I ' 'a t

THE AB B E Y F R'M THE S 'U T H - lV E S T

TEWKESBURY ABBEY

Chur h Abbey c of Tewkesbury , dedicated to the V m a n B e s n y s , ts , t e I l s ed irgi Mar , i in y respec h i most mposing Parish Church in England , and con tains some of the finest Norman arch itecture in this country . I ts tower is the most massive of all Norman I ts e towers . noble west front , with its lofty r ceding arch s i of seven shafts , is urpassed only by the sim lar, but later , west fronts of 'incoln and Peterborough . I ts crown of chapels surrounding the apse is paralleled only by West the minster itself , ground plan of which sho ws a , striking similarity ' with the ground plan of Tewkesbury before

- the 'ad y chapel was destroyed . Its simple but ma'estic the G o columns exceed in height even piers at l ucester, so P h which resemble them closely , No arish C urch; and few Cathedrals , can boast such a magnificent series of i ’ ichly d gh t tombs and chantries . Smaller still is the number of Cathedrals which are so indissolubly bound up with the history of England during those even tful four — centuries 1 1 00 1 5 00 .

e. al In actual ex ten t (i . in the tot area covered by the building'Tewkesbury Abbey is the largest of all the parish churches in this country . with the single exception of Beverley Minster ; and it exceeds i n size no less than I fourteen English Cathedrals . t stands , as all the great TE W KE S B U R Y A B B E Y ‘ ’ TE W KE S BU R Y A BB E Y

’ b Abbeys stood , by one of England s great waterways , eing erected on sligh tly rising ground at the spot where Shake ’ fl speare s Avon ows into the stately Severn .

1 0 8 A D . The present building dates from 7 . , but four hu e e s e i n 7 1 mo t ry ou ndr d y ar arlier , 5 , a nas e was f nded

on the same site by two Saxon nobles , named Oddo and V x d te Doddo . B rihtri c K X esse , ing of (the imme ia pre

' decessor of Egbert'was buried here in 79 9 The mon as tery su ff ered so severely at the hands of the invading e t t t hu e s bec e ‘c ’ Dan s , ha wo ndr d year later it am a ell

Cra n bourn . dependent on the Abbey of , in Dorset I t is interestin g to n ote that the K ing Alfred i nflicted a 8 crushing defeat on the Danish forces in 9 3 , at B oddington , five m iles from Tewkesbury ; and that , after the B attle o Essen du n e 1 0 1 6 E u o f in , Canute and dm nd Ir nsides e o sm a ll i sla n d the Seve t o m s ' b m t n a in rn , w ile elow s m y d i Tewke bury , and ade a treat of peace , ivid ng the

kingdom between them . The estates of both Tewkesbury and Cra nbourn were se e b uee ti d e e Co ue iz d y ' n Ma l a , wif of Wil liam th n' ror ;

b ne o the est c s o the so , l R fu ut o f earli a t f ir n Wi liam u s , ‘ 1 0 8 on his accession in 7 , was to bestow the honour of

Gloucester , including the patronage of Tewkesbury , on

n Fitzha m on . F F his second cousi , Robert inding in it z ' hamon a patron generousl y willing to assist him in restor Gi ra ldu s t e rme g o es o t e e k b y o y , ing h fo r l ri f h T w es ur Pri r , Abbot o Cra nb ourn cee e e t s of bu f , pro d d t o th a k ilding the present Abbey ; and by the year 1 1 0 2 the monastic W Cra nbou rn buildings ere ready to receive the monks from , which thenceforth became in its turn a ‘cell ’ dependent

sbu . e n h e he bbe e on Tewke ry M a w il , t A y gr w apace , thanks to the m unificen t benefactions of Fitzha m on ; Gira ldus l but , alas neither he nor ived to see its com l i n i p et o . F tzha m on died in 1 1 0 7 from a wound received V ' at F Gi ra ldus . V c the siege of alaise , and died at hester

1 1 0 . 1 1 2 fi er in B y 3 the work was nished , and on w 0 1 h Theu lf £5 t t e e bbey , c ec e b a y ar th A was ons rat d y , f B ho of e , s te b e B s o n is p Worcest r a sis d y th ishop f I la da f ,

