Our first in-person branch meeting for a long time, will take the form of a (mostly outdoors) visit to the ruins of Hailes Abbey, near Winchcombe in Gloucestershire (GL54 5PB). This was a c13th Cistercian monastery, founded by a younger son of King John. The adjoining Norman parish church contains extensive c12th wall painting.
We hope to meet there from 10.30am on Friday 1 October, to view the abbey site and the church, and stay for a bring-your-own picnic lunch. If you are able to join us, please let Robert Beattie know.
The abbey site is owned by the National Trust and managed by English Heritage, so members of either organisation will be admitted for free. The rest of us are invited to pay £7.60 (or £6.90 concession aged 65+) for admission. It would be nice to plan to leave a cash donation for the parish too. English Heritage currently operate timed entry slots. I am told it is probably not necessary to book in advance on a weekday, though it would be safer to do so. Slots cannot yet be booked beyond the end of September, but this should change soon: https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/hailes-abbey/prices-and-opening-times/
Today, Holy Cross Day (14 September), is a significant date in the abbey's history as it marks the 751st anniversary of the arrival at Hailes of a relic of the Holy Blood of Jesus, secured by its patron from among the (alleged) coronation regalia of Charlemagne. (You can read more about this in an article from last September: https://www.thetablet.co.uk/blogs/1/1588/the-reign-and-ruination-of-medieval-england-s-favourite-relic)