Saint
Eof and the Lost Pig
He lost a pig and found a town.
See it clearly
- What's there
- Bronze statue of a herdsman in a market square
- Legend from
- Saxon foundation legend
- Tone
- Light-hearted
He was only looking for a lost pig. He found a vision instead, and a town was named after him.
Evesham is said to take its name from Eof, a swineherd who served Bishop Egwin of Worcester. Around 701, searching the riverside woods for a lost pig, he saw three women singing; one held a book and a gold cross, and she was identified as the Virgin Mary. Egwin came to the place, shared the vision, and founded Evesham Abbey there in her honour, which became one of the great Benedictine houses of England. The name Evesham is read as Eof's ham, his homestead. A bronze statue of Eof with his pig by the sculptor John McKenna was unveiled in the Market Square on 15 June 2008.