Oxfordshire’s village of Ewelme is set to come alive this May with a celebration of one of its most remarkable historical figures. From 16–18th May, the Alyce Chaucer Festival will honour the woman whose legacy continues to shape the village today.
Alyce Chaucer, granddaughter of the famed poet Geoffrey Chaucer, left an indelible mark on Ewelme. In the 15th century, she funded the construction of the village’s beautiful church, almshouses, and school, each of which still stand and serve the community to this day.
Alyce’s magnificent alabaster tomb remains a centrepiece of the historic St Mary’s Church, drawing visitors from across the UK and beyond.
Throughout the festival, visitors will have the rare opportunity to step inside these original medieval buildings, which will be open to the public alongside a special exhibition detailing Alyce’s life and the medieval world she inhabited.
Alyce Chaucer Festival Itinerary (16–18th May 2025)
Location: Ewelme, South Oxfordshire, OX10 6PG
Friday 16 May – Opening Day
- 3:00 PM – Maypole Dancing: Watch Ewelme schoolchildren perform traditional Maypole dancing on the village green.
- 4:00 PM – Opening of the Exhibition: Explore Alyce’s life and times at the historic village school (OX10 6HU – free entry). Exhibition open all weekend.
- 6:00–7:30 PM – Concert of Medieval Music: Specialist medieval choir Fount & Origin perform in the Church of St Mary the Virgin. Tickets: £20 (Name checked at the door – no physical ticket required)
Saturday 17 May – Talks and History Day
- 9:30 AM – 6:00 PM – Exhibition Open in School (Free)
Marquee Programme (Ewelme Recreation Ground, OX10 6PG):
- 10:00–11:00 AM – Who was Alyce Chaucer? By Rowena Archer (Oxford Historian)
- 11:00–11:30 AM – Coffee Break
- 11:30 AM–12:30 PM – God’s House in Ewelmen By John Goodall (Country Life architectural editor)
- 12:30–1:30 PM – Benches, Books and Beatings: Life in a Medieval School By Professor Nicholas Orme FRHistS
- 1:30–2:30 PM – Lunch Break (Bring your own lunch or enjoy pizza, pancakes, tea and cakes on-site)
- 2:30–4:00 PM – Medieval Food and Farming: Talks by John Letts, Richard Fitch (Hampton Court cook), and Dr Simon Townley
- 4:00–4:30 PM – Tea Break
- 4:30–5:30 PM – Dressing the Part: Fashion and Identity in the 15th Century By Professor Maria Hayward FRHistS
Saturday Tickets for Marquee:
- In-person: £35
- Online: £20 (Recordings available to ticket holders for one month after the event)
Sunday 18 May – Storytelling, Legacy & Service
9:30 AM – 5:30 PM – Exhibition Open (Free)
Marquee Programme (Ewelme Recreation Ground, OX10 6PG):
- 10:00–11:00 AM – Alyce Chaucer: Weaving the Facts into Fiction By Christina Hardyment
- 11:00–11:45 AM – Alyce’s Tomb: Messages in Stone By John Goodall
- 12:00–1:30 PM – Commemorative Mass (Church of St Mary the Virgin) Featuring Fount & Origin singing the medieval Missa Caput. Free but registration required (spaces limited)
- 1:30–2:30 PM – Lunch Break
- 2:30–3:30 PM – Surviving Medicine in the Middle Ages By Professor Sir John Bell
- 3:30–4:00 PM – Tea Break
- 4:00–5:00 PM – Alyce’s Legacy and the Fall of the de la Pole Family: Panel discussion with Rowena Archer, John Goodall, Christina Hardyment, and Carol Sawbridge
Sunday Tickets:
- In-person: £30
- Online: £20 (Discounts available for combined Saturday & Sunday tickets)
Food & Refreshments
Bring your own lunch or enjoy:
- Fresh pizza and pancakes from JesseccoProsecco
- Tea, coffee and homemade cakes from the Friends of Ewelme School
Alyce Chaucer’s Enduring Influence in Ewelme
Festival organiser, Professor Robert Hazell, spoke of the village’s pride:
Ewelme is proud to honour Alyce Chaucer, who built our village school, almshouses and church. All three medieval buildings will be open to visitors throughout the festival. We are also proud to host a fascinating programme of talks by world experts about Alyce’s life and times. People are joining from as far away as California: you can attend online as well as in person’.
How to Get There
Ewelme is in South Oxfordshire, about halfway between Oxford (14 miles) and Reading (15 miles), and just 50 miles from London, making it easily accessible for visitors across the region.
By Car
- Postcode for parking: OX10 6PG (Recreation Ground, Ewelme)
- Parking location: Junction of The High Street and Parson’s Lane, with clear signs and friendly stewards on hand to guide you.
