Manor Close, Badsey

Click on the image above to see this road on the Worcestershire County Council GIS website with the digitised historical maps. Click on the image below to view the original enclosure map.

Photos taken 2006. Aerial photos: a7035 a7037

MANOR CLOSE

The northern half of Manor Close is on land which used to belong to Aldington but which became part of Badsey in 1921; the southern half has always been on land in Badsey. The road is so-called because of its proximity to Badsey Manor.

Manor Close was the final phase of Council housing development in Badsey, with primarily terraced bungalows being built for old-age pensioners. During the 1960s and 1970s, 52 bungalows and houses were built (22 terraced bungalows, 12 semi-detached bungalows, two detached bungalows, six semi-detached houses, ten terraced houses), the southern area being developed first. Here are details about the planning application for Manor Close (link to be added).

North – 2, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 30, 30A, 30B, 32A, 32B, 32, 34, 36, 38, 40, 42 (Aldington Map Z007)

In 1807, at the time of the Aldington Enclosure Act, this plot of land was an old enclosure owned by George Day. It amounted to 11a 3r 25p and comprised part of the land belonging to Aldington Farm, which had previously been owned by the Foley family for nearly 140 years. Thomas Foley of Witley had bought "all that Manor of Aldington alias Aunton, and all that farm called Aunton Farm now in the tenure of William Jarrett, gentleman" in 1665. This piece of land, together with the neighbouring field to the west, was known as Seaneys Ground, comprising 18a 3r 28p in total, and was sold by another Thomas Lord Foley in 1803 to John Procter for £760. Just over two years later, in February 1806, John Procter, sold the two fields to George Day (who had bought the remaining part of the Aldington Farm estate from the Foleys in 1805) for £1,365. On 6^th October 1808, just two days after the Enclosure Awards, George Day sold the entire Aldington estate to James Ashwin of Bretforton, for £12,000. The eastern section of the field was sold off in 1815 when the new road Synehurst was built. The rest of the field remained in the Ashwin family for the next hundred years, with the exception of a small piece of land (80 feet x 42 feet) which was donated by Richard Ashwin in the 1840s for the purpose of building a school (the present-day Royal British Legion building). In 1912, the land was sold as Lot 16, along with the rest of the Ashwin estate, by public auction on 10^th June at The King’s Head Hotel, Evesham. It was bought by the tenant, Mr F Thould.

In 1812, at the time of the Badsey Enclosure Act, this plot of land was an old enclosure which belonged to Edward Wilson. It was called Cherry Orchard and amounted to 4a 0r 15p. On 23^rd July 1866, Edward Wilson tried to sell the orchard, together with the Manor House, at an auction at The Northwick Arms Hotel, Evesham. It remained unsold, however, and it was not until the 20^th century that it was sold.