Alcester Abbey

Alcester Abbey was a Benedictine monastery founded in 1138 by the Botellers of Oversley in Warwickshire. It held many endowments, including the Chapel of St James and St Peter in Shaftesbury, Dorset. The manor of Blynfield in St James parish was also part of its holdings. Other churches and estates belonged to the abbey as well. The monastery was a centre of local religious life for centuries. Richard Tutbury served as its last prior from 1459 until 1466. In 1467 it was annexed by Evesham Abbey, which appointed a prior from its own monks. Ownership later passed to Thomas Cromwell in 1536. Very little of the original site remains today. Visitors can still trace the abbey’s outline in the landscape around Alcester. A few earthworks mark where buildings once stood. The site sits quietly near the town centre. It offers a quiet place to reflect on its long history. The surrounding streets recall the abbey’s past importance.