The Vale Of Evesham

By Ronald Webber

SHAKESPEARE’S Avon—its clear, fish-abundant waters flowing through willowed reedy banks— catches the ancient town of Evesham in a noose of water before twisting and turning its 26 miles to the Severn at Tewkesbury. In and around the noose lies the Vale of Evesham. To the west it stretches as far as the city of Worcester and its eastern boundary is formed by Warwickshire.

Tooking at it from across the low banks of the Avon one sees that the Vale is give over to market garden ing, an industry that forms the character of the whole area. The deep, black earth is ideal for the raising of vegetables: above all it grows asparagus supremely well.

Evesham “grass” as the local people call it, when eaten fresh during the months of May and June is an ex perience even to the most discrimi nating palate. Most of the asparagus is grown in small, individually-owned pockets of land which have to be hand-worked during the season from dawn to dusk. Badsey is one of the main centres for asparagus.

Belts of orchards break up the flat ness. In early summer the plum trees erupt for a short while into a mist of whiteness as millions of buds burst into blossom and give the valley a snow-like covering. This doesn’t last long, but there is always a good chance of seeing it: the local authori ties get together each year and desig

nate a “Blossom Sunday” when motorists in particular can view this wonderful work of nature at its best.

Usually it is round about Easter time.

The recommended “Blossom Trail” is to the north and northwest of Evesham through the hills of the Tenches, along the Evesham-Pershore road and to the north and west of the town of Pershore itself. The finest view of all is perhaps from the top of Hipton Hill, reached by taking the road through Church Tench and on past the crossroads leaving Sheriffs Tench on the right. But for detailed information about the “Blossom Trail”, inquire at any Royal Auto mobile Club Service Centre in the area: the RAC helps to organise the event.

But even if you should miss the “blowth” as they call it around here, it’s worth coming to the orchards in August and September when people swarm in to harvest the yellow and purple Pershore Eggs, the Victorias, Belles de Touvain and other plums.

If you come across a notice inviting you to enter and “pick your own” don’t turn the offer down if you want fresh plums at bargain prices.

There are also apple orchards.

Right in the middle of all this lush ness is the town of Evesham itself.

A pleasant country town with the Avon running through, it has a few timber-framed and Georgian build

ngs and an almonry, but more lotably the precincts of a ruined ibbey in which two churches have peen built side by side. Of the abbey —recorded history goes back some 1,200 years. But legend has it that iere, in what was known as the Slack Wood, the Virgin Mary and wo attendants were seen by a swine lerd who was feeding his pigs on icorns in the wood. When the local nhabitants heard about it they built i great abbey in her honour. Oliver Cromwell laid the abbey low. The wo churches, much rebuilt in the 16th century, and since restored, have chantries with superb fan vaulting.

An obelisk just outside the town commemorates the Battle of Evesham )f 1265 when Prince Edward, later idward I, defeated the barons under >imon de Montfort.

The monks of Evesham Abbey are pelieved to have been responsible for he start of market gardening in the irea, and from this nucleus horti culture has spread far into the Vale o Badsey, Childswickham, Offenham, darvington and Cleeve Priors. At the ime of the Domesday Survey 38 dneyards were recorded: today they ire being planted again.

Quiet Pershore, seven miles from ivesham, is also concerned with lorticulture, and holds a regular mction market to which the market gardeners bring their vegetables and ruit to be sold. Pershore, like ivesham, has the ruins of a mighty ibbey in which a new church has >een built with lantern tower, Nor nan arches, a vaulted roof and a presbytery. At Pershore, too, is a nedieval stone bridge of six arches.

“Great June Fair’’ used to be held n the abbey grounds; today a -estival of Arts takes place each

year just before plum picking time.

Above all, the Vale of Evesham is the valley of lovely names. Not many other areas can come up with a selection of parish names as fascinating as White Ladies Aston, Rous Lench, Flyford Flavell, Norton-Juxta- Kempsey, Upton Snodbury and, most evocative of all, Cow Honeybourne.

You must seek out the villages, for many are well hidden. My personal choice would always include Cropthorne, sloping down to the Avon, with its thatched cottages and bright gardens, a church with a wall painting and Saxon cross. And Fladbury (across the river from Cropthorne) with landing stage, watermill and a church surrounded by yew trees and containing many notable brasses. Nor can Wyre Piddle by the Piddle brook or, just below the village, Wyre Lock with its curious diamond-shaped chamber, be left out.

Add to this the group of villages embracing Bretforton, the three Littletons, Cleeve Prior and Wick hamford, all with gabled manor houses, timbered cottages, dovecotes and medieval churches, and you will have seen much beauty.

And when you have had your fill of the villages of the valley then make your way to Bredon Hill, to see from its top nine or 10 counties (on a fine day) and to savour the words of the poet A. E. Housman, who wrote of the hill: Here on a Sunday morning My love and I would lie, And see the coloured counties And here the larks so high About us in the sky.

See the Roman-British earthworks and the ancient tower Parson’s Folly.

Then perhaps it’ll be time for tea at the foot of the hill in the picturesque village of Bredon with the Avon flow ing unhurriedly by.