He ef r , b . e bb t t th t e s Robe t r o d and Du lin Th A o a is im wa r , o e f Fitzha m on he 'o d f Tewkes a f rm r Chaplain o , and t r o

b s Robe t , he f m s F of ceste a ury wa r t a ou arl Glou r , natural ’ f He y nd he h sb Fitzha m o n e e son o nr I , a t u and of s ld st

, daughter . Earl Robert was himself one of the great h h c urc builders of the age , and though his home was at T ’ e e b y, e s b e t St. mes P o B wk s ur h wa uri d a 'a ri ry , ristol ,

which he had founded . The 'ordship of Tewkesbury e by K n o om 1 1 8 o 1 2 00 he h v was h ld' i g ' hn fr 3 t , w n , a ing TE W KESB UR Y A B BE Y

obtai ned a divorce from his first wife Isabella ( grand o f r daughter Earl Robert', he g anted her possession of

e . all the lands she had inh rited As she left no children , the ‘honour of Gloucester ’ passed through her sister Amice the to the illustrious family of De Clares , who held it for

ninety years . Then it passed , again through failure of Des en c ers issue , to the even more famous p , who held it exa lv for c t a century . They were followed by the Beau ‘ ’ K - , k g k champs and finally by Warwic the in ma er , and - - i n - , g k his ill starred son laHwg Geor e , Du e ofbClarence , whose bones lie behind the i h Altar of the A bey , and whose

possessions were appropriated by the Crown . Thus the K g E g c ' k in of n land once more be ame ord of Tew esbury , and though the Manor was sold in 1 6 09 to the Corpora

tion , the patronage of the Abbey is still vested in the

Crown . The Abbey itself underwent several vic iss itudes during i 1 1 8 those four centur es . In 7 , a fire had destroyed the

monastic buildings ad'oining the. Abbey , and though no d serious damage was one to the Church , the walls of the south transept bear unmistakable traces of this c on fla r i n g a t o . In the middle of the fourteenth century extensive

changes were made , mainly under the direction of Hugh le Des en c er an d w p his ife Elizabeth , whose bodies lie together under the ex'uisite canopy tomb on the north a r ~ of the ltar . The original Norman choir was largely e

m odelled , the present beautiful Pointed arches being

erected upon the Norman columns , the capitals of which w ere on one side slightly raised . At the same time , the sex g en lorious windows , the glass of which was made in e ' a Chartr s , ere inserted , and the elaborate v ulting of the

apse was completed with its intricate tracery . The exist ing roof and vaulting of the nave also date from the same

period , and however much we may miss the loftier propor tions of the original Norman roof ( the dripstone of which th e is plainly visible on exterior of the tower', no one

can fail to admire the magnificent stone vaulting which ,

springing from corbels resti ng on the capitals of the piers , i g ves to the Abbey a most distinctive character , and con tains a series of 1 3 0 carved bosses which are 'ustly cousi dered among the most remarkable specimens of mediaeval F sculpture in this count ry . rom the fourteenth century , ‘ ’ too , date the beautiful che vet of chapels around the apse , ' originally seven in number the 'ady chapel , supposed to 1 00 o have been feet long , was one of the first parts f the

building to be destroyed by Henry V II I . 1 The dissolution of the monastery took place in 5 3 9 ,

T B W K B S B U B Y A B BE Y

I N T HE C '' I S TE R

and was , of course , accompanied by the spoliation of the

Abbey . All its immense revenues , and its glorious plate K ’ and vestments were seized by the ing s Commissioners . i They proceeded to demolish the monastic bu ldings , leaving only the ‘ Abbot ’ s lodging ' which still extends f y from the west ront of the Abbe to the ancient gateway . fl Even the church itself was condemned as super uous ,

and would have been razed to the ground , had not the y people of Tewkesbur petitioned the king to spare it , 2 t1d sum , eventually , purchased it from him for the of }4 3 3 The Abbey was ‘restored ’ most wisely and well in the 1 8 — 1 8 years 75 79 , under the supervision of Sir Gilbert

Rev . . Scott , during the incumbency of the . C G Davies

and the R ev . Hemming Robeson (afterwards Archdeacon - of Bristol'. A handsome cenotaph , with a life like recum fi urc a bent g in stone of Archdeacon Robeson , was pl ced F ’ in 1 9 1 4 in the ambulatory in the arch of St . aith s Chapel . 6 1 8 The tower is 4 feet s'uare , and 4 feet high to the

top of the pinnacles . Originally . it was surmounted by 1 a wooden spire , which fell on Easter Day , 5 5 9, and has

never been replaced .

