A day trip to Tewkesbury Abbey

I've been meaning to take a look at Tewkesbury Abbey for a long while. When I was at work I was doing a regular locum spot in Tewkesbury and I always parked in the abbey car park. I longed to step inside but alas, our rules include no leaving the premises for a lunch break.

I've got a love of history and we tend to visit the festival they hold in Tewkesbury every year to commemorate the battle of Tewkesbury in 1471, the end of the civil war and the battles of the roses. They have historical battle re-enactments and a camp with people dressed in costume and a field set up with tents selling all sort of stuff for those interested in re-enacting and a lot else besides. There are loads of artisan craftsman, hand making their goods, just as they would have centuries before, worth a watch.

The Abbey was started in 1102. Some of the plates marking graves are in French representing the nature of the aristocracy, this being not long after the Norman conquest in 1066. Can you even imagine how long ago that was? They look as if they were created yesterday.

After the Battle of Tewkesbury, on the 4th of May 1471, some of the defeated Lancastrians sought sanctuary in the abbey. The victorious Yorkists, led by King Edward IV forced their way into the abbey; the resulting bloodshed caused the building to be closed for a month until it could be purified and re-consecrated. The grave of Edward, Prince of Wales, son of King Henry the VI, the last in the Lancastrian line is located in the Abbey.

14th century paintings

Anyway, the kids enjoyed it, especially after an ice-cream and it was lovely to have a day out with my mum, she's a proper history nut!

Baby girl was like a baby bird with ice-cream

I also spent a few more hours this week painting the bloody playhouse trim and we put up the swing so it is finally finished. Next job is to get the stud wall up in wee man's room and then we can get him and his furniture back in there and free up some space everywhere else.