Tewkesbury
Tewkesbury (pronounced "tueks-bury" or sometimes locally as "chooks-bury") is a small market town in north Gloucestershire, approximately 11 mi (18 km) north of the city of Gloucester and 9 mi (14 km) north of Cheltenham. It is renowned for its medieval streetscape and large number of timber framed buildings.
Understand
Tewkesbury is a historic market town dating as far back as the 7th century when it was an Anglo-Saxon settlement named Theocsbury. However, the main attraction is the town's role in the Wars of the Roses. The Battle of Tewkesbury in 1471 was a turning point in the war, allowing the Yorkists to eventually succeed at placing their monarch on the English throne.
The town is proud of its medieval heritage and summer visitors will notice the many banners that many of the shops and residences put up around the time of the town's medieval festival.
Orientation
Tewkesbury isn't a large town, however it's large enough to be split into distinct areas.
High Street
The High Street stretches from the roundabout with the war memorial to the Mythe bridge. Most of the town's notable shops are on this street.
Barton Street
Barton Street connects Church Street to the A438 and has the town's police station. There aren't as many businesses on this street.
Walton Cardiff/Wheatpieces
Walton Cardiff is a mostly residential area built on flood plains south of the town. It has a small retail area with a Costcutter's convenience store, Tewkesbury Fryer fish & chips and Glory Garden Chinese takeaway.
Newtown
Newtown is east of the town. It's mostly a residential strip with The Canterbury (a pub with a large weeping willow tree), the town's secondary school and a few businesses.
Northway/Ashchurch
Much like Newtown, Northway is to the east of the town and is mostly residential. However it also home to the Northway Trading Estate, which provides much of the town's income.
Visitor information
Get in
By car
Tewkesbury is easily accessible from the M50, M5 and the A38, which is the main trunk road through the town. Visitors from South Wales should use the M50, and get off at Junction 1, following the A38 into Tewkesbury. Visitors from the North or South should use the M5 motorway and leave at Junction 9. Tewkesbury is approximately 2 miles (3.2 km) west of the junction and is well signposted from here.
By train
🌍 Ashchurch for Tewkesbury railway station (about 2 miles to the east of the town centre). The station has connections to Cardiff, Malvern and Yate among others. Although the line is busy, not many trains stop.
The number 41 and 42 bus service (see link below - use Northway, Steward Rd as a guide to times.) provides a regular service between Ashchurch for Tewkesbury station and Tewkesbury town centre. The bus stop is located less than 200 metres from the station on Northway Lane.
Alternatively, there are the Cheltenham Spa and Gloucester train stations nearby with connections to cities such as London Paddington, Birmingham New Street, Bristol and Cardiff.
By bus
Buses serve Tewkesbury from many neighbouring towns and cities.
There are regular services from Gloucester and Cheltenham and occasional services from Worcester.
71 – (Stagecoach): Gloucester → Twigworth → Norton → Coombe Hill → Walton Cardiff → Tewkesbury → Northway
41 – (Stagecoach): Cheltenham → Uckington → Tewkesbury (Gupshill Manor) → Tewkesbury (Roses Theatre) → Northway
42 – (Stagecoach): Cheltenham → Uckington → Walton Cardiff → Tewkesbury → Mitton or Ashchurch for Tewkesbury Rail Station
Bus services also link Tewkesbury with Ledbury, Pershore, Evesham, Upton upon Severn and Hereford. Tewkesbury Bus Timetables
By boat
Tewkesbury is located at the confluence of the River Severn and the River Avon (Shakespeare's Avon), both of which are navigable. Overnight moorings are available at Tewkesbury Marina and along the banks of the Avon in the town at a cost of £3 per night for up to 48 hours.
Get around
Tewkesbury is a fairly small town and very flat, and is therefore best explored on foot. The tourist board have placed a lot of grey signs, making it easy to find the location attractions. There are many cycle routes throughout the town, but no bicycle hire.
By car
Parking has been made more difficult in the town since the council extended the pavement on the High Street. The best free parking near the High Street is next to the Severn Ham, however it is often full especially on weekends.
If you don't mind paying there are plenty of pay and display car parks.
- Gloucester Road car park, Gloucester Road, GL20 5SW. Charging hours: 8AM-5:30PM. Up to 1 hour: £1, Up to 3 hours: £2, Over 3 hours: £4, Motorcycles are free.
- St Mary's Lane car park, St Mary's Lane, GL20 5RU. Charging hours: 8AM-5:30PM. Up to 1 hour: £1, Up to 3 hours: £2, Over 3 hours: £4, Motorcycles are free.
