Marian Pilgrimage - Our Lady of Evesham

The Pilgrimage now heads west to the valley of the Avon and then the Severn, making its first stop at Evesham. Here was the great Benedictine abbey apparently founded at Our Lady’s request when she appeared to Eoves the swineherd who then brought St Egwin the bishop to meet her and receive her command.

Early twentieth century stained  glass window in St Lawrence’s Church depicting the story of the apparition of Our Lady at Evesham

Image: Archdiocese of Birmingham 

In recent years pilgrimages to Evesham have increased in number. This year the organisation Our Lady of Christendom are having a walking pilgrimage from Oxford to Evesham on July 4-6. There are details on their website at Our Lady of Christendom – United Kingdom

My post from last year about the Marian tradition at Evesham has links to those from previous years, and these can all be accessed from Marian pilgrimage - Our Lady of Evesham 

Although only fragments of the abbey remain above ground the town still has two medieval parish churches, the famous detached bell tower, and an excellent museum in The Almonry. In addition there is the site of the battle in 1264 and, just outside the town at Wood Norton, the onetime home, now a hotel, of the exiled Orleanist royal house of France in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. So a modern pilgrimage to Evesham can also take in a lot of history in an attractive town on the banks of the Avon. 

The appearance of the monastic church can in part be reconstructed by using notes made just before the dissolution in one of the books belonging to the monastery which include the height of the spire. The notes also include a record of how the King’s commissioners to take the surrender of the abbey turned up in January 1540 during Vespers and would not allow the community to finish singing the Office.

Reconstruction model of EveshamAbbey on the eve of the dissolution.

All that survives today are the two parish churches and the detached bell tower on the right and the doorway to the Chapter House vestibule

Image: Evesham Abbey Trust

The most recent plan of the site of Evesham Abbey

Image: Evesham Abbey Trust

May Our Lady of Evesham intercede for us and our intentions

Jesu mercy, Mary pray