Badsey

Badsey is a village and civil parish in the Wychavon district of Worcestershire, England. It has two parks and a small first school located in the centre of the village.LocationThe village of Badsey is located about two miles east of Evesham, in the Vale of Evesham. It lies close to the River Avon. According to the 2001 census the Badsey ward had a population of 2,657.Amenities and historyBadsey has a long and rich history dating back to at least Roman times. In a charter of 709, the village was referred to as Baddesia (Baeddi’s Island). The floods of 2007 remind us of how Badsey came to get its name when the village became an island for one night.The Domesday Book of 1085 tells us that there were 12 villagers (likely to mean households or smallholdings) with 8 ploughs, 4 slaves and one widow living in Badsey. The reference to 8 plough teams implies that arable farming was already well established. The first stone church was probably built at Badsey in the 11th century. In the Middle Ages, the main landowner was the church. Following the dissolution of Evesham Abbey, the Dean and Chapter of Christ Church, Oxford, have been rectors and patrons of the parish since 1546, as well as being substantial landowners.Agriculture has been the main occupation of the village for most of its history. At the beginning of the 19th century, the old open field system gave way to a more enclosed landscape which suited the agricultural revolution which was taking place, but changed the landscape irrevocably. The predominant occupation of the 19th century continued to be agriculture with over 70% of the working population was engaged in agriculture.