See
- 🌍 Tewkesbury Abbey (Abbey Church of St Mary the Virgin, Tewkesbury), Church Street, GL20 5RZ, ☏ +44 1684 850959, office@tewkesburyabbey.org.uk. A truly beautiful building that can hold up its head in the same county as the fabulous Gloucester Cathedral. The Abbey boasts the largest Norman church tower in existence measuring 14 metres square and 45 metres high. The Abbey used to be walled and surrounded by monasterial buildings such as the cloisters, chapter house, library, dormitories, stables, kitchens and many more. If you have the time, it's worth booking a tour as the abbey has a lot of stories to tell. Free admission, but donations recommended for upkeep.
- 🌍 The John Moore Countryside Museum, 41 Church Street, GL20 5SN, ☏ +44 1864 297174, curator@johnmooremuseum.org. Historic museum dedicated to naturalist and writer John Moore; that is only a few hundred yards away from Tewkesbury Abbey.
- The Merchant House. Also the home of a sister museum known as the Merchant House, which is designed to faithfully recreate a Tudor merchant's house as it would be in that period.
- 🌍 Old Baptist Chapel, 63 Church St, GL20 5RZ. Renovated meeting house. Adult: £3, Concessions: £2, Child over 5: £1.
- 🌍 Tewkesbury Borough Museum, 64 Barton Street, GL20 5PX, ☏ +44 1684 292901, info@tewkesburymuseum.org. M-F 1-4PM, Sa 11AM-4PM, Su 11AM-3PM. Housed inside a beautiful 17th-century building is a museum dedicated to Tewkesbury as whole, covering its history as a Roman settlement to the Second World War. It is well worth visiting if you want an overall history of the town, as many attractions like to focus heavily on the Battle of Tewkesbury alone. Free, but donations requested.
- 🌍 Tewkesbury Tourist Information & Heritage Centre (Tourist Office), 100 Church Street, GL20 5AB, ☏ +44 1684 855040, tewkesburytic@tewkesbury.gov.uk. M-Sa 10AM-4PM (Easter to October 31st). The town's tourist office and gift shop.
- 🌍 Abbey Mill, 3 St Mary's Road, GL20 5SB. Believed to stand on 12th-century foundations but it's likely there was a mill there much earlier. It has been converted to apartments. The fictional "Abel Fletcher's Mill" in Dinah Craik's novel John Halifax, Gentleman is based on this mill and the fictional town of "Norton Bury" is based on Tewkesbury.
- 🌍 The Severn Ham. An island to the west of the town created by the merging of the River Avon, Mill Avon and the River Severn. Best approached via Abbey Mill to appreciate some stunning medieval buildings. Walk along the Ham northwards towards the now disused Borough Mills (Healing Mills). Cross the Mill Avon via the footbridge to the town side of the Mill avon. Continue northwards appreciating the rear of the buildings. Cross the Avon Mill again at the mill. There are two bridges here: the flat one was for the railway. Continue northwards again, crossing the lock and finally to King Johns Bridge. This bridge was known until the nineteenth century as the long bridge. The causeway to the left as you climb the steps used to be marshy ground where the Avon flowed towards the Severn. Previously this was a simple wooden causeway. Although the stone bridge retains a mediaeval appearance, it has been much modified in recent centuries. When built it was probably only as wide as the pavement is now.
- Mill Avon. A man-made cut to supply the mills with water power. It isn't known when this cut was dug though it was certainly there before the monastery so could be a Saxon or even Roman.
- Streetscape and architecture. The mediaeval street plan with its many alleyways, courtyards and small sidestreets is virtually unchanged from its original layout and a high proportion of fine half timbered buildings remain. Abbey terrace in Church Street is of particular note. The town is built around three main streets High Street, Barton Street and Church Street. The other roads such as Oldbury Road and East street are of lesser interest to the visitor interested in the architecture of the town having been created and built on only after the enclosure of the common land known as the Oldbury after 1860. It's also worth looking up as you walk along the main streets look up especially at the building roofs. Often the frontage is of a very different age to the roof indicating that the building was refronted to the latest fashion.
Do
Walks
Join one of the guided tours to get the most out of your visit to Tewkesbury. Details available from the Tewkesbury Tourist Information Centre, Tewkesbury Museum and most hotels. Alternatively the official Visit Tewkesbury website has a page dedicated to walks in the area.
- 🌍 Bloody Meadow, Lincoln Green Ln, GL20 5TU. Follow the battle trail from the town to the location of the Battle of Tewkesbury during the War of The Roses in 1471. A map and guide to the battle is available from the Tewkesbury Tourist Information Centre.
