Badminton, Gloucestershire

Human settlement in England

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

History

In 1612 Edward Somerset, 4th Earl of Worcester, bought from Nicholas Boteler his mansions Great and Little Badminton, called madintune [sic] in the Domesday Book while a century earlier the name Badimyncgtun was recorded,^[4] owned by the family since 1275.^[5]

Badminton House

The village houses the Duke of Beaufort Residence, Badminton House, which has been the headquarters of the Somerset family since the late 17th century. Badminton House also gives its name to the sport of badminton.^[5]

Facilities

The village has a small shop that also serves as a post office.^[6]

Transport

The village is close to the A46 and A433, passing the B4040 south of it. The next motorway junction is the Tormarton Interchange between the A46 and the M4.The former Railway Station near Acton Turville closed in 1968,^[7] but line is still active. The nearest train station is Yate on the Bristol-Gloucester line. West of the village is Badminton Airfield.^[8]

Horse samples

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

St. Michael and all the angels

The parish church in St. Michael and all the angels of Great Badminton are attached to the Duke of Beaufort’s residence.^[9] The present church was built in 1785 and serves as the primary burial ground for the Somerset family. Almost all dukes and duchesses are buried here. A smaller church, also dedicated to St. Michael and All Angels, standing in neighboring Little Badminton.^[10]

Little badminton

North of the capital is the small rural settlement of Little Badminton. Here you can find farms, cottages and estate cottages very much in the traditional Cotswold style of architecture. The remains of a medieval ‘sunken village’ can be seen in Little Badminton as well as an ornamental dove snail or pruning, which is mentioned in the Domesday book.^[11]

Remarkable events

Field Marshal FitzRoy James Henry Somerset, 1st Baron Raglan, aide-de-camp to the Duke of Wellington in the Half-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 hosted Dowager Queen Mary during World War II, who was evacuated from Marlborough House in London to stay at Badminton House throughout the war. She lived here with her niece Mary, Duchess of Beaufort, wife of the 10th Duke.^[13]

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

References

• Harris, John, Badminton guide book; The Duke of Beaufort His house, Bass printers

external links