Tewkesbury Abbey Tower

Having tried and failed drastically on the insect front today as there weren't any around, I decided to go for a different type of shot. We can see Tewkesbury Abbey tower in the distance from our house, especially at night when it is illuminated and looks magnificent dominating the town.

A former Benedictine monastery, William the Conqueror gave it to his cousin Robert Fitzhamon in 1087 but building really didn't start till 1102 using Caen stone from Normandy which was floated up the river Severn. It is a fine example of Norman architecture and the tower is the largest Romanesque crossing tower in Europe. It was originally topped with a wooden spire which collapsed in 1559 and was never rebuilt. Twelve bells are housed in the tower which were overhauled in 1962 and are hung for change ringing.

The Abbey was saved from Henry VIII and the Dissolution of the Monasteries as the people of Tewkesbury paid him the price of the bells and lead off the roof, totalling £453 - £193,780 in today's money.