

History of Evesham

What does "Evesham" mean?

The Market Place in Evesham, around 1904

The name Evesham comes from old English words. Homme or ham means a home or dwelling. Eof was the name of a swineherd (someone who looked after pigs) who worked for Egwin, a bishop.

The town was first called Homme or Haum. In 709, it was recorded as Eveshomme, and by 1086, it was called Evesham. The "homme" part of the name often referred to land next to a river, especially in bends, that could flood.

Evesham Abbey: A Grand Monastery

Evesham Abbey bell tower

Evesham Abbey was founded by Saint Egwin, the third Bishop of Worcester, around 701 AD. It became one of the largest abbeys in England. The story says it was built after the Virgin Mary appeared to a local swineherd named Eof.

The abbey is mentioned in the Great Domesday Book from 1086. This book listed all the land and property in England. It shows how important Evesham and its abbey were back then.

After the Normans took over England, the abbey was rebuilt and made bigger. Many skilled workers helped, which made Evesham grow. The abbey earned money from pilgrims who came to see where the Virgin Mary appeared and to visit the tomb of Simon de Montfort.

However, King Henry VIII closed down all the monasteries in England, including Evesham Abbey, in 1540. Most of the abbey was taken apart and sold for building materials. Only the Lichfield Bell Tower remains today. Parts of the abbey are now protected historical sites. The abbey's old coat of arms is even used by Prince Henry's High School. Two buildings connected to the abbey that still exist are the Middle Littleton Tythe Barn and the Almonry Museum and Heritage Centre. The Almonry Museum shows items found from the abbey's past.

The Battle of Evesham

The Battle of Evesham took place in August 1265. It was a very important battle during the Second Barons' War in England. A year earlier, Simon de Montfort had taken control of parliament.

In this battle, Prince Edward led his father King Henry III's army of 8,000 soldiers. They fought against de Montfort's 6,000 men. Prince Edward won, and de Montfort and his son were killed. De Montfort's army was trapped in a bend of the river.

This battle was a big victory for the King. It helped bring an end to the rebellion, though the fighting continued for a couple more years. It's believed that the royal army wore the Saint George's Cross (England's flag) during this battle. This might have been one of the first times the cross was used to officially represent England.

How the Town Grew

The Almonry, originally part of Evesham Abbey

In the Middle Ages, the town of Evesham grew inside a horseshoe bend of the River Avon. Across the river, another area called Bengeworth also developed. In 1055, King Edward gave the Saxon town the right to hold a market.

In the 11th century, a powerful nobleman named Leofric, Earl of Mercia, had a hunting lodge in Bengeworth. Leofric and his wife, Godifu (also known as Lady Godiva), founded Holy Trinity Church. Godifu might be buried at the abbey.

Later, during the time of King Stephen, a castle was built in Bengeworth. The people in the castle often fought with the town and abbey. The Abbot of Evesham had the castle destroyed between 1149 and 1159. He then made the site a graveyard so no one could rebuild the castle.

Evesham was an important market town in the hundred of Blackenhurst in Worcestershire. After 1837, it became the head of the Evesham Poor Law Union, which helped people who were poor.

How Evesham is Governed

Evesham Town Hall

Evesham used to have its own Borough Council, which worked from Evesham Town Hall. But in 1974, the Wychavon District Council took over.

Today, Evesham is a town and civil parish. It's run by the Evesham Town Council, which is the lowest level of local government. This council is part of the Wychavon District in Worcestershire.

There are 24 elected members who represent the town's eight areas, called wards. These wards are Abbey, Avon, Bengeworth, Fairfield, Great Hampton, Little Hampton, South, and Twyford. The council is led by a mayor and has a Town Clerk who manages its daily work.

Geography of Evesham

Evesham is located on a piece of land shaped like a horseshoe. It's almost completely surrounded by the River Avon, which bends around the town. The modern town now includes Bengeworth and Greater and Little Hampton. These used to be separate villages on the other side of the river.

Bridges connect Evesham to these areas. Workman Bridge links Evesham to Bengeworth. Abbey Bridge, also called New Bridge, connects to Hampton. This New Bridge was the first fully concrete bridge in the country!

To the east and south-west, you can see the Cotswold hills. To the west are the Malvern Hills. The land to the north is mostly flat. The River Avon flows through Evesham and eventually joins the River Severn. Boats can travel on the Avon, but it's mostly used for fun, like leisure trips. There's also a marina where boats can dock.

Flooding in Evesham

The River Avon in Evesham has always been known for heavy flooding. Records show floods happening since the 1200s. In May 1924, Evesham had one of its biggest floods.

