Evesham

Evesham
An historic building in Evesham
Evesham
Location within Worcestershire
Population27,684 (2021 Census)
OS grid referenceSP0343
District
Shire county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townEVESHAM
Postcode districtWR11
Dialling code01386
PoliceWest Mercia
FireHereford and Worcester
AmbulanceWest Midlands
UK Parliament

Evesham (/ˈv(ɪ)ʃəm, ˈsəm/) is a market town and civil parish in the Wychavon district of Worcestershire, in the West Midlands region of England. It is located roughly equidistant between Worcester, Cheltenham and Stratford-upon-Avon. It lies within the Vale of Evesham, an area comprising the flood plain of the River Avon, which has been renowned for market gardening.

The town was founded around an 8th-century abbey, one of the largest in Europe, which was destroyed during the dissolution of the monasteries in the 16th century, with only Abbot Lichfield's Bell Tower remaining. During the 13th century, one of the two main battles of the Second Barons' War took place near Evesham, marking the victory of Prince Edward, who later became Edward I of England; this was the Battle of Evesham.

The town centre, situated within a meander of the river, is subjected regularly to flooding. The 2007 floods were the most severe in the town's history. As at the 2021 census, Evesham has a population of 27,684.