The Friends of Tewkesbury Abbey

Autumn Talk: Tim Jeffree, Changing Churches - updating churches for modern use
2023-10-04 19:00 - 21:00 (Europe/London)
Tim Jeffree is the maker of the Abbey’s fine ‘Cope Chest’ located at the West End of the Abbey. He runs a carpentry business, TDJ Joinery, based at Prinknash Abbey, making church furniture that is unique, spiritual, functional and robust, with commissions from all over the country.

Tickets are on sale from The Abbey Shop, open 11am-3pm daily. (12-3 on Sunday) or may be reserved for purchase on the door by email application to ad***@**************************rg.uk

The talk will take place in the Parish Hall at Tewkesbury Abbey.

Friends' Council Meeting
2023-09-23 10:00 - 12:00
The first Council meeting in the current cycle of meetings

Visit to Nicholson Organ Works and Little Malvern Priory
2023-02-18 09:15 - 14:00
Nicholson & Co are one of the two largest firms of organ builders in Britain. The firm was originally established by Richard Nicholson in Rochdale in the 1820s; his son John set up business on his own in Worcester in 1841, and quickly rose to fame through instruments such as that at Great Malvern Priory (1850). 1956 saw a move to Malvern, where (now in newer premises) the firm continues to operate.

Recent years have seen some major contracts as well as much bread-and-butter work. The Milton organ in Tewkesbury Abbey received a thorough overhaul in 2018. Current projects include major work on the organs in Leeds Town Hall and Manchester Town Hall, and future projects include restoration work at Gloucester Cathedral.

The small but beautiful organ at Little Malvern Priory is by the leading Victorian builder William Hill, and was restored by Nicholson’s in 2019. Dr James Lancelot will demonstrate the organ for the Friends.

The £25 cost for the trip will include travel to all locations, the guided tour of Nicholson Organ works, the visit to Little Malvern Priory and refreshments.

Trip timings

9.15am Depart by coach from The Crescent, Tewkesbury

10.00am Nicholson Organ Tour

11.30am Little Malvern Priory

13.30 Return to Tewkesbury

To book your place please click on the RSVP ‘Going’ button below. You will be able to book more than one place using the same email address. This will generate an automatic email to confirm that your booking has been received, please check your junk/spam email box if this does not appear in your inbox. We will then be in touch with you to make arrangements for payment.

Friends' Autumn Lecture: "Sir George Gilbert Scott - Hero or Villain"
2022-10-28 19:00 - 21:30 | Parish Hall, Tewkesbury Abbey, Church Street, Tewkesbury, GL20 5RZ
Tewkesbury Abbey was a recipient of the interventions of Sir George Gilbert Scott, the Victorian Gothic Revivalist Architect, during the years 1870-1879. In this lecture Mr Tim Bridges, Conservation Adviser at the Victorian Society, will explore the controversies surrounding Gilbert Scott’s work with many of the Medieval buildings in Great Britain during the Victorian era.

This lecture will be held in the Parish Hall, Tewkesbury Abbey.

Refreshments will be provided.

Tickets are now on sale in the Abbey Shop or click the RSVP button below and pay on the door. The RSVP will collect your name, contact email address and the number of tickets you would like to reserve.

Friends' Council Meeting
2022-09-10 10:00 - 12:00

Friends' Festival - Day Out to Coventry
2022-07-04 | Coventry
A day trip by coach from Tewkesbury to include guided tours of Gurdwara Sri Guru Singh Sabha Sikh Temple and Coventry Cathedral
Tickets will go on sale on 30th April 2022
Further details to follow

Friends' Festival
2022-07-03 10:30 - 18:00 | Tewkesbury Abbey

The Fitzhamon Lecture - "The Last Monks of Medieval Tewkesbury"
2022-04-30 19:00 - 21:30 | Tewkesbury Abbey
Professor James Clark, Associate Dean for Research and Knowledge Transfer, Professor of History, Exeter University.
Further details about Professor Clark available from this link
Tickets £10 to include refreshments are now on sale in the Abbey Shop
Please note: If you purchased tickets for the 2020 Fitzhamon Lecture which was cancelled due to Covid restrictions these tickets can be exchanged for the 2022 lecture without additional charge. Please take your 2020 ticket to the shop.
THIS EVENT IS NOW FULLY BOOKED – a waiting list for any returns has been put in place, please email ad***@**************************rg.uk if you would like your name to be added to this.
It is intended that an audio recording of this lecture, with presentation slides, will be made available on this site in due course.

Friends' Council Meeting
2022-04-09 10:30 - 12:30, 2022-02-05 10:30 - 12:30, 2021-11-13 10:00 - 12:30 | Tewkesbury Abbey

Abbey Christmas Fair
2021-11-27 11:00 - 15:00 | Tewkesbury Abbey
The Friends will have a stand at the Abbey – do come and say hello

Tewkesbury Festival of Lights
2021-11-02 18:00 - 2021-11-05 22:00 | Tewkesbury Abbey
An incredible immersive light and sound show telling the unique story of the town as well as celebrating the 900-year history of the Abbey and the 550th anniversary of the Battle of Tewkesbury. The Tewkesbury Festival of Lights will feature light projections and will take place between Tuesday 2nd and Friday 5th November at 20-minute intervals between 6pm – 10pm. This will then be followed by Tewkesbury’s annual free Fireworks display and fairground, which will take place in the Abbey meadows on Saturday 6th November.
The Festival of Lights has been organised by 2021 Tewkesbury Together, a community-led committee leading the organisation of celebrations of the anniversaries in the town. Due to COVID-19, 2021 Tewkesbury Together has focused celebrations around the anniversary of the consecration of the Abbey in October 2021.
Tickets to the Tewkesbury Festival of Lights are priced at £10.50 for adults, £8.50 for children aged 3 – 17, under 3’s go free, and will be available to book for 20-minute segments from 6 – 10pm each evening between the 2nd and 5th of November.
Tickets are available from: www.tewkesburyfestivaloflights.co.uk or can be booked by calling The Roses Theatre Box Office on: 01684 290574