In May 1998, Evesham was hit hard by record floods along the River Avon. The river rose by about 5.8 meters (19 feet) in just a few hours! Boats broke free, parts of Bengeworth flooded, and the Workman Bridge was threatened as homes from a caravan park got stuck in its arches.

In July 2007, Evesham had its heaviest rainfall in 200 years. The amount of rain was more than three times the usual amount in some areas. This caused some of the worst floods ever recorded in the Severn area, and in Evesham, it was the worst flood in its history.

Location grid

Destinations from Evesham

	Worcester, Tenbury Wells	Alcester, Redditch, Birmingham	Stratford-upon-Avon, Coventry
	Pershore, Malvern, Ledbury, Hereford		Banbury
		Evesham
	Strensham, Tewkesbury, Gloucester	Cirencester, Devizes	Moreton-in-Marsh, Chipping Norton, Woodstock, Oxford

People of Evesham

In 2001, Evesham had a population of 22,304 people. For every 100 females, there were about 97 males. The average household had 2.3 people.

About 20% of the population was under 16 years old, and about 8% was 75 or older. The average age of people in Evesham was 38.2 years. Most residents (nearly 70%) said their health was "good."

Evesham's Economy

Evesham is known for its very rich soil, which is why a lot of market gardening happens in the area. The Vale of Evesham is famous for growing fruits and vegetables on a large scale. There's even a special way of renting land for market gardens called the Evesham Custom.

In the second half of the 1900s, market gardening became less common. This led to the closing of Evesham's Smithfield Market, and the Central Market stopped holding auctions for produce.

The Riverside Shopping Centre

From 1983 to 2008, Evesham was home to a computer company called Evesham Micros, later known as Evesham Technology. This company was a big player in the UK's computer and digital TV market. At its busiest, it had up to 300 employees and 19 shops across the UK. However, it closed down in 2008.

Evesham's town centre has many places to eat and some shops along its main street and at the Riverside Shopping Centre. However, the Riverside Shopping Centre has been struggling, with many shops empty.

There are also several retail parks outside the town centre that attract shoppers. These include Four Pools Lane Retail Park, Evesham Shopping Park, Sinclair Retail Park, Charity Crescent Retail Park, and The Valley. The Valley (which used to be called Evesham Country Park) is a large shopping and fun park with many different stores, restaurants, and cafes. It also has the Evesham Vale Light Railway, which is a miniature railway.

Getting Around Evesham

Roads

In the 1700s, roads leading to and from Evesham were improved, making travel easier. Evesham is located where two main roads, the A46 and A44, meet. A bypass road, which cost £7 million, was built east of the town in 1987 to help traffic flow better.

Work to replace the Abbey Bridge started in September 2013 and finished in March 2014.

Waterways

The River Avon is a navigable waterway (meaning boats can travel on it). It connects the River Severn at Tewkesbury to the Stratford-upon-Avon Canal at Stratford-upon-Avon. Different groups manage the river above and below Evesham. The ancient Hampton Ferry still connects the town to Hampton.

Railway

In 1845, a law was passed to build the Oxford, Worcester and Wolverhampton Railway. Evesham railway station was then opened. The station is on the Cotswold Line, which goes from Oxford to Worcester, Great Malvern, and Hereford.

Trains run every 45 to 55 minutes to London Paddington, taking about 1 hour and 45 minutes. Trains to Birmingham take about 90 minutes, with a change in Worcester.

Education in Evesham

Schools in Evesham follow a "three-tier" system. This means children go to:

• A first school (ages 5–10)
• A middle school (ages 10–13)
• A high school (ages 13–18)

There are twelve first (primary) schools, including state schools, Church of England schools like Bengeworth Academy, and a Roman Catholic school. These schools send their students to four middle schools. After middle school, students go to The De Montfort School or Prince Henry's High School for their secondary education. Prince Henry's High School was originally a grammar school started by the monastery and was re-founded by King Henry VIII.

The Vale of Evesham School helps children aged 2 to 19 with special needs and learning disabilities. For further education, students can go to Evesham College. This college offers courses like NVQs and BTECs, which are often practical job-focused courses.

The closest universities are the University of Worcester and the University of Gloucestershire. There's also a University of the Third Age in Evesham, which started in 2003 and helps older adults continue learning.

Places of Worship

It's thought that the first church in Evesham, built in the 700s, might have been on the site of an even older church. In medieval times, the town had two parish churches, All Saints and St Lawrence, both inside the abbey grounds.

