nave Gloucester Cathedral
The magnificence of Gloucester, which only became a cathedral under Henry VIII, owes much to the courage of one man, Abbot Thoky. When Edward II was murdered at nearby Berkeley Castle in 1327, three other abbots refused to accept the king's remains, possibly because they disapproved of his reported "unnatural" lifestyle. Thoky accepted the body, risking the displeasure of Edward's many enemies.
Edward's son, Edward III, created an elaborate alabaster tomb for his father, one of the earliest important uses of alabaster in England. People started to visit the shrine, at first out of curiosity, but when miracles were reported at the tomb pilgrims started to visit pour in. And they brought money. Donations from pilgrims enabled the abbey to rebuild the Norman abbey church. The result is a fascinating blend of heavy Romanesque drum piers and perpendicular Gothic tracery.
nave Gloucester Cathedral
The magnificence of Gloucester, which only became a cathedral under Henry VIII, owes much to the courage of one man, Abbot Thoky. When Edward II was murdered at nearby Berkeley Castle in 1327, three other abbots refused to accept the king's remains, possibly because they disapproved of his reported "unnatural" lifestyle. Thoky accepted the body, risking the displeasure of Edward's many enemies.
Edward's son, Edward III, created an elaborate alabaster tomb for his father, one of the earliest important uses of alabaster in England. People started to visit the shrine, at first out of curiosity, but when miracles were reported at the tomb pilgrims started to visit pour in. And they brought money. Donations from pilgrims enabled the abbey to rebuild the Norman abbey church. The result is a fascinating blend of heavy Romanesque drum piers and perpendicular Gothic tracery.