Evesham Abbey

Evesham Abbey. The Reformation. , Evesham Abbey was once one of the most important monasteries in England, but now there is little evidence of its former splendour. The churches of St Lawrence and All Saints, the Bell Tower and the Almonry escaped demolition in 1540, but these represent only a small part of the original abbey complex. Of the great Abbey Church, only a few remnants are visible today. Some other fragments of the abbey remain including the Cloister Arch and various sections of the boundary walls., In 1539-40, Henry VIII ordered the dissolution of all monasteries. Known as the Reformation, this saw the end of eight hundred years of monastic activity at Evesham. Some of the abbey buildings such as the Almonry were used for other purposes thereby avoiding destruction. Others were demolished and the stone sold for re-use. For instance the Town Hall is built with stone from the Abbey., The monks were forced to leave their monastery. Some travelled abroad to continue their monastic lives while others remained in England but found other employment. Clement Lichfield, the abbot at the time of the Reformation was provided with a pension. During his time as abbot, he had carried out many improvements to the Abbey and because he had no desire to see his work destroyed, he chose to live elsewhere., By the 19th century, the area had become privately owned gardens and the precise location of most f the Abbey's buildings had long been forgotten. In 1820, the landowner, Edward Rudge carried out excavations which uncovered foundations of the Abbey Church. Artefacts from these excavations may be seen in the Almonry Museum. Also on display are the wooden figures which were once a part of the bell Tower clock, and an exquisitely carved oak throne known as the Abbots Chair., Today, much of the abbey only survives beneath the ground surface. Fortunately many of the manuscripts produced by the monks survive to give an insight into the life of the medieval abbey.