Evesham Abbey

Evesham Abbey. A House of Prayer. The foundations of the presbytery, at the eastern end of the Abbey Church, are marked by the stone slabs. The wall beyond crosses the middle of the church. The nave extended further still, reaching as far as St Lawrence's Church. The Abbey Church contained numerous shrines devoted to saints. These attracted many pilgrims to Evesham, who contributed to the Abbey's vast wealth., The illustration shows how the Abbey Church was likely to have looked at the height of its splendour in the late 13th century. In the distance is the vaulting of the nave, and in the middle distance is the pulpitum, or rood screen, dividing the monk's choir from the nave., On either side, behind the monk's stalls, are screens which line the choir. These screens allowed the monks to worship undisturbed while pilgrims made their way around the presbytery to visit the shrines of the saints. The most important shrine at Evesham was that of St Ecgwine, who founded the Abbey in AD 709 This was situated near the point where you now stand., The memorial in front of you marks the position of Simon de Montfort's tomb. He was killed at the Battle of Evesham in 1265. His tomb occupied a prominent position at the foot of the altar steps., Behind you there would have been the Lady Chapel, beautifully decorated with wall paintings telling the story of Christ and the saints. This was consecrated in 1295., The monks of Evesham were Benedictines, one of the oldest monastic orders. They believed in celebrating the glory of God with opulent displays of wealth and craftsmanship. Up to nine services were held each day: the first, Matins, began at 2:30am and the last, Compline, finished at 10pm. Festivals such as Easter and Christmas, were celebrated with additional processions and special services.