NB Aqualife: Tuesday 2/6 Bidford to Evesham

Was slack last night, blame it on a history overdose, and didn't do the blogs so lucky readers, you'll get two tonight. I'll try to keep them brief.

Another windy day so we decided to leave early. We left just before 7.00 when we saw another boat getting ready to depart so we could share the locks. Our luck was in; aboard the other boat, a hire from Alvechurch, up near Birmingham were 3 keen as mustard couples who are doing the Avon Ring in one week which means 10-12 hour days!

A heron, having taken off in front of us

The 2nd day of summer and look at the sky. Only 4 layers of clothing needed.

It is reassuring that peaches and cream England also has the odd dump

Coming to Evesham Lock. This lock marks what used to be the frontier between the Upper and Lower sections of the Avon. The Lower Avon reopened to navigation in 1962 and the Upper in 1974.

Into the lock we go, beside our lock companions, all 6 of whim are hanging about waiting patiently for us.

Leaving the lock. We had to depart the lock first because our lock companions 70' boat needed some room and brute force to be coaxed out of the lock.

Going under the Evesham Bridge

Straight after the bridge we moored up. Job done by 9.20. Lawrence cooked bacon and eggs while I had a shower and as we ate our late breakfast we discussed what we were going to do in Evesham for the day. We had been told back in Stratford to be sure to stop here and explore. Evesham, we were told, is like Stratford without Shakespeare.

First stop, a bowhead whale sculpture in the park beside our mooring.

The metal arch represents and is a replica in size of an actual bowhead jawbone from a whale killed in 1820. The jaw was sent to Dr Cooper of Evesham and was erected as an arch to the entrance to his house. In 1906 the jaw was moved to this position where it stood until 2012 when it was deemed too fragile to remain on public display.

The Evesham Round house ca 15c. It is now a bank and nothing to do with Shakespeare or any of his rellies.

Evesham had an Abbey (Benedictine, founded 708) until it's dissolution in 1540 (Henry viii doing a land and money grab). All that remains is the bell tower which is currently under restoration.

And it has two churches dating from the 12c, St Laurence (one deconsecrated) and All Saints.

St Laurence

And All Saints

Detail of the ceiling over the font in St Laurence's

Katie, I bet you would like this coffer for the barn

The first church built on the site of St Laurence was consecrated in 1295. It was replaced the the current version in 1470 and formed part of the conventional buildings of Evesham Abbey which was then the 5th richest in England. Someone from the Abbey had some sort of intimate encounter with the ghost of the Virgin Mother and the Abbey thereafter became a place of pilgrimage. The church of St L. was built as a place in which the pilgrims could worship because being dirty, smelly, vermin and possibly disease ridden, the local parishioners of Evesham didn't want to share their pews with them in All Saints.

The Almonry, still standing, was part of the Abbey and is now a museum.

Back to the dissolution for a minute. I presumed that Henry viii took the Abbeys by force. But no, in the Almonry museum is a document dates 30/1/1540 that says (in Margy speak) the last Abbot of Evesham agreed to surrender the Abbey and it's estates to the Crown and in return will receive a pension of GBP240 and the Deanerymof Worcester. Just like a modern takeover, bribe the CEO.

The demolition of the Abbey started almost immediately. However if the townsfolk had the money, Henry would happily sell the. The church/cathedral bit of the Abbey. For instance Tewesbury paid the crown 453 pounds for their Abbeys church.

There were wealthy Abbeys at Evesham, Pershore (11 miles by from Evesham) and Tewkesbury (11 miles downriver from Pershore). The reason being that the Vale of Evesham, as it is known, is incredibly fertile and is watered by the Avon and it's tributaries and is bounded bunted Cotswolds, Bredon Hill and the Malverns. For centuries the Vale has been regarded as the fruit and veg basket of England.

Back to the Almonry. Ceiling detail