The great arch of the west front , recessed in seven 6 ‘ shafts , is 5 feet high and 3 4 feet wide . The debased ’ 1 6 8 6 Perpendicular window was inserted in , but this TEWKE S B U R Y ABB EY

T HE N AV E TE W KE SBU R Y A B B E Y

THE C H 'I R ' E A ST W A RD V IE W TE W KE S B UR Y A B B EY

THE C H 'I R ' VVE S T W ARD V I E W T EW KB t m Y A BB E Y

' H P ' C H N RT R N ' R M AN C H A P E ' D E I M BR ENNE T ' B W AKEM AN C E N ' TA P H T E W K E S B UR Y A B B E Y

’ B E AU C H A M P C H ANT R Y THE F 'U N D E R S C H A NTRY

' ' D E S P E N C E R T'MB TR INI T Y C HANT R Y TE W KESBUR Y A B BEY

no l ned ss i l 1 8 8 6 e t o was t fi led with stai gla t l , xactly w centuries later. The carved oak doors beneath were placed 1 1 as 9 5 part of a memorial to Canon O . P . Wardell Y rbur h 8 —1 1 e g . vicar, 1 9 9 9 3 . 13 The entrance to the Abbey by the north west portal , i within which is a beautiful lobby, richly carved n oak Ca roe x i designed by Mr. W . D . , and e ecuted n 1 9 1 5 by the well known local firm of Collins and Godfrey m memory V b of Canon Va rdell Yer u rgh . th e o ee , e n e h i the t Th ak scr n at e trance to th c o r, fon , t and the pulpi , are also memorial gifts . The chantries which surround the high altar are among

the chief glories of the Abbey . The fam ous and ex'uisite ‘ ’ Warwick Chantry was erected by Isabella le Desp encer a a ov bo y o r st , R Be u er the d f he fir husb nd ich rd a champ , o Ea rl of Worcester, who fell at the siege f Meaux in 1 4 2 1 . The next tomb on the north side of choir is the Founder’ s Fi zh a m Chantry , where lies the body of Robert t on himself . r Des encer And within the sanctua y itself is the p Tomb ,

with one of the most graceful canopies in Europe . Beneath e effi H g le Des encer nd E be ; it li in gy u hb o yp u era mlizar cth h isywife and across the am ulat r nd a si ila anop , lies y the bod of her third husband , Sir Guy de Brienne, who ’ carried the king s standard at the Battle of Crecy. On the south side of the sanctuary is a chantry of ex e c e e ex 'uisite d sign, ontaining th arliest ample of fan ‘ ’ tracery known . It is called the Trinity Chapel , and D es encer was erected by the widow of Edward , 'ord p , 1 w o e 75 . e t e , u h di d in 3 On th op of thry chantkry ign a ni'ue position , is a life size and a ve life li e fi ure Des en cer the of 'ord p , kneeling in prayer and facing high a r ltar. On the east wall of the chantry , pa t of the fine i fresco work is still plainly visible , and g ves some idea of what the appearance of these chantries must have been

when they were ablaze with colour.

The high altar itself is one of the longest in England ,

being 1 3 feet 8 inches i n length . The mensa is the original ec m rb e w ch s co ec e on ' e slab of Purb k a l , hi wa ns rat d un 8 1 2 1 , 3 9 The reredos was pai nted by Thomas Gambier Parry who was responsible for most of the delicate colour work t o y on the roof of the nave . I was presented t the Abbe

