Picturesque town nestled in a vale of blossom
The picturesque market town of Evesham, with its battle stories and ancient abbey, is enhanced by the soft blooms of fruit trees in May
HE SIGNS OF spring are everywhere in the Vale of Evesham. Lanes and back roads are festooned with the blossom of damson, plum and pear trees. In May, the apple trees are also in bloom, their delicate white flowers tinged with pink. Their blossom adds to the hawthorn in the hedgerows and the lacy heads of cow parsley along the verges to turn the countryside into a joyful array of sparkling green and white.
The attractive market town of Evesham sits nestled in a loop of the Avon. Here, the river meanders its way south to meet the River Severn, flowing through that flat
Tcountryside known as the vale. The gentle, sheltered landscape, bordered on one side by the Cotswolds and on the other by the Malvern Hills, is blessed with rich soils, nurtured by the seasonally flooding river, and the area has a long history of market gardening and fruit growing, which continues today.
In Evesham itself, the arrival of spring is equally evident. The lime trees growing along the river in Abbey Park are a fresh green, and the spring bulbs there add a welcome splash of colour, while early water lilies can be seen coming into bloom in the ornamental ponds. Ducks, swans and geese float effortlessly downstream, and the sounds of children in the park playgrounds add to the happy atmosphere.
Abbey Park is the beating heart of Evesham. Located between the River Avon and the ruins of the ancient abbey, it is popular with families, walkers, boating enthusiasts and tourists alike, all keen to enjoy the spring sunshine. From the riverbank, there is a good view upstream to the elegant Workman Bridge, erected under the auspices of mayor Henry Workman in 1856 to replace the old medieval bridge. Downstream is a tree-lined path, which follows the curve of the river through the park, past Evesham Rowing Club and into the grassy Crown
and Corporation meadows, part of the river flood plain. It eventually leads all the way round the looping Avon to the Hampton Ferry: a pedestrian ferry that crosses the river at the ancient crossing used by the abbey monks who needed to tend their vineyards on the Hampton side of the water. From here, the path continues past majestic weeping willows, north along the river into the countryside or, turning east, away from the river, Boat Lane leads towards the town centre.
Abbey’s influence
The historic centre of Evesham covers the area between the ruins of the abbey and the old Market Place. The town grew up around the abbey, which in its heyday was the third largest Benedictine abbey in England, and owes its medieval prosperity to its role in servicing the needs of the monks and visiting pilgrims.
Evesham Abbey was founded by Egwin, Bishop of Worcester, in AD709. Legend has it that Egwin built his abbey in the woods on the banks of the Avon, as this was where a local swineherd, Eof, claimed to have had a vision of the Virgin Mary while he was searching for lost piglets. Eof reputedly told the bishop of his vision, and when the bishop went to see for himself, the Virgin Mary appeared to him also, saying: “This is the place I have chosen.” Egwin interpreted this as a command to build a church on the spot and established his abbey dedicated to the Virgin Mary there, becoming in due course its first abbot.
In spite of founding what was to become one of England’s wealthiest abbeys, Egwin was not able to rest on his laurels. Apparently, he made himself so
unpopular among the local population by criticising their unholy lifestyles that he was summoned to Rome to explain himself. On his departure to Italy, as a sign of penitence for any offence he may have caused, Egwin asked for his legs to be locked with chains and the key thrown into the river, saying that he would not believe his sins had been forgiven unless the chains were removed. When he arrived in the capital, his servant caught a fish from the Tiber for the bishop’s supper and, miraculously, the key to the chains was found inside the fish. Egwin was exonerated by the Pope and returned, unchained and triumphant, to Evesham. He was eventually canonised and, in the 11th century, a shrine to him was set up in the abbey church, which became a popular pilgrimage site.
Eof achieved similar posthumous fame, as, although a humble swineherd, he not only inspired the building of the abbey, but also gave his name to the town: the word Evesham is derived from Eof’s ham, the word ‘ham’ meaning ‘homestead’. A modern-day statue, by the sculptor John McKenna, is located in the Market Place, showing the swineherd complete with piglets and key.
