Abbey Park Clock Tower

This clock tower is located in Evesham, about 15 miles north west of Moreton in Marsh. The "Vale of Evesham" is known for its fertile lands and the area has been home to Neolithic, Celt, Roman, Saxon and English peoples, all attracted to the area by the rich soil ideal for growing flowers, fruit and vegetables.  The town traces its beginnings to a swineherd called Eoves (sometimes called Eof) who, while searching for a pig, saw a vision of the Virgin Mary, and reported the sighting to Ecgwin, the bishop of Worcester.  The bishop came to the spot and also saw the vision whereupon he founded an Abbey on the site in 709, becoming its first Abbot.  The area became known as Eoveshomme or Eovesham (then Evesham).  Until the Abbey's dissolution in 1540 by Henry VIII, Evesham Abbey had earned the reputation of being the third largest and most powerful in the country. The majority of the monastic buildings were demolished and the stone sold off as building material except for the parish church of All Saints and the Clock Tower which was built by Abbot Lichfield in the 16th century.  The former abbey site was subsequently turned into a civic park, along the banks of the River Avon, known quite fittingly as Abbey Park, located just beyond this Clock Tower.