A Day Out At:
Tewkesbury
24th May 2006
There has been a church on this site for over 1200 years. The present building has been here for the last 900 years. It is the church of the Benedictine Abbey of Tewkesbury, one of the last monasteries to be dissolved by King Henry VIII. Thanks to the people of that time, who bought it from the King for £453, the Abbey is still here today. It is not a Cathedral, but it is one of the largest parish churches in the country, supported only by the people and many visitors. It costs, at 2006 prices, £1000 a day to maintain. There is no support either from the Church of England nor the state. The public entrance is by the North Porch, lower left on the diagram below. The image above is of an image situated within the Abbey. Those images with a number correspond roughly to the numbers I have placed in the diagram.
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Following a couple of days of very heavy rain, the fields behind the Abbey were awash, as was the Tewkesbury cricket club behind me. Here we have two swans taking flight from one of the waterlogged playing fields. |
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Enlargement of the swans in flight |
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The skies were dark and ominous and rain was, once again, beginning to fall as I took this image of the Abbey tower as my wife and I arrived. |
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1. From Victorian times the Abbey was heated by these contraptions, charcoal burning heaters. This is now gas fired, but still in use today. Indeed, the influence of the Victorians is everywhere as major reconstruction was carried out from 1879. Manufactured by Gurney's. |
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2. The large stained glass window over the front doors to the Abbey. The vault above has unique "musical angels". Cleaned and restored in 1996. |
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3. Down the left hand side of the Abbey the Victorian stained glass windows depict the life of Jesus Christ whilst, on the opposite side, they depict the performing of "miracles". |
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One of the many stone, carved, graves situated about the Abbey. Many of which are of notable people of their time. |
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4. Organ pipes |
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5. Stained glass window high about the left hand side of the Abbey interior. |
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6. A list of the Lords of Tewkesbury. These include such names as Mandeville; Beauchamp; Devereaux; de Clare; Despencer; Neville & Plantagenet and includes King John (of Magna Carta fame). |
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7. Medieval strongbox showing quite clearly the interior mechanism of the lock. |
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10. Cadaver rotting is the theme of the carving on this grave |
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11. Model of the Abbey |
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Enlargement of the Abbey Model |
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Roof |
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Diagram of the Abbey and surrounding Abbey grounds |
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14. Victorian Memorial |
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15. St Benedictine Chapel |
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Right aisle taken from direction of Altar |
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16. Original flooring from the building of the Abbey |
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Enlargement of the above image, central section |
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17. Floor of the Choir, before the Altar. The vaulting above is 14th C and was cleaned and restored in 1985. |
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18. Grave stone embedded in the aisle floors |
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18. Grave stone embedded in the aisle floors |
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Nave, towards high altar. Massive Norman pillars support the early 14th C vaulting. The Choir area, just before the altar has 7 stained glass windows dating from 1335. |
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20. An American flag dated 1903, presented locally at that time. |
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21. This image, and the one below are of a WW1 cross which marked a soldiers grave. On the completion of the marking of graves with uniform War Graves Commission headstones. |
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this original was brought home for the family who asked that it be kept safe within the Abbey. |
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Depicting the life of the Benedictine Monks in the Abbey |
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22. The remains of this Union Flag are dated at 1803 and was the standard for a local Regiment of that time. |
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Nave, towards high altar. The altar is a large slab of Purbeck marble and dates from the original time of building. |
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Originally covered in brass, its either been removed for safety, rubbed into oblivion or was removed by persons unknown at some much earlier date. |
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Main door to Abbey |
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The Abbots dwelling |
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View towards the Abbey from the Abbots House |
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Abbey Lodge |
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Front of Abbey |
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Enlargement of the top of the above image |
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Abbey from main gates |
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Abbey from main street |
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Enlargement of top of Abbey Tower from previous image. Scaffolding work is going on around the rear |
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Abbey cottages - rear |
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Abbey cottages - rear |
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Bed in Abbey Cottage |
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Bed is situated in room with open windows. This house belonged to a merchant. Front room right was the "shop" |
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Abbey Cottages with Georgian house in between |
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Abbey Cottages |
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View from Main Street |