A true architectural and historical treasure in the midst of the Malvern Hills, well worth a long detour on the way to or from Gloucester or Worcester. Founded in 1085 by Bishop (Saint) Wulfstan as a Benedictine priory church of Worcester Abbey but on land given to Westminster Abbey by Edward The Cofesssor, the priory was regularly the centre of conflict between the two abbeys. The Norman Romanesque columns are still visible along the nave below the mid to late 15th Century perpendicular Clerestory windows. The Perpendicular Chancel and sanctuary display some of the oldest and best mediaeval stained glass in England. The Priory was dissolved in 1539 when the Lady Chapel, Cloisters, South Transept and monks' quarters were destroyed, despite the intervention of Hugh Latimer, Bishop of Worcester, who was leter burned by Queen Mary. 74 tons of lead were removed. The Priory church was saved only by its purchase for £20 by the families in the parish.