The original abbey church was rebuilt circa AD960, and by the time of the Norman Conquest, the site included the church of the Holy Trinity as well as the chapel of St Nicholas. The Holy Trinity church was a gift of Leofric, Earl of Mercia, and his wife, Godiva, famed for her legendary ride through Coventry. Lady Godiva is also believed to have donated a precious necklace to the abbey, to be hung around the neck of the statue of the Virgin. The medieval Evesham Chronicle claims that she was buried in the town, although other sources record her being buried with her husband in Coventry. The Anglo-Saxon church was replaced after the Norman Conquest by a larger Romanesque church.
Today, little of the abbey remains, as most of it was dismantled following the Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1540. However, the elegant bell tower, built in the 1530s by the last abbot, in the Perpendicular Gothic style, still stands. Thankfully, it avoided the destruction meted out to the other buildings and was given to the town, along with the single surviving bell, by Mary Tudor in 1554. In front of the tower are two churches, both built in the 12th century by the monks to serve the people of Evesham. All Saints is now the town’s parish church, but the attractive St Lawrence’s is no longer in use.
Chapter house
The bell tower is pierced by a gateway, which brings the visitor into Abbey Park. From here, there is a good view of the abbey site and gardens, including the monks’ former fish ponds, now planted with water lilies, and the landscaped terraces leading down to the river. The outlines of the abbey transept, high altar and chapter house are marked by paving stones in the grass. The circular chapter house was where the monks met each day to hear a chapter from the Rule of St Benedict. Built in the 13th century, its diameter of more than 50ft (15.2m) made it the largest stone span in Europe at the time. Behind it can be seen the remains of the medieval archway leading into the
cloisters; carvings of abbots, saints and bishops can still be made out in the weathered stonework.
The Evesham Abbey Trust, with the help of funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund and Historic England, will soon begin excavating the walled site beyond the chapter arch in the hope of unearthing the abbey nave and cloisters, which, for many years, have been covered by gardens. “We don’t quite know what
“Restore to God his due in tithe and time: A tithe purloin’d cankers the whole estate”
George Herbert, The Temple
lies under the surface, and that is part of the adventure, but we want to relink the transept with the nave,” says Barry Baldelli, the Trust’s chairman. He says the nave was probably a similar length as that of Winchester Cathedral, 558ft (170m), reputedly the longest in England. “The abbey was hugely important because of its size and also its antiquity; it was a very, very significant site,” he says. But although the abbey is impressive archaeologically, for Barry, its main interest lies in its human stories. “The highlight for me is the people associated with the site, such as Simon de Montfort, Lady Godiva and Egwin: the personalities who created it.”
Almonry museum
The medieval Almonry, a charming, half-timbered building by the original entrance to the abbey, has also survived. This was where alms were distributed to the poor, in a process overseen by the abbey almoner. Following the dissolution of the abbey, it became the personal residence of the last abbot, Philip Ballard, but it has also been used as an alehouse, tea rooms and offices. It is now home to the Evesham Museum and Tourism Office. “It’s been a museum for more than 70 years,” says Ashleigh Jayes, the Almonry manager. “There is a lot to see here, while the higgledly-piggledly building itself is really interesting.”
The museum covers a huge range of items, but its main focus is the abbey, and there is a good selection of stonework, including tracery and carvings of saints and angels, rescued from the site. One of the collection highlights is the Evesham Bible. This is a Matthew Bible, dating from 1537. It is a beautifully printed book, but what makes it particularly interesting are the handwritten notes. As well as listing abbots and monks, these include an eyewitness account of the dissolution of
the abbey in the margin, apparently written as the King’s Commissioners were in the process of throwing out the monks. “It’s a really important part of Evesham’s history,” says Ashleigh. However, her favourite exhibit is a more humble early 20th century, weather-beaten garden ornament. “It’s an 18in high, gnome-like thing and sits at the end of a corridor, and I think he’s adorable,” she says.