- The Severn Way. The longest riverside walk in the UK passes through Tewkesbury. Following the Severn Way as far as Deerhurst is a very pleasant riverside walk and you will be rewarded with the 10th-century St Mary's Priory Church and 11th-century Odda's Chapel. Allow 2–3 hours for a round trip.
- 🌍 St Mary's Priory Church, Deerhurst, GL19 5TT, ☏ +44 117 975 0700.
- 🌍 Odda's Chapel, Deerhurst, GL19 4BX, ☏ +44 370 333 1181. 10AM-6PM. An Anglo-Saxon chapel built in 1056 by Earl Odda (related to the current king of the time, Edward the Confessor) to honour his fallen brother Aefric. The famous Odda Stone was replaced with a replica; the original can be found at the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford.
- Alley Walk. A fascinating walk along the remaining alleyways of Tewkesbury. A map of the alley trail is available from the Tourist Information Centre.
- Tewkesbury Town walk. Understand Tewkesbury's location and the importance of it to Tewkesbury's development. Learn how the changes to transport and industry shaped the changes to the town. Includes an understanding of why the alleys came to be built and what it was like to live in them and finally why many of the alley cottages were pulled down in the 1960s.
- Gloucestershire Way. This walk encompasses the best of the county of Gloucestershire. Starting in Chepstow, it follows a route through the Forest of Dean, Mayhill, Gloucester and the Cotswolds, ending in Tewkesbury.
Festivals
- Tewkesbury Food and Drink Festival is held on the Abbey grounds, with the next probably on 1-2 June 2024, tbc.
- Tewkesbury Medieval Festival is held on the Wars of the Roses battlefield and other locations in town in July. They re-create the battle of 1471, which apparently involved a lot of sci-fi ghouls, food stalls and merchandising - who knew?
- Tewkesbury Water Festival was in July, but hasn't been held post-covid.
- Tewkesbury Mop Fair was a medieval hiring fair, but it's now a street carnival with rides and performers in October.
Theatre
Tewkesbury's own Roses Theatre hosts many productions and also screens the occasional film. The theatre is perhaps best known for being the last venue for British comedian Eric Morecombe.
- 🌍 The Roses Theatre, Sun Street, GL20 5NX, ☏ +44 1684 295074, boxo@rosestheatre.org. The town's local theatre, it's run as a non-profit so a small donation is a pleasant courtesy. After the 2015 renovation, it also has a coffee shop Cotteswold Coffee and a concessions bar for drinks and ice-cream.
Buy
Tewkesbury has a varied high street with a good mix of independent local shops and well known high street chains.
- 🌍 Sweets & Treats, 107 High Street, GL20 5BH, ☏ +44 1684 299199. M-Sa 9:30AM-5:30PM, Su 11AM-5PM. A small traditional confectioner set in a small shop that provides a large variety of sweets in a jar which are usually sold for £1 per 100 grams (3.5 oz) into a bag. They also stock many international delicacies and 15 flavours of ice-cream in the summer.
- 🌍 Miss Muffet's Delicatessen (formerly AD1471), 101 Church St, GL20 5AB, ☏ +44 1684 291471. M-Th: 9am-3pm, F-Sa: 9am-4pm, Su: Closed. This local delicatessen specialises in the local Tewkesbury mustard among other things.
- 🌍 Cornell Books, The Wheatsheaf, 132 High St, GL20 5JR, ☏ +44 1684 293337. M-Sa 10:30AM-5PM, Su closed. Set in the remains of a former pub is an independent book shop selling a wide variety of 2nd hand books, both antique and modern. Particularly specialises in old Ordnance Survey maps. A list of their stock can be found on their AbeBooks page.
A market is also held in the Spring Gardens car park (just off Oldbury Road) every Wednesday and Saturday.
- 🌍 Tewkesbury Farmers' and Craft Market, Spring Gardens Car Park, Oldbury Road, GL20 5DN, ☏ +44 1608 652662. W and Sa only 9AM-3:30PM. Open-air market selling local crafts, meat, clothes and general bric-a-brac.
Occasionally the town hall hosts different market stalls selling local crafts and produce.
- 🌍 Town Hall, High St, GL20 5AL, ☏ +44 1684 294639.
The town has three supermarkets, a small Tesco Extra, an Aldi and a large Morrison's supermarket.
