St James Close
St James Close is so-called because of its proximity to the Church of St James.
In 1812, at the time of the Badsey Enclosure Act, this plot of land was an old enclosure which belonged to Thomas Byrd. It was called Stable and Dovecote Close. At some stage in the early part of the 20th century, the land was bought by Horace Wheatley and remained in the Wheatley family until the 1960s; it was known as Wheatley’s Orchard. A dovecote, which was demolished in the 1960s, stood in the back garden of what is now number 22.
It was the third phase of Council development to take place in Badsey after the Second World War. It comprised 24 houses built in a crescent off Brewers Lane in 1962. The development caused much controversy when it was learned that the Rural District Council intended to use its power of compulsory purchase to acquire the site in the centre of the village. Some people believed that the land once formed part of a village green and should therefore be preserved as an open space, but in fact it had always been in private ownership. Strong protests were heard, a petition was organized, a public meeting was held, and the scheme was temporarily shelved. But it was not long before the plan was reintroduced; this time there was little opposition and building went ahead.
Wheatley’s Orchard in 1960