General view

Wulfstan's cathedral in Worcester had aisles and a transept and ambulatory with polygonal radiating chapels. Since it was the most distinguished church in the diocese, it is likely that it was not just the clerical, but also the artistic centre of the "Severn Group" in the west of England. This group of Benedictine monasteries around the River Severn included Great Malvern (c. 1085), Tewkesbury (c. 1102), Gloucester (c. 1089), Pershore (c. 1092) and Evesham (12th century). Worcester cathedral left its mark on the churches of the younger members of the group.

Tewkesbury Abbey (offically the Church of St. Mary the Virgin in Tewkesbury) is a large parish church in a small market town just 10 miles north of Gloucester.

Built in the early 1100s, the abbey church boasts the largest Norman tower in the world and the largest exterior arch in Britain. Its interior is a combination of stout Norman pillars and round arches with Decorated Gothic lierne vaulting and gilded bosses.

In the 14th century, the abbey church was given a Decorated Gothic makeover.

View the ground plan of the abbey church, Tewkesbury.