Overview of Evesham

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.