Tewkesbury a historic Cotswold town


This week we headed up the M5 to Tewkesbury a small Gloucestershire town close to the River Severn on the western edge of the Cotswolds.  The town was the site of a decisive battle in the wars of the Roses. It has a magnificent Norman abbey and a remarkably well-preserved old town full of black and white half-timbered houses with overhanging upper storeys.

Tewkesbury is situated at the place where the River Avon (of Stratford on Avon fame not the Bristol Avon) meets the Severn. The whole area is liable to serious flooding but the main town including the abbey is on a patch of higher ground. The flat water meadows known as the ham in front of the abbey were once used for horse racing before Cheltenham racecourse was opened.

The Norman tower of Tewkesbury abbey #Tewkesbury
Tewkesbury abbey

The Abbey

We had been given instructions to meet at the abbey which we interpreted as the tearoom where we found they were serving delicious cakes. After a pitstop, we took the time to explore the abbey itself. The choir was rehearsing for an event in the three choirs festival which takes place each year between Gloucester Cathedral, Worcester Cathedral and Hereford Cathedral.  The abbey was founded by the Benedictines in the 12th century and has a particularly fine Norman tower. Stone was brought over from Caen in Normandy and floated up the Severn.  I particularly admired the beautiful painted ceiling.  The building survived the reformation as the townspeople were able to buy it for £453.00 and it became the parish church.

The magnificent ceiling with blue and red paint. #Tewkesbury Abbey
Part of the ceiling

The battlefield trail

As befits members of a history walking group we braved the rain to walk the battlefield trail. Although very little evidence of the 1471 battle where the Lancastrian Henry VI’s supporters led by his son Edward the prince of Wales took on the Yorkist army led by Edward IV remains. The trail is well illustrated by panels which give details of the fighting and enabled us to see where Prince Edward’s army which was badly equipped was ambushed after charging down the hill.  Edward the Prince of Wales who was only seventeen was killed and is buried in the abbey. His Mother Margaret who had been watching the battle from a hill managed to escape across the Severn but his father King Henry VI who was a prisoner in the tower was killed shortly afterwards.  The Lancastrians never regained the throne. Margaret was ransomed by the French king and lived in France for the rest of her life. The victorious King Edward IV strengthened the Yorkist claim to the throne. His soldiers pursued some of the Lancastrian soldiers into the abbey where they had sought sanctuary and killed them. 

Each July enthusiasts stage a re-enactment of the battle as part of a medieval festival. Participants dress in period costume and families can spend two days living in a medieval camp with entertainment from jugglers, jesters, dancers and musicians. Ale and cider flow in the beer tent.

1491 in Topiary, the date of the battle

Bill and I had a good lunch at the Royal Hop Pole though not as good as the characters in Charles Dickens’s novel, the Pickwick papers as we had to drive home. It became the Royal Hop Pole after a visit by Princess Mary of Tec and was once an important coaching inn.

Plack showing characters from the HopPole dined rather well in Pickwick papers
This was before breathalisers

The old town

After lunch, we explored the short walk alongside the canal and admired the old townhouses.  Tewkesbury claims to be a medieval town but at first, looking at all the Tudor half-timbered shop fronts I was slightly skeptical. However, we could see that behind the facades many of the buildings were medieval. Narrow alleyways stretch behind the shops. There were originally 90 alleyways and 30 still remain. Each summer shops and businesses display colourful hand painted banners. Each one depicts the standard of one of the soldiers known to have fought at the battle of Tewkesbury.

A narrow alleyway with a white washed timbered building.
One of the alleyways showing the narrow medieval street
The half timbered Lloyds bank building #Tewkesbury
The Lloyds bank building with a typical Tudor half-timbered frame

If you want to find out more here is a link to the Tewkesbury visitor site. You can find details of self-guided walking tours and also guided tours and museums. The tourist office is situated in a Tudor merchant’s house on the High Street which has been partly restored to show what life would have been like 400 years ago.  The John More Museum further down the High Street includes one of the earliest Baptist Churches.

I am hoping to explore more of the Cotswolds now we are free to travel again.  For keen photographers the small towns and villages provide lots of instagram worthy viewpoints.

As usual, I would also love to hear your comments. Don’t be shy.


10 responses to “Tewkesbury a historic Cotswold town”

  1. What a great tour of Tewkesbury! Thanks so much for linking up at the #BloggingGrandmothersLinkParty 40!

  2. Thanks so much for linking up at the #BloggingGrandmothersLinkParty 40!

  3. I’m only 25 minutes out from Tewkesbury, yet I’ve still not been to the Abbey. I visited for a few hours a couple of weeks ago as I’ve only been on a handful of occasions, and it was very pleasant and quite relaxed. Love the post, it’s made me want to go back and check out places I’ve not seen there yet, including the trail!
    Caz xx

  4. Tewksbury does look an interesting place to explore. I travelled around the Cotswolds last year but didn’t visit Tewksbury. I love the look of the old town

    • It is a corner of Britain that the Victorian developers missed. Tewkesbury was not on a major road and does not have a railway station.