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For other places and companies named Evesham, see Evesham (disambiguation).

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Evesham (or "the 'sham" as it is known to its inhabitants) is a middle-sized, rural market town in Worcestershire, England, in the Local Authority District of Wychavon. It is roughly equidistant between Worcester, Cheltenham and Stratford-upon-Avon and was originally built within a loop of the River Avon, which flows through the Vale of Evesham. The surrounding area (the Vale of Evesham) is known for fruit growing and market gardening, due to its unusually fertile soil which, on a commercial level, has lead to a large number of immigrant temporary workers living in the Vale.

The town had a population of 22,304 at the 2001 census, with a small hospital, a library, two secondary schools and a college. The town is home to the Evesham Technology computer manufacturing company, has a number of food processing businesses and is a modest tourist destination. Nearby is Wood Norton, a major BBC broadcasting centre during the Second World War, and has been a training facility & a private hotel until recently when it was closed down by its American owners.

Evesham could reasonably be described as a pleasant rather than an exciting place to visit: it is a well-known destination for day-trippers who picnic by the river and a base for tourists visiting the Cotswolds. Annual events include a major angling contest, a hot-air balloon festival, the 'Mop' fun fair (once a hiring fair), a regatta and a river festival featuring illuminated boats. The river Avon is an attraction in its own right, both as part of the navigable 'Avon Ring' and for pleasure-boat trips from Abbey Gardens or boat hire from the marina. The remains of Evesham Abbey include the landmark Lichfield Bell Tower and two historic parish churches. Nearby is the Almonry. This attractive, listed building houses the local Heritage Centre.

History

Evesham was the site of a major battle—the Battle of Evesham, in which Simon de Montfort was defeated and killed on 4 August 1265. It was also home to one of Europe's largest abbeys, of which only Abbot Lichfield's Bell Tower remains. Evesham Abbey was founded by Ecgwin, Bishop of Worcester, following the vision of the Virgin Mary by a local swineherd or shepherd named Eof (sometimes Eoves). Eof legendarily went straight to Ecgwin, who journeyed to the site and shared the vision. He was moved to establish a Benedictine abbey on the site.

While Ecgwin was beatified and later canonised (a local C of E middle school is named after him), Eof arguably had the greater historical resonance and posterity. The name of Evesham is derived from "Eof's ham" (This derivation is contested, as some would have it known that the name stems from "Eof's Swine"). Evesham Abbey funded smaller abbeys and churches in Belgium, Holland and France. A large source of income came from pilgrims to the abbey to celebrate both the vision and the tomb of Montfort.

One historical quirk of Evesham is that the town consists of Evesham "proper" on the north side of the Avon (within the loop of the river) and Bengeworth on the southern side. Bengeworth was always the secular side of the river, and at one stage had a castle vying for control with the abbey across on the other side. Unfortunately for Bengeworth, the knights went on a drunken spree and damaged a grave or two in the abbey graveyard, giving the monks an excuse to attack and level the castle. To prevent its rebuilding the site was then used to bury plague victims. Evesham's tax office now stands on this site. This historic imbalance is still visible in the distribution of shops and roads.

The presence of the abbey, its residents and the pilgrims coming to the site led to a growth in the town within the loop of the river. A model of the town in the middle ages is sited in the Almonry Museum in the town centre. With the sixth biggest abbey in Britain and a strong agricultural economy, the town became a well-known satellite of the powerful cathedrals in nearby Worcester and Gloucester. Unfortunately Henry VIII's Dissolution of the monasteries saw the Abbey dismantled.

Despite this seeming disaster, the town survived and grew into one of the country's most well-known production centres for fruit and vegetables. The Vale Of Evesham at its height was second only to Kent as the Garden of England.

A decline in the second half of the 20th century in domestic agriculture led to the closing of Evesham garden market in the 1990s, and many orchards in the town's Greenhill area fell into disuse.

In May 1998 Evesham was one of the towns hit by record flooding along the River Avon. The river rose 19 feet in just a few hours, sinking tethered narrow boats, 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 the bridge's arches.

The distinctive local dialect, now slipping into lesser use but strong still in older generations of the town's inhabitants, has 'Asum' as a contraction of the town's name. Asum was the name given to the produce of a popular micro-brewery based at the historic Green Dragon public house (built 1510 and boasting fine Tudor architecture) in the town. The two award-winning real ales were Asum Ale and Asum Gold. The pub has been relaunched and the micro-brewery has closed.

Another quirk of local language gives rise to the debate as to the pronunciation of the town's name itself. 'Eve-shum' is the more common phonetic pronunciation, but the pronunciation 'Eve-er-shum' is not uncommon. Younger generations of the town's inhabitants give the pseudo-affectionate name of The Sham to the town.

Travel

Road: Evesham is at the junction of the A46 and A44 trunk roads - the four-mile A46 £7m single-carriageway bypass opened in July 1987 as the A435.

Rail: Evesham railway station is about two hours from London Paddington on the Cotswold Line.

Bus: Local & regional bus services (to Stratford-upon-Avon, Worcester and Cheltenham) run from the main bus stops on the High Street.

Water: The river Avon is a navigable waterway linking the river Severn at Tewkesbury to the Stratford-upon-Avon Canal at Stratford.

External links

• The Best Of Evesham ... Find local Business’s News and Events for Evesham Vale area
• Evesham Town Council
• Evesham - a 1904 book about the town, by Edmund H. New, from Project Gutenberg
• Template:Mmuk mapdet
• grid reference SP037438

• Towns in Worcestershire