Branch Meetings
Little Malvern Priory And Ledbury - September 14The archivist, Mrs Lyn Goodby, and her family welcomed us with cups of tea and coffee, and delicious cakes, before she took us into the priory to describe its history. There’s been a church on the site for nine hundred years. It has been under the control of the Bishop of Worcester since Domesday, and is still connected to Worcester Cathedral, whereas Great Malvern Priory is controlled by Westminster Abbey.
The church records are only available from 1691, as the records from 1538 to 1690 have been lost.
Benedictine priories were usually in poor areas, such as this site. It is one of only one hundred and fifty churches in England dedicated to St Giles, the patron saint of cripples, beggars, woods and woodland. An appropriate dedication as the church is in the huge medieval forest of Malvern Chase.
First built in 1127, it needed many repairs in 1282, and was then rededicated by Bishop Giffard of Worcester.
Bishop John Alcock undertook the next major programme of repairs and refurbishment at his own expense in 1480 - 1482. He is buried in Ely Cathedral and there is a statue of him in the porch at the priory. As well as being Bishop of Worcester he was Lord President of the Council of the Marches and tutor to Prince Edward at Ludlow Castle.
He was so appalled at what he found at the priory that he banished the prior back to Battle Abbey in Sussex and sent the four monks to Gloucester for corrective training! Once the monks were allowed back he wrote to them from Bewdley in October 1482 telling them to behave or else.
The east window of very high quality medieval glass was installed by Bishop Alcock, and made by the Malvern Workshop of Richard Twygge and Thomas Wodshawe (see “Dickon Independent” 41, page 6). They are also responsible for the Magnificat window in Great Malvern Priory, glass at Tattershall College in Lincolnshire and at Westminster Abbey.
It featured the full family of Edward IV, but unfortunately several figures are now missing. Reading from left to right: Prince Richard (missing), Prince Edward, Edward IV (missing), Elizabeth Woodville (headless), Princesses Elizabeth, Cecily, Katherine and Anne; Bishop Alcock (missing). In the tracery lights are various armorial shields, with those of the King and the Prince of Wales on the left, and those of Bishop Alcock on the right (a mitre and cocks’ heads).
Damage to the glass occurred in 1534, thanks to the efforts of Thomas Cromwell to dissolve the monasteries, and again in about 1652, when Oliver Cromwell was busy redesigning churches.
The Victoria and Albert Museum in London hope to have this window on display at an exhibition entitled “Glory of Gothic” from October 2003 to January 2004. As it needs restoring the Friends of Little Malvern Priory want to raise £40,000 before then so it only has to be removed once. The window will be sandwiched between two panes of clear glass after restoration. The Ricardian Churches Restoration Fund has already given a generous donation to this appeal.
Sir Giles de Berkeley is buried in the chancel along with the horse which carried his trappings. He died in 1295 and was granted the privilege of burial in such a sacred place because of his gift of land at Eldersfield, which the priory held until the dissolution. Giles’ son married Joan, daughter of Geoffrey Archer of Bishop Cleeve, and after his death she married Sir William Whittington of Pauntley, thus becoming the step-mother of the famous Dick Whittington.
The priory was surrendered to the crown on August 31st 1534. Thomas Cromwell started to demolish the tower then abandoned it and put another roof on it. It needs rebuilding and the Friends of Little Malvern Priory hope to raise £30,000 for this purpose, with the whole project likely to cost around £280,000.
On a ledge in the church are carvings of four female weepers and shields found on a fourteenth century table tomb unearthed in the courtyard.
The image of God in one of the windows was also installed by Bishop Alcock.
In 1537 the priory became the parish church. It’s an independent parish with no vicarage. The vicar either has to have a job or be rich!
William Langland, author of “The Vision of Piers the Plowman”, was born and lived his early life in Colwall, just down the road from the priory. It’s thought that the scenes described in the story all relate to local landmarks, and the reference to “greedy sows” derives from a carving on a handrest on one of the monks’ stalls, of two pigs eating from a single large pot.
The medieval tiles were made at the tile factory at Great Malvern Priory.
Many thanks to Lyn Goodby for a very interesting talk on the priory. It’s a lovely church in a beautiful setting.
June Tilt purchased a copy of “Not the Least: The Story of Little Malvern” by Ronald Bryer, for our branch library.
Christmas cards featuring the priory are on sale - see Jane Tinklin.
If you want to send a donation to help restore the tower, your name will be entered in the records of Little Malvern Priory, to form part of an archive dating back to 1127. Send a cheque made payable to PCC Little Malvern Priory to PCC Tower Fund, 134 Longridge Road, Malvern, Worcestershire, WR14 4JJ.
Then it was on to Ledbury. Of course we were late for our guide! She proved to be a gem, with a very loud voice so none of us could fail to hear her, despite all the background bustle of Ledbury on a sunny Saturday afternoon. Liz Galvin took us round the medieval heart of the town. She runs a company called Tours Are Us, and was recommended to Pat by Ledbury Tourist Information.
We didn’t have time to browse on our own afterwards as tea was booked at a guest house a short drive away, with a medieval barn and oast house in its grounds. Wall Hills House is run by David Slaughter and his wife.
Thanks Pat for organising this outing and the speakers, who made the day. Perfect weather too!
Pam Benstead