Friends' Council Meeting
2021-09-11 10:30 - 12:00 | Tewkesbury Abbey, Church Street, Tewkesbury, GL20 5DZ

Friends' Festival and AGM
2021-07-04 | Tewkesbury Abbey, Church Street, Tewkesbury, GL20 5DZ
10.30am Choral Eucharist
Preacher@ Rt Revd Robert Evens
Hon. Assistant Bishop in the Diocese of Gloucester and Former Bishop of Crediton
This service will be live-streamed on the Tewkesbury Abbey YouTube channel
12 noon Annual General Meeting in the Abbey
12.20pm (approx) Launch of the The Founders’ Book facsimile volume
This launch will be live-streamed on the Tewkesbury Abbey YouTube channel
Picnic in the Grounds of Abbey House and the Abbey vicinity

Please bring your own, sharing is only permitted within households. Groups must be no more than 30 people and social distancing is required.
5.00pm Choral Evensong

Rogation Sunday - Young Friends Activity
2021-05-09 | Tewkesbury Abbey
Although we still cannot meet together we can undertake a shared activity in other ways! An activity sheet for Children and Young People to join in with their families is available from this link

The Fitzhamon Lecture
2021-04-24 19:30 - 21:30 | Virtual meeting
As this is a virtual event no tickets will be sold but donations are always welcome!
Further details from this link

Friends' Council Meeting
2021-04-24 10:30 - 12:00, 2020-11-21 10:30 - 12:00 | Virtual meeting

A New Timeline for Tewkesbury - Zoom Lecture
2021-03-13 19:30 - 21:30 | Virtual meeting
“

“A New Timeline for Tewkesbury”
A talk by Dr. Andy Moir, dendrochronologist, about his recent project tree-dating some of the town’s ancient buildings, including the Abbey.
A Free event but donations to The Friends of Tewkesbury Abbey will be welcome. Booking is required and the Zoom meeting link and details will be sent. Contact ad***@**************************rg.uk to book.

Friends' Virtual Lecture
2020-11-28 19:30 - 21:00 | Virtual meeting
Very Revd Michael Tavinor will be speaking on ‘Tewkesbury and Hereford – Compare and Contrast’
To book your place and receive a link and meeting connection details please email ad***@**************************rg.uk

The Friends' Festival - CANCELLED
2020-07-05 11:00 - 19:00 | Tewkesbury Abbey, Church Street, Tewkesbury, GL20 5DZ
Details to follow

The Fitzhamon Lecture - CANCELLED
2020-04-25 19:00 - 21:00 | Tewkesbury Abbey, Church Street, Tewkesbury, GL20 5DZ
“The Last Monks of Medieval Tewkesbury”
Lecturer: Professor James Clark, Director of Liberal Arts in the College of Humanities, Exeter University
Tickets from the Abbey Shop – 01684 856148

Meeting of the Council of the Friends - CANCELLED
2020-04-18 10:00 - 12:00 | Tewkesbury Abbey, Church Street, Tewkesbury, GL20 5DZ

Meeting of the Council of the Friends
2020-02-08 10:00 - 12:00, 2019-11-23 09:30 - 12:00 | Tewkesbury Abbey, Church Street, Tewkesbury, GL20 5DZ

Talk: "Restoring Tewkesbury Past"
2020-01-24 19:00 - 21:00 | Tewkesbury Abbey, Church Street, Tewkesbury, GL20 5DZ
A talk in the Parish Hall at the Abbey, “Restoring Tewkesbury’s Past – The Abbey and its Legacy” by Simon Lawton, Curator, The John Moore Museum
Tickets £7.50 available in advance from the Abbey Shop, or on the door, to include refreshments.

Young Friends' Epiphany Candle Display set up
2020-01-11 14:00 - 15:30 | Tewkesbury Abbey, Church Street, Tewkesbury, GL20 5DZ
The Young Friends will again be creating a candle light display for the Epiphany Carol Service. We will therefore meet in the Abbey on 11th January at 2.00 pm to arrange our candles. Please bring slippers to wear around the display, to avoid cold feet. There will be hot chocolate and cakes to follow, for Young Friends and their families.

Young Friends assist with Christingle (21st & 23rd)
2019-12-21 10:00 - 11:30 | Tewkesbury Abbey, Church Street, Tewkesbury, GL20 5DZ
Young Friends are invited to help with the preparations for the Christingle service held on Christmas Eve.
On December 21st at 10.00 am we will be in the Abbey Hall, making preparations for Christingles, ie. assembling the sticks with sweets on and putting red ribbon around the oranges. There will refreshments afterwards. On 23rd December in St Faith’s Chapel, at 9.30 am, we will be putting together the Christingle kits in bags.

Friends at the Abbey's Christmas Fayre
2019-11-30 10:00 - 15:00 | Tewkesbury Abbey, Church Street, Tewkesbury, GL20 5DZ
The Young Friends will have a stall with Christmas items to purchase, and there will be a Friends’ stand in the nave. Do come and say hello!
