After the suppression of the monastry, the good folk of Tewkesbury who had been accustomed to using the western part of the nave for worship, got together and approached King Henry VIII through his commissioners and petitioned him for permission to purchase the whole of the Abbey to use as their Parish Church. The King agreed to let them have it but they were charged �453 which covered the cost of the lead on the roof and the metal of the bells. This was a considerable sum of money in those days and took the people of Tewkesbury 2 years to raise, but they did it, and it is thanks to them that the abbey still stands for us to enjoy and use today. The crown seized all the abbey lands and endowments.
(30th October 2003)