1 1 . in 9 4 by his son , Ma'or Ernest Gambier Parry l The sedilia are sad y mutilated , but the two arches which remain fairly complete show how glorious the whole

must have been . In the pavement of the choir the tiles of which are TE W KE S B UR Y AB B E Y an exact reproduction of the old fourteenth century b es e the res - ces of the e tiles , are rass d noting ting pla D D es en cers ; in he ve m e e Clares and p and , t ry iddl of th ch oir stalls is a modern brass marking the tomb of the - P V I e ce E , s o Henry o w s ed ill fat d rin dward on f , wh a kill after the Battle of Tewkesbury . Beh h t n ult ccess b e b me ns ind the hig al ar , i a va a i l y a ‘ G f to e st , e t e bones o o e , e f ence o a s n air li h f e rg Duk o Clar , the o e , s he e e s s . b of mse dr wn d a t l g nd ay in ut t Mal y , and certainly put to death in the Tower of 'ondon i n 8 1 4 7 . h m ies h s w fe I s be a d u h er of the With i l i i a ll , a g t ’ i n - K g maker . Around the ambulatory are fiv e tom bs of the Abbots w o e bu y , m w o e he e of o f Tewk s r fro Alan , ho r t t lif Th mas Va kem n who h B ecket , to 'ohn \ a surrendered t e Abbey to H y V enr I I I , and whose ceno ta p h is a very striki n g examp le of beautiful sculp ture in the canopy , with a gruesome representation of a corpse below . The Chapel o f

St. Margaret on the north , and the N o r m a n Chapel are fitted up with altars and in use . In the Norman Chapel is a fin e S mosaic by alviati , and an original painting M a don na ’ del Pa sse i o by gg ,

Raphael . Close by is a fine memorial a to Mrs . Cr ik , the a uthoress of 'ohn Ha li a x G en t e f , l ma n . There are two o r g a n s i n t h e Ab bey ' the one in the choir was built f o r M a g d a l e n T HE C R A I K M E M 'R IA ' ‘ T E W KE sB UR Y AB BE Y

1 6 R en a tus College , Oxford , in 3 7 , by Harris removed by 1 6 4 Cromwell in 5 to Hamp ton Court , where 'ohn Milton pl y e r g 1 6 6 0 is said to have a ed on it r sto ed to Ma dalen in , a n d y 1 sold to Tewkesbur in 7 3 7 . The great organ i n the north transept was given to commemorate 'ueen V ictoria 's R \V e the ev . . 'ubilee , by C . Grov .

e u sed ' a s The two chap ls now a choir vestry , were y - S formerl dedicated to St . 'ames and to t. Eusta c ius i n ru in the one was s for three hundred years . and the other was used as a Grammar School for the Same period ; both were restored by the Freemasons of Glou c estershire 8 7 in 1 9 . On the south of the ambulatory is the large vaulted u chamber , which has been for six h ndred years the sacristy ‘ ’ or great vestry of the Abbey . The door is roughly

covered inside with iron plates , being parts of the armour a n d swords found on the battlefield after the decisive

1 1 . Battle of Tewkesbury , on May 4 , 4 7 Above is a room ’ ’ by S e reached a piral staircase , once the sacristan s chamb r ,

' now a museum in which are preserved man y interesting

relics of the Abbey and ancient documents . i Glou ces All that rema ns of the cloister , once as fine as e o ter , thou g h not so large . can be s en utside the south ' I S h c 15 door , which set in an arch w i h a magnificent specimen h of sculpture , though all the statues w ich once adorned y ba it are destro ed . One y of the cloister was restored y by Mr . Thomas Collins , to show the beaut of the original

vaulting . ‘ The windows i n both north and south aisles were filled a 1 8 8 6 1 8 2 with excellent st ined glass between and 9 , by \V the Rev . C . . Grove . I t is possible to reach the triforium b y spiral stair Abbev a d the cases at the west end of the , n in Norman t Chapel . The entrance to the tower is in the nor h transept , l ten behind the Grove organ . There is a sp endid peal of ' ' wo 1 6 6 two treble bells t of which date from 9 , and the , i w bells from 1 9 1 4 the weight of the tenor bell s 2 3 c t. r 2 ' . 9 lb .

TE W KE S B U RY A B B E Y

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TE W K E S BURY A B B EY

P'EASE D' N'T REMOVE CARDS OR S'I PS FROM THI S POCKET

UNI VERSI TY 'F TORONTO 'I BRARY

Smi th , Er nest Fr eder i ck Tewk esbur y Abbey