Badminton, Gloucestershire

Badminton is a village and civil parish in Gloucestershire, England. It consists of Great Badminton and Little Badminton.

The main street in 2013

Badminton

Badminton Horse Trials
Badminton
Location within Gloucestershire
Population271 (2011)[1]
OS grid referenceST8082
Civil parish
Unitary authority
Ceremonial county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townBADMINTON
Postcode districtGL9
Dialling code01454
PoliceAvon and Somerset
FireAvon
AmbulanceSouth Western
UK Parliament

History

In 1612 Edward Somerset, 4th Earl of Worcester, bought from Nicholas Boteler his manors of Great and Little Badminton, called Madmintune [sic] in the Domesday Book while one century earlier the name Badimyncgtun was recorded,[3][4] held by that family since 1275.[5]

Badminton House

The village houses the Duke of Beaufort's residence, Badminton House, which has been the principal seat of the Somerset family since the late 17th century. Badminton House also gives its name to the sport of badminton.[5]

Amenities

The village does have a small shop which also serves as a post office.[6]

Transport

The village is located close to the A46 and A433, the B4040 passes south of it. The next motorway junction is Tormarton Interchange between A46 and M4. The former railway station in nearby Acton Turville closed in 1968,[7] but the line is still active. The nearest railway station is Yate on the Bristol–Gloucester line. West of the village is Badminton Airfield.[8]

Horse trials

The village is famous for its horse trials, which take place in early May each year in the grounds of Badminton House.

St Michael and All Angels

The parish church of St Michael and All Angels in Great Badminton is attached to the Duke of Beaufort's residence.[9] The current church was built in 1785 and serves as the principal burial place of the Somerset family. Nearly all Dukes and Duchesses are interred here. A smaller church, also dedicated to St Michael and All Angels, stands in neighbouring Little Badminton.[10]

Little Badminton

To the north of the main village is the small rural settlement of Little Badminton. Here can be found farm houses, cottages and estate lodges very much in the traditional Cotswold style of architecture. Remains of a medieval 'sunken village' can be seen in Little Badminton, as well as an ornamental dovecote or croft, which is mentioned in the Domesday book.[11]

Notable events

Field Marshal FitzRoy James Henry Somerset, 1st Baron Raglan, aide-de-camp to the Duke of Wellington in the Peninsular War and later commander of all the British forces in the Crimean War was born, raised and buried in Badminton. He was the youngest son of the 5th Duke of Beaufort.[12]

The village of Badminton played host to the Dowager Queen Mary during the Second World War, who was evacuated from Marlborough House in London to take up residence at Badminton House for the duration of the war. She lived here with her niece Mary, Duchess of Beaufort, wife of the 10th Duke.[13]

Badminton Golf Club (now defunct) was founded in the late 1890s or early 1900s. The club closed in 1914.[14]

References
  1. "Parish population 2011". Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 19 March 2015.
  2. https://www.badmintonparishcouncil.co.uk/
  3. Harris, Badminton Guide Book.
  4. Mills, A. D. (2003). A Dictionary of British Place-Names. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-852758-6.
  5. "A short history of the estate". Badminton Estate. Retrieved 10 August 2020.
  6. "Badminton Post Office". Post Office. Retrieved 10 August 2020.
  7. "Badminton Railway Station (Closure). HC Deb 28 May 1968 vol 765 cc1721-32".
  8. "Badminton Airfield". UKGA.
  9. St Michael and All Angels Church, Great Badminton, 19 July 2013
  10. St Michael and All Angels Church, Little Badminton, 19 July 2013
  11. "Little Badminton Conservation Area". South Gloucestershire Council. Retrieved 10 August 2020.
  12. "Fitzroy Somerset Papers". JISC. Retrieved 10 August 2020.
  13. Vickers, Hugo (1 May 1995). "Obituary : Caroline Beaufort". Independent. Retrieved 10 August 2020.
  14. "Badminton Golf Club", "Golf’s Missing Links".
  • Harris, John, Badminton Guide Book; The Duke of Beaufort His House, Bas Printers
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