Today, Evesham has many different religious buildings. These include All Saints Church, Evesham Baptist Church, Evesham Evangelical Church, Evesham Methodist Church, St Andrew's C of E Church, St Mary & Saint Egwin's Church, St Peter's Church, Vale Of Evesham Christian Centre, the Unitarian Chapel, and a Quaker meeting place.

Culture, Media, and Sports

Culture

Evesham used to have its own special way of speaking, which locals called "Asum Grammar." "Asum" is a shorter way of saying Evesham in the local dialect. This dialect has become less common over time, partly because of standard schooling and television.

The art deco Regal Cinema

The Henrician Evesham is a theatre that opened in 1979. It's run by volunteers and hosts many different shows, from plays and comedy to music and ballet. It has a 312-seat theatre and a smaller 60-seat studio. The lobby is also used to show art by local artists.

The Regal Cinema reopened in December 2009. This beautiful building, designed in 1932, is protected as a historic site. It shows movies and also hosts music and comedy shows.

Evesham has inspired books too! The novel Winning His Spurs by G. A. Henty is set in medieval Evesham. More recently, the book Agatha Raisin and the Wizard of Evesham by M. C. Beaton takes place in the town.

There's also a local legend about Eof, the swineherd who helped found the town, and St Egwin. The story says Egwin threw a key into the River Avon, and it later appeared inside a fish in Rome! When he returned, Egwin said a monastery should be built where the key was thrown. A statue of Eof, made by Scottish sculptor John McKenna, was put up in the market place in 2008.

Media

Evesham has had a local newspaper, the Evesham Journal, since 1860. It's now a free weekly newspaper given out in four counties. In 2007, another free weekly newspaper, the Evesham Observer, was started.

Local news and TV shows are provided by BBC West Midlands and ITV Central. You can also listen to local radio stations like BBC Hereford & Worcester and Hits Radio Herefordshire & Worcestershire.

Sports

The Evesham Leisure Centre has two swimming pools, a climbing wall, a fitness room, and a health and beauty salon.

For sports teams, Evesham has Evesham United F.C., a football club that plays in a league. They also have many youth teams, girls' and women's teams, and teams for people with disabilities. There's also Evesham Rugby Club and a cricket ground.

Other sports clubs include a pétanque team, a cycling club (Evesham & District Wheelers), and various water sports clubs like Evesham Rowing Club, Evesham Paddle Monsters (for Kayaking & Canoeing), and Evesham Sailing Club. The town also has two golf courses. The Evesham Vale Running Club holds a 10K race every year.

Local Amenities

The Evesham Library is in the town centre. It was updated in 2011 and offers services like an online catalogue, Wi-Fi, public computers, and a mobile library.

The Almonry Museum and Heritage Centre is a local museum that opened in 1957. It's in a 14th-century building that used to be part of Evesham Abbey. The museum shows many local items, including an exhibit about the Battle of Evesham. It also houses the Tourist Information Centre.

Evesham has a 97-bed community hospital. It's mainly used for older people and for recovery after illness. It also has a Minor Injuries Unit that's open every day. The town has three health centres for general doctors and a dental centre. There are also several nursing and retirement homes for older people. The Midlands Air Ambulance service covers the Evesham area.

Famous People from Evesham

Many notable people have connections to Evesham:

• John Aldridge (born 1935), a professional cricketer.
• Rob Austin, a former racing driver.
• Molly Badham (born 1914), who helped start Twycross Zoo and trained the chimpanzees for the famous PG Tips tea ads.
• Jim Capaldi, a songwriter and founding member of the band Traffic, was born and grew up here.
• Muzio Clementi, a famous classical composer and pianist, spent his last years in Evesham.
• Sir Henry Fowler (born 1870), a chief mechanical engineer for railways.
• Alex Gregory, who went to school in Evesham, won two Olympic gold medals in rowing.
• Luther Grosvenor, a guitarist for the bands Mott the Hoople and Spooky Tooth, was born and grew up here.
• Alistair McGowan (born 1964), a well-known impressionist and actor.
• Edmund Hort New, an artist who was born and grew up in Evesham.
• P. J. Proby, an American pop singer, lives in Evesham.
• Simon de Montfort, the leader of the Second Barons' War, died at the Battle of Evesham and was buried in Evesham Abbey.
• C. H. Waddington (born 1905), a biologist.
• John Watson (bishop) (born around 1491), who became a Bishop of Winchester. The Evesham Hotel is a Tudor mansion he built.
• Guy Whittingham (born 1964), a retired professional footballer.

Twin Towns

Evesham is twinned with these towns in other countries:

• Dreux, France.
• Melsungen, Germany.
• Evesham Township, New Jersey, United States.

See also

In Spanish: Evesham para niños

Images for kids

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  A building in Evesham