7 miles from Broadway
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. 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. With what is thought to have been the third biggest abbey in Britain
and a strong agricultural economy, the town became well-known. Unfortunately
Henry VIII's Dissolution of the monasteries saw the Abbey dismantled and sold
as building stone, leaving little but Evesham's landmark Lichfield Bell Tower.
Had the Abbey survived, its size would have been greater than that of St.
Paul's Cathedral. 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.
The asparagus and plums grown in The Vale of Evesham are renowned and in the
spring the fruit trees in blossom are a beautiful sight. There is a
‘blossom trail’ you can follow to see some of the prettiest spring
landscapes you’ll see anywhere.
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Local spring blossom |
