THE TRADITIONAL site of where Simon de Montfort is believed to have died in battle more than 760 years ago has been given a makeover.
The Battle Well site on Greenhill, the historic grounds of the 1265 Battle of Evesham, has undergone a tidy-up aimed at reviving its rich, forgotten heritage, not least a reputation for miracle cures.
For years, the condition of the area, which consists of green fields and a pond, had fallen into decline with overgrown grass and bushes, rotten gates, and a faded, illegible information sign.
Visitors traveling to Evesham to explore the birthplace of representative parliament were often met with unkempt areas that bore no mention of ‘Earl Simon’s Well’ – a spring which legend says emerged where de Montfort’s head fell, and where medieval monks from Evesham Abbey recorded more than 200 miracles.
Its reputation for miracles made the area a major hub for pilgrims in the 13th Century.
The transformation has been led by director of the Battle of Evesham festival, Mick Hurst, who happens to be a professional graphic designer, who thought it was time for a change.
“I have always been very conscious that people visit Evesham Battlefield from all over the world,” Mick said.
“It was about time that we improved the location and interpretation.”
With help from the Simon de Montfort Society which manages the site and several leading medieval academics, Mick researched the intriguing history of the area and designed two engaging new interpretation boards.
“I’ve selected just ten of the 200 recorded miracles for the board. The rest span a wild range of cures for both people and animals – from hawks and chickens to an ox. My favorite?
“A Londoner who brought his wife to Evesham in a wheelbarrow. She bathed in Earl Simon’s Well and walked away cured – perhaps just to avoid the ride back in that wheelbarrow,” joked Mick.
The project was funded by Wychavon District Council who commissioned landscape specialists Smart Cuts to clear the overgrown terrain and replace the decaying infrastructure.
“Hopefully visitors to Battle Well will pause on their walk and be fascinated by what happened on Greenhill,” he added.
“Maybe their imagination and interest in Evesham’s rich history, especially the Battle, will be ignited.”
