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Pershore Abbey
	Pershore Abbey
	; Pershore Abbey
Denomination	Church of England
Churchmanship	Broad Church
Website	www.pershoreabbey.org.uk
History
Dedication	Holy Cross
	Administration
Parish	Pershore
Diocese	Worcester
Province	Canterbury
	Clergy
Vicar(s)	Revd Kenneth Crawford

Pershore Abbey, at Pershore in Worcestershire, was an Anglo-Saxon abbey and is now an Anglican parish church.

[edit] History

Between AD 681 and 689, King Æthelred of Mercia gave estates at Pershore to the Bishop of Worcester for the purposes of establishing a monastery. A monastic community was established at Pershore by 689.

The Abbey came under the Benedictine rule in about the 10th century. It was originally dedicated to Saint Mary the Virgin, Saint Peter and Saint Paul, and later to Saint Mary and Saint Eadburga. The main building was begun in about 1100. The abbey was dissolved in 1539. A monk of Pershore, named Richard Beerely, was one of those who gave evidence to Thomas Cromwell about the misbehaviour of some of his brothers, writing that "Monckes drynk an bowll after collacyon tell ten or xii of the clock, and cum to mattens as dronck as myss, and sume at cardes, sume at dyss."

The abbey church remained in use as a parish church. When the north transept collapsed in 1686, a wall was built in its place. Further alterations were carried out, including a restoration by George Gilbert Scott in 1852.

In 1913, two western buttresses were added to replace the support from the missing portion of the building.

[edit] Current structure and features

The church as it now stands represents only a small portion of the original building.

Pershore Abbey has a 25 cwt ring of eight bells. The ringing room is a metal 'cage' suspended high above the chancel crossing; it is accessed by means of two stone spiral staircases, a walkway through the roof, a squeeze through a narrow passage and a see-through iron staircase.

[edit] Organ

A three manual organ built by Nicholson of Malvern in 1872, was removed several years ago and replaced with a Bradford electronic organ. There are currently no plans to re-install a pipe organ at Pershore Abbey. The Nicholson was restored twice by J. W. Walker & Sons Ltd in 1940 and 1971. A specification of the organ can be found on the National Pipe Organ Register.

[edit] List of Organists and Masters of Music

Charles Tovey
Edred Martin Chaundy 1898–1899 (formerly of Enniskillen Parish Church, afterwards Holy Trinity Church, Stroud and Armagh Cathedral)
Frank Alfred Charles Mason 1900–ca.1921^[1]
Rodney Clifford Baldwyn 1951–1981
Ian Gerrard 1993–2003
Sheila Joynes 2003–2004
Mike Pegg 2004–2005
David Barclay 2005–2007
Alex Crawford 2007–2008
Mike Pegg 2009–