Design Badminton

Local Information

The village of Little Badminton is located in the Cotswolds just east of southern Gloucestershire. In the northern part of the village one can find the Badminton Estate which features awe inspiring views of the surrounding Cotswold country side. There is a rich history in Little Badminton of which archaeologists have found the sunken remains of a medieval village. These remains are listed as grade II and are considered to be one of the best preserved medieval dovecotes in the entire country.

Badminton House itself which is located on the Badminton Estates can be dated back to the 1660’s and was the ancestral home to the Duke of Beaufort. As extensions to the vast Badminton Park were added, the village itself was restructured. The reason for this is that the park was used as hunting grounds by nobles during the medieval period. Even today, deer are still reared in the park even though hunting is no longer allowed.

From the 13^th century, one can find the Church of St Michael and All Angels which was restored in the 14^th century and altered to add two more windows to its facade in the 19^th century. However, irregardless of the updates to the church, it is still considered to be a grade I specimen of its time as most of the original architecture is still visible.

The vast majority of the farm houses and barns can be dated back to the 17^th century of which most of them have since gone through renovations and extensions during the 18^th as well as the 19^th centuries. Over a considerable period of time, the village of Little Badminton was considered to be an agricultural centre for the reason which is noted through the many farms in the area.

The village itself can be summed up as a scattered village however it is important to note that there is a bit of cohesion to the chaos of the village’s planning. The focal point of Little Badminton is that of the village green. All of the roads and homes spread out in a circular manner from this point and the homes immediately in front of the dovecote all face each other.

The rural village of Badminton is an enchanting place and while there were many changes and alterations from the 16^th century until the 19^th century, the entire village has been left largely unaltered throughout the 20^th and 21^st centuries. It is a magnificent, quiet and secluded settlement that is a must see for anyone choosing to visit the Cotswolds.