Market town
The Almonry is located on Vine Street, formerly known less elegantly as Swine Street, on account of its origins as a pig market. The adjoining High Street was also a market; originally there were pens for sheep and cattle either side of the road, where there are now parking spaces for cars. Together, the two streets form a single, wide road, scattered with handsome Georgian townhouses and a few older, half-timbered inns, including the Royal Oak and Ye Olde Red Horse.
The Market Place is on the east side of the road and is dominated by Evesham’s finest medieval domestic building: the 15th century Booth Hall. It has been suggested that this beautiful black and white structure housed market stalls on the ground floor or was perhaps originally an inn. It was carefully restored in the mid 1960s and is now a bank. The 16th century Town Hall is next door. This was largely built with stones quarried from the abbey after the dissolution. Poultry and butter markets were originally held in the arches on the ground; the area is now closed in and home to a thriving café.
The courthouse was above, and the town jail attached to the south end. The building was considerably altered in the 19th century, and given a pretty clock tower in 1887 to mark Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee. At the south end of the Market Place is a small alley, which ends
in an archway. This is known as Abbot Reginald’s Gateway, and a good section of arcading, dating from 1130, is visible on either side of the arch. It leads back into the abbey precinct, neatly connecting Evesham’s two main sites. “The great thing about Evesham is that the Almonry, the bell tower, the churches, two really old pubs and the Round House are within 800 yards of each other,” says Barry Baldelli.
Battle of Evesham
The most significant, and certainly the most bloody, event in Evesham’s history was the battle that took place just outside the town in August 1265. Marking the end of the Second Barons’ War, it was fought between the Royal army under Prince Edward, who would later become Edward I, and the rebel barons, led by Simon de Montfort.
At stake was the issue of Royal power, which the barons had being trying to limit ever since 1215, when King John was forced to sign the Magna Carta. Over the following half century, the Crown had repeatedly broken the provisions laid out in the charter, while the barons had repeatedly tried to control the King. Matters came to a head in 1264, when civil war broke out between the two parties, with Simon de Montfort leading the rebellious barons.
At first, de Montfort was successful, capturing Henry III and his son Edward at the Battle of Lewes and in January 1265, famously calling a parliament in a bid to settle the issue. For the first time ever, this parliament included representatives from towns as well as lords and bishops, and so earned de Montfort his reputation as a champion of democracy and founder of the House of Commons. However, Prince Edward managed to escape, and de Montfort’s support began to crumble. By August, he and his forces found themselves trapped by the Royal army at Evesham and cut off from their allies.
The curving River Avon blocked the rebel army’s escape to the south, east and west, and their only way out of the town was to the north, where the Royal army barred the way at Greenhill. In spite of being heavily outnumbered by three to one, de Montfort realised that his only option was to attack Edward’s army full on. The Royalists had the advantage, both in numbers and in terms of terrain, as they were deployed at the top of Greenhill, and the result of this tactic was a massacre. De Montfort’s army was destroyed in what was described by the chronicler Robert of Gloucester as “the murder of Evesham, for battle it was none”.
Considered a rebel to whom the rules of chivalry did not apply, de Montfort was mercilessly hacked to pieces, and parts of his body were sent to locations around the country to act as a grim warning. The monks managed to rescue his torso, which they buried in the abbey church. The tomb attracted so many pilgrims keen to honour their hero that Henry III ordered it to be disinterred and reburied in a secret spot. Today, the site of his original burial by the high altar is marked by a plaque in Abbey Park, which was unveiled by the Speaker of the House of Commons in 1965, in honour of one of the fathers of English representative government.
Many of de Montfort’s followers were also killed during the battle, while some drowned trying to cross the river at a place which is still known as Deadman’s Ait, as
“Loved vale of Evesham, ‘tis a long farewell, Not laden orchards nor their April snow These eyes shall light upon again; the swell And whisper of thy storied river know, Nor climb the hill where great old Montfort fell”
Jean Ingelow, ‘The Australian Bell-Bird’
“A comely sight indeed it is to see, a world of blossoms on an apple tree”
John Bunyan
a stark reminder of their fate. “The river ran with blood,” says Barry Baldelli. “The Battle of Evesham was said to mark the end of the age of chivalry. No knights were taken hostage, and no one was allowed to survive, as they were considered traitors.”
