Abbey Church of St Mary the Virgin, Tewkesbury

Starting point of a 14-mile pilgrimage to Gloucester Cathedral

Highlights

• Outstanding abbey church
• Medieval artworks and stained glass
• Early baptist chapel

I slept in a tent within sight of this abbey, its bells ringing the hours through the night. It is quite right to advertise its presence so boldly, one of the most moving holy places in the country.

There are no saints directly attached to the church's history. Even so it was founded by an early holy man, the Saxon hermit Theoc who lived here in the 7th century. The town is named after him. A monastery was built and survived until the Reformation. It was saved from destruction by the citizens of Tewkesbury, who bought the building for £453 to use as their parish church. Pilgrims certainly came despite the lack of a saint, as pilgrim crosses can be seen carved into the stone of the north-west porch.

Tewkesbury Abbey is notable for its outstanding collection of medieval artworks, architecture and monuments, outshone only by Westminster Abbey. Its stained glass, both modern and medieval, is also among the wonders of British holy places. It is larger than many cathedrals, the second largest parish church in the country after Christchurch Priory Church. Two other pilgrimage routes pay homage to this mighty building, A Pilgrimage Walk from Tewkesbury Abbey, and the Tewkesbury Pilgrimage Walk.

Medieval paintings include an image of God with the crucified Christ, on the end wall in the Trinity Chapel. I can find no notes about this rare depiction of the Godhead, but it is just possible to make out the Holy Spirit as a bird, beneath God supporting Christ on the cross. Angels swing incense burners on either side.

The vaulting throughout the abbey is considered the best of medieval church ceilings, second only to a glimpse of the heavens it seeks to emulate. Its tower too soars high above the town, the largest Norman tower in the country.

The rest of Tewkesbury’s magnificence is due to one of the last great female church builders recorded in this book, Eleanor de Clare. She spent a fortune on the building in the 1320s and 1330s.So many early churches were founded by women missionaries, but their presence seems to fade as the middle ages wore on. Eleanor’s life was anything but obscure. She was granddaughter of King Edward I and played a central role in some of England’s cruellest royal power struggles.

Her first husband Hugh Despenser was tortured and executed. He was sometimes rumoured to be the lover of King Edward II. It should be noted that Eleanor loved him and attempted to retrieve his body for burial. Eleanor herself was imprisoned and her lands confiscated. Her fortunes finally changed with the accession of King Edward III, her cousin, and she was released from prison in 1328. Thanking God for her deliverance, she then devoted considerable time and wealth tore building Tewkesbury Abbey.

Tewkesbury’s final surprise is a nude portrait of Eleanor herself, in the bottom right-hand corner of the great east window. It is a sign of respect, symbolising her purity and elevation above worldly trappings. It is one of a series of panels in which all the figures are unclothed for different reasons. The last judgement and Adam and Eve also figure: it is unusual to see medieval art grouped by theme rather than chronology or narrative.

While in Tewkesbury

Half way down a narrow passageway opposite the abbey church lies one of Britain’s earliest Baptist chapels, dating back to perhaps 1655.The movement was only founded around 1606, which makes this one of its oldest buildings. A small graveyard at the far end of the alleyway contains graves from this Christian community. It apparently has a stone commemorating Thomas Shakespeare Hart, descendant of a certain family from Stratford upon Avon. I was waylaid by a cat on my tour of the overgrown and lopsided graves.

Directions

St Mary the Virgin (Tewkesbury Abbey), Church Street, Tewkesbury GL20 5RZ

www.tewkesburyabbey.org.uk

W3W: front.ringers.lake

GPS: 51.9903N 2.1612W abbey

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GPS: 51.9915N2.1613W Baptist chapel

The abbey is at the south end of Tewkesbury. It is open Mon–Sat 8:30am–5:30pm (early opening 7:30am Weds and Fri);Sun 7:30am–6pm. Entrance is free, donations welcome. The Baptist church is down a side alley almost opposite the abbey. Leave by the main churchyard gate, cross the road and walk to the right for about 50m. The alley to the church has a sign above it marked Old Baptist Chapel Court. The interior is not open to casual visitors.