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Evesham's Town Charter - 400th
Anniversary |
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The historic town of Evesham, on the banks of Shakespeare's River Avon, is the "'capital" of the Vale of Evesham, lying between the Malvern and Bredon Hills and the Cotswolds in the Heart of England. The "Vale" is roughly contiguous with the estates surrounding Evesham's medieval abbey, founded in AD 701 by Saint Ecgwin. The Vale has a long and full - at times almost hectic - history ranging from Neolithic farming, through settlement by the Celts, Romans and English, remodelling by the Normans, a stormy and turbulent middle ages with battle and massacre, and the ebb and flow of trade, as the town and its surrounding communities grew and matured in their fertile Vale. The dissolution of its monastery seemed likely to ruin the town, but it grew more, took over its own government and went on growing those crops and orchard fruits that it became famous for. Civil war wracked the Vale, technical development and new farming methods changed its face again and the Vale matured further. The coming of the railway, the arrival and departure of the French Royal family (succeeded at their country house by the British Broadcasting Corporation), World War and the changing face of the Vale since that war, all add to the fascinating story of Evesham and the Vale. This web site is a portal to information about and resources for the history of the Vale from the earliest times to the present day. It has been set up and is maintained by the Vale of Evesham Historical Society (V.E.H.S.) who have their headquarters at the Almonry Heritage Centre, one of the few remaining buildings of Evesham Abbey. The V.E.H.S. maintains its own web pages as part of this portal and are is always pleased to welcome new members. We hope that you will find something to interest you on our website. If you have a suggestion for information to include please contact our webmaster at webmaster@vehs.org.uk. The Evesham Market Town Partnership
has just launched a website that will enable
people to advertise local events for free at
www.eveshamevents.co.uk.
Events can be submitted on-line, although they
have to be verified, or by calling in at the
Almonry when they can be added instantly to the
page. |
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What's new |
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The History of the Vale of Evesham |
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The Vale of Evesham Historical Society The Vale of Evesham Historical Society (V.E.H.S.) exists to promote understanding of the rich history of the Vale of Evesham and to carry out curatorial, preservation and restoration work at the Almonry Heritage Centre. |
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 Members of the Society, with guests from the Royal Geographical Society/Institute of British Geographers, storm Elmley Castle |
Founded in 1951 the V.E.H.S. functions as a local history club, a centre for research into local history and as an educational resource centre, co-operates with the Worcestershire County Archaeological Service on archaeological projects in the area and publishes books and monographs on topics of historical interest to the locality. The Society has its headquarters at the Evesham Almonry Heritage Centre. The Almonry is managed by Evesham Town Council with the aid of the V.E.H.S. The Society, which is governed by a committee of officers and committee members, has been intimately linked with the Almonry Heritage Centre since it opened as a museum in 1957. The V.E.H.S. meets at the Almonry every Thursday at 7.30 p.m. and arranges lectures with a local historical theme on the last Thursday of each month between September and April (see our Calendar for details). Click here to visit the V.E.H.S.'s pages. |
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The Almonry Heritage Centre is housed in the Almoner’s House of the eighth century Abbey of St. Ecgwin, immediately adjacent to the site of the Great Gatehouse of the Abbey. The present building is the result of successive phases of building, alteration and rebuilding carried out over a period of at least 700 years. The earliest parts of the building that can confidently be dated are no later than 1400. Some parts of the building are believed to be earlier, possibly dating back to Norman times. The Almonry has had many uses over the centuries and came into the hands of Evesham Corporation in 1929 when it was sold by the Rudge family who wished it to be used as a museum. The Vale of Evesham Historical Society opened the Almonry Museum in 1957. Founded in 1950 the Society has been inseparably associated with the Almonry since it first opened as a museum. The Almonry, which has for many years incorporated a Tourist Information Centre, was re-designated a Heritage Centre in 1995. |
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The Almonry Heritage Centre is open during
the following hours: |
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Contact Information |
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Brother William welcomes you to the Vale of Evesham History Portal. Visit him on his own page here.
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Outside normal opening hours you can contact the V.E.H.S. of the Almonry Heritage Centre, by post, at the address shown below, or by email using the email addresses below. The telephone and fax numbers given below will put you in touch with the manager and staff of the Tourist Information Centre (T.I.C.) incorporated in the Almonry Heritage Centre. The T.I.C. is very busy during the holiday season so we would be grateful if you would contact the V.E.H.S. and the Almonry by post or by email wherever possible.
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This
award-winning website celebrates the village of
Badsey in Worcestershire, England. Badsey is a |
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This site was last updated Friday, 04 March 2005 |