Although the site is privately owned, the Evesham Battle Trail, a permissive, waymarked footpath, leads across it. The path crosses the battlefield, running below the sloping Greenhill, just north of Evesham, and can be joined either at the Worcester Road entrance to the west or at the entrance on Greenhill Road, on the eastern side of the site.
Starting from the eastern side, the battle trail leads through a field, past an information board, then leads gently downhill to the Battle Well: the spot where Simon de Montfort was believed to have died. Over time, this became a site of pilgrimage, and the medieval chronicle The Miracles of Simon de Montfort, written by the monk William de Rishanger, records several miraculous events taking place here in the years immediately after the battle. A holy well was said to have sprung up on the site, its water believed to cure the blind and heal the lame. A small chapel was later built on the site, although this no longer remains, and today, the holy well is now a rather disappointing pond wreathed by brambles.
A detour off the path, to the north, leads round the back of Abbey Manor to the octagonal folly known as Leicester Tower. A plaque above the door reads: ‘This tower was erected in the year 1842 in memory of Simon de Montfort, Earl of Leicester, the father and founder of the British House of Commons who was slain at the battle of Evesham in 1265’. It was built by Edward Rudge, an influential landowner, who also built Abbey Manor in 1816. The manor is not open to the public, but there are good views of the handsome, Gothic revival-style house from across the fields. Edward Rudge also erected the nearby obelisk a couple of years later to commemorate the actual battle. It is located at the top of Greenhill, overlooking the battlefield; the view from here across to Evesham provides an excellent idea of the hopeless task facing de Montfort’s army as it charged uphill to meet the Royal force. Today, the site is peaceful green fields and orchards, which,
in spring, is full of birdsong and blossom, the battle a very distant memory.
Orchard restoration
Orchards have been a feature of the Vale of Evesham for centuries. In the early 19th century, apples and pears were the most popular fruits, and were used to make cider and perry, but later in the century, plums had taken pride of place. The famous Pershore Yellow Egg plum had been discovered growing wild in 1827; it was so hardy that plum orchards soon became popular across the region. By the 1870s, more than 900 tons of plums were being sent to market every year. “They grew very easily in the vale, especially on the sloping ground,” explains Gary Farmer, of the Vale Landscape Heritage Trust. “They were a good source of vitamin C and could be easily canned and preserved.” Plums remained popular until the middle of the 20th century, when they were replaced by cheap imports. Sadly, many of the old orchards were grubbed up to make room for more commercial crops.
Today, organisations such as the Vale Landscape Heritage Trust are working to protect, and in some cases replant, local orchards. The trust’s site at Stocken Orchard, to the west of Evesham, has a right of way running along its southern edge and so is easily accessible to walkers. It is an old cider orchard, planted nearly 50 years ago with Somerset Redstreak and Dabinett apple trees. The Trust has managed to restore it to its former glory by a combination of careful pruning, clearing and managed grazing. “In May, it’s absolutely beautiful with all the blossom,” says Gary. These orchards are also important wildlife habitats. “Lots of insects, beetles and hoverflies rely on the dead wood for food, and, if you are lucky, you may see the Noble Chafer, a wonderful beetle, which is very rare nationally, but does well on our sites,” he explains. The older trees also attract birds, such as woodpeckers, starlings and Little owls, which feed on the old wood too, and in autumn, flocks of redwing and fieldfares enjoy the fallen fruit. At Stocken, there are wild flowers, including several varieties of orchid, such as the bee and pyramidal, as well as the rarer wasp orchid.
Located within such beautiful rural surroundings, picturesque Evesham has plenty to offer visitors. But in spring, when the fruit trees are in full blossom, this enchanting vale is a joy to behold.
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