Abbey House

Abbey House is a vicarage and former abbot's lodging or guest house at Tewkesbury Abbey. The building is medieval in origin, with major restructuring in the early 16th century, the south front refaced in the late 18th century, and further alterations and extensions in the late 19th century and 1966.

The structure is built of timber-frame, coursed and random lias stone, and Flemish bond brickwork, with a tile roof. The plan consists of a long two-storey building of one-room depth beneath a simple gabled roof, with a one-storey framed addition at the south end. The central hall is flanked by two rooms to the east and one to the west; the upper floor probably dates from the early 16th century and likely superseded an earlier open hall.

The entrance front faces south and has a rubble ground floor with Guiting stone quoins and a brick upper level containing 2+5 windows, all of which are twelve-pane sashes of the late 18th century with tumbled brick voussoirs. The ground-floor windows are deeper and positioned close to ground level. A small gabled dormer sits at the eaves to the left. In the second bay is a six-panel flush door beneath a plain transom-light set in a pilaster doorcase, surmounted by a large flat hood on consoles and brackets. To the left is a low late 19th-century framed extension. The return gable features a large 17th-century brick stack set in part-framed wall with brick skin. The right return displays close-stud framing, a brick stack, and sections of stone and brick walling. A lean-to addition stands behind the north parapet wall.

The north front, facing Abbey Churchyard, is built of lias stone in two storeys with irregular fenestration including several two-light stone mullioned or mullion-and-transom casements. Beyond the medieval fabric on the left, a full-height parapet wall contains four small casements and a plank door. The main section features a canted stone oriel dating to the period of Abbot Beoly (1509–1531), with transom and cusped lights above a plain band decorated with coats of arms and a damaged rebus, carried on a moulded bracket above an uncusped casement. To the right is a large projecting stack with offset and corbel, cropped above the eaves and retaining a short section of original bold crenellation. A further small stack rises above the continuous moulded stone eaves course.

The interior contains a former screens passage with a stone flag floor and a 20th-century staircase that partly conceals a four-centred arch in the north (churchyard) wall, flanked by close-studded framed 16th-century partitions rising through the full height. To the right is a three-bay lofty hall with a four-centred stone fireplace, two transverse beams, a six-compartment ceiling, and a pair of posts not built into the wall, standing on bases with haunched heads above roll stops. A small two-light stone window with pointed heads is located at the screens end. The chamber adjoining to the east has a four-compartment ceiling. All sashes are fitted with shutters and linings. The upper hall has been partitioned to provide a corridor but retains a good stone four-centred arch fireplace and a six-compartment ceiling to moulded beams in three bays with diagonal ribs. At the east end of the corridor is a fielded-panel 18th-century quadrant cupboard. The oriel contains original decorative vaulting with two pendants and now serves as a private chapel. The central roof space spans five bays with heavy principals fitted with spurs to curved props and a 'king post' stopped to the upper collar. The roof contains mostly early rafters and two purlins.

Despite modifications, Abbey House retains considerable important early fabric and has been carefully restored in the late 20th century.