The footpaths around the Abbey are very uneven in places, so please take care. There is no need to enter the Abbey, but this is highly recommended. Entry is free, although donations are welcomed.
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Tewkesbury has been a centre for worship since the 7th century, with a priory was established there in the 10th century. The present building was started in the early 12th century.
It was unsuccessfully used as a sanctuary after the Battle of Tewkesbury in the Wars of the Roses 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.
A brass plate on the floor in the centre of the sanctuary marks the grave of Edward of Westminster, Prince of Wales - the son of King Henry VI and end of the Lancastrian line. He was aged only 17.
The bones of George, Duke of Clarence (brother of Edward IV and Richard III), and his wife Isabel are housed behind a glass window in a wall of their inaccessible Burial vault behind the high altar. George was supposedly drowned in a butt of Malmsey wine while imprisoned by his brother in the Tower of London.
At the Dissolution of the Monasteries, the people of Tewkesbury saved the abbey from destruction - insisting that it was their parish church, which they had the right to keep. They bought it from the Crown for the value of its bells and lead roof which would have been salvaged and melted down, leaving the structure a roofless ruin The price came to £453.
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At the published coordinates, you should find yourself outside the South Wall of The Lady Chapel. On this wall is the vent to the Abbey Candle Store - approximately 5 feet up.
How many FULL slats/slates are there in this vent? Please submit your responses via the message service.
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Virtual Rewards 4.0 - 2024-2025
This Virtual Cache is part of a limited release of Virtuals created between January 17, 2024 and January 17, 2025. Only 4,000 cache owners were given the opportunity to hide a Virtual Cache. Learn more about Virtual Rewards 4.0 on the Geocaching Blog.