04/06/2023
I did a walk around Tewkesbury Abbey this morning. A place I haven’t been for years and found this stunning example of fan vault.this one was restored in the 19th century, copied from the cloister of Gloucester Cathedral. The cloister would have originally comprised four walkways covered with vaulting of similar design, enclosing a garden. Next to it, you can notice the limestone was pink which is usually the evidence of a fire damage. Most of the abbey is built with honey-coloured Caen stone imported from Normandy and shipped up the River Severn Caen stone is a limestone very similar in colour and characteristics to local Cotswold stone. The abbey has suffered a number of fires in its 900-year history - and this type of limestone turns pink in colour when exposed to very high temperatures.
