Sunday 22nd October 2023
Just a brief post today. We met up with our motorhoming buddies Jeeves, Michelle and Layla the Cockapoo, who drove through from home in their car and took us to Winchcome, where we enjoyed a fine lunch in The Lion Inn.
The town has a very long history and as a result, some lovely old buildings.
The first settlement in the surrounding hills was around 5,000 years ago with various archaeological sites nearby. The Romans built villas here and in early medieval times King Offa of Mercia is said to have founded a nunnery which was later re-founded as Winchcombe Abbey, a Benedictine monastery housing the tomb of St. Kenelm. This brought prosperity to the town from visiting pilgrims.
St Peter’s church was built in the 1460s and is known for its grotesques, of which there are many:
Later, the town fell into severe decline and then both this abbey and the nearby Hailes Abbey were closed by King Henry VIII leaving the area in dire poverty for many years. The town’s fortunes were revived in the early 18th century with some local industry and more latterly population growth and tourism.
"See-u-Later" 