- What3Words location: ///tickling.supposed.mindset
Please allow extra time for parking and walking to the marquee: the talks on Saturday and Sunday start promptly at 10am. Tea and coffee will be available for early arrivals.
Getting to Ewelme by Public Transport
From Oxford
Take a train from Oxford Station to Cholsey Station (around 15 minutes). From Cholsey, you can take a taxi to Ewelme (approximately 10–15 minutes).
Alternatively, catch a bus (such as the Thames Travel X38/X39/X40 services towards Wallingford) and arrange a short taxi ride from Wallingford.
From Reading
From Reading Station, take a Great Western Railway train to Cholsey (around 20 minutes). From Cholsey, continue your journey by taxi to Ewelme.
Alternatively, you can take the River Rapids X39 or X40 bus service towards Wallingford and then take a local taxi.
Taxis
Local taxi firms are available from both Cholsey and Wallingford stations. It’s advisable to pre-book a taxi where possible, especially during busy festival times.
Tip: Public transport options to Ewelme are limited, especially on weekends. Always check live travel times on National Rail and Thames Travel websites in advance, and allow extra time if travelling by bus + taxi combination.
Historic Ewelme
You’d be forgiven for not having visited Ewelme before, perhaps favouring the more famous market-town neighbour. The 2011 census recorded the parish’s population as just 1,048, You may of heard of Cow Common (to the east) and likely Benson Airfield (to the west).
Just half a mile north of the ancient Icknield Way, an Iron Age trading route believed to be over 3,000 years old, Ewelme is set in the rolling Chiltern Hills, the picturesque village lies just 2.5 miles northeast of Wallingford, and around 14 miles from Oxford. With its ancient springs, medieval buildings, and charming commons, Ewelme is a place where history feels alive.
The village’s name comes from Ae-whylme, Old English meaning “waters whelming,” referring to the spring that rises nearby and feeds the Ewelme Brook. This natural water source once supported thriving watercress beds, providing local employment well into the 20th century.
The name Aewilme appears in Anglo-Saxon records from the 10th century, meaning a “spring”, a nod to the many natural springs flowing from the nearby Chiltern Hills. By the time of the Domesday Book in 1086, Ewelme was a small but established settlement, with a population of around 200.
The village gained prominence in the 15th century when Thomas Chaucer, son of poet Geoffrey Chaucer, made Ewelme his home. His daughter, Alyce Chaucer, later married into the powerful de la Pole family, leaving behind the remarkable medieval buildings we still see today.
Ewelme continued to play a role in national history during the Tudor era, attracting royal attention from King Henry VIII and Princess Elizabeth. Though its grand medieval manor was eventually lost, the village retained its character, later witnessing change again with the building of RAF Benson in the 1930s.
Today, Ewelme remains a quiet yet captivating place, perfect for visitors keen to explore centuries of English history amidst its beautiful countryside setting. Today, visitors to Ewelme can admire its remarkable heritage sites:
- St Mary’s Church, where Alyce Chaucer and her family are buried, featuring some of England’s finest medieval tombs.
- The medieval almshouses and school, still in operation centuries after Alyce founded them in 1437, making Ewelme School the oldest local authority school building still in use.
- The historic almshouse complex (The Two Chaplains and Thirteen Poor Men of Ewelme in the County of Oxford), originally established to support 13 poor men, which today continues as a charitable trust providing homes for local residents.
Alyce is rightly celebrated in the festival, both her and her father Thomas Chaucer (Speaker of the House of Commons and also buried at St Mary’s), both lived at Ewelme Palace as lords of the manor. She was married to William de la Pole, 1st Duke of Suffolk, and Lord Chamberlain of England and had estates in Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Hampshire and Wiltshire thanks to their profits from the East Anglian wool trade.
Ewelme’s deep ties to literary history are also notable: Jerome K. Jerome, author of Three Men in a Boat, lived near Ewelme and is buried in the parish churchyard. More recently, the village church was used as a filming location for the 2012 movie Les Misérables.
Beyond its history, Ewelme remains a beautiful village today, with a welcoming pub (The Shepherd’s Hut), a community-run village shop, and local events like the annual Chiltern Chase charity run.
For those living in Oxfordshire, the Alyce Chaucer Festival offers a unique opportunity to connect with a vibrant piece of local heritage. Ewelme’s historical treasures are some of the best-preserved examples of medieval architecture in the country, and the festival promises to offer fresh insights into a woman whose vision and philanthropy have echoed across the centuries.
Whether you’re a history enthusiast, a lover of architecture, or simply looking for an inspiring weekend, the festival will bring the past to life in one of Oxfordshire’s most picturesque villages.
For the full programme and ticket information, visit: alycechaucer.uk