Eat
| “ | His wit’s as thick as Tewkesbury mustard. There's no more conceit in him than is in a mallet. | ” |
—Henry VI, Part 2, William Shakespeare | ||
- Tewkesbury mustard. Tewkesbury is home to its own type of mustard. It was even referenced as a simile in Shakespeare's Henry VI play. Several shops sell this condiment including the Heritage Centre and the delicatessen AD1471. Genuine Tewkesbury Mustard still produces mustard in the town.
Budget
Tewkesbury has a few places for eating on a budget; including takeaways, kebab shops and cheap cafes.
- 🌍 Morrison's Cafe, Ashchurch Rd, GL20 8AB, ☏ +44 1684 273261. Part of Morrison's supermarket, a cheap cafe.
- 🌍 Abbey Fryer, 69 Barton St, GL20 5PY, ☏ +44 1684 292365. A fish & chips takeaway.
- 🌍 Tewkesbury Fryer, 2 Columbine Rd, Walton Cardiff, GL20 7SP, ☏ +44 1684 290888. A fish & chips takeaway.
Mid-range
- 🌍 Gupshill Manor, Gloucester Road, GL20 5SG, ☏ +44 1684 292278. M-Sa 11AM-11PM, Su noon-10:30PM. Wonderful food in one of the older buildings in Tewkesbury. £10-15.
Drink
| “ | At the Hop Pole at Tewkesbury, they stopped to dine; upon which occasion there was more bottled ale, with some more Madeira, and some port besides; and here the case-bottle was replenished for the fourth time. Under the influence of these combined stimulants, Mr. Pickwick and Mr. Ben Allen fell fast asleep for thirty miles, while Bob and Mr. Weller sang duets in the dickey. | ” |
—The Pickwick Papers by Charles Dickens | ||
Tewkesbury has many pubs. Some of them however were turned into shops, but a sign on the window or inside the store itself will inform passers-by of the pub that used to stand there.
Tewkesbury's oldest and most famous pub Ye Olde Black Bear which reputedly dates back to 1308 fell into disrepair, was sold off and remains closed. Its counterpart The White Bear however remains open to customers. The residential area between them is appropriately named Twixtbears.
- 🌍 Hungry Horse (The Wheatpieces), 2 Clifford Avenue, Walton Cardiff, GL20 7RW, ☏ +44 1684 274420. Good selection of food and drink for those on a budget.
- 🌍 The Nottingham Arms, High St, GL20 5JU, ☏ +44 1684 276346. Considered a good place for a pint and some food.
- 🌍 The Bell Hotel, 52 Mill St, GL20 5SB, ☏ +44 8456 086040, TheBell.Tewkesbury@oldenglishinns.co.uk. Food is served from 11AM to 10PM. Directly opposite Tewkesbury Abbey is an inn dating back to 1696. It offers decent food and drink along with a traditional wood fireplace in the winter. There is also a rumour that there is a secret underground passage connecting to the abbey.
- 🌍 The Royal Hop Pole, 94 Church Street, GL20 5RS, ☏ +44 1684 278670. The local JD Wetherspoons pub, serving food and drink. The building, like much of Tewkesbury, is medieval and timber-framed with an array of beams holding it together. The pub was also mentioned in Charles Dickens' first novel The Pickwick Papers.
- 🌍 The White Bear, Bredon Rd, GL20 5BU, ☏ +44 1684 296614. Su-W 10AM-11PM, Th-Sa 10AM-midnight. The White Bear is the lesser-known of the two bear pubs and is one of the town's remaining free houses. The pub has won the CAMRA awards for Pub of the Year and Cider Pub of the Year 2018.
Sleep
Accommodation gets full around the Cheltenham Gold Cup in April.
Budget
- 🌍 Croft Farm, Bredons Hardwick, GL20 7EE, ☏ +44 1684 772321. Caravan park with a small lake offering watersport activities such as windsurfing, canoeing and sailing.
Mid-range
- 🌍 The Royal Hop Pole, 94 Church St, GL20 5RS, ☏ +44 1684 274039. The Royal Hope Pole is also a hotel. Between £49-76 per night.
- The Bell Hotel, 52 Mill St, GL20 5SB, ☏ +44 8456 086040, TheBell.Tewkesbury@oldenglishinns.co.uk. Food is served from 11AM to 10PM. Directly opposite Tewkesbury Abbey is a inn dating back to 1696. It offers decent food and drink along with a traditional wood fireplace in the winter. There is also a rumour that there is a secret underground passage connecting it to the abbey. From £52-72 per night.
- 🌍 Tudor House Hotel, High Street, GL20 5BH, ☏ +44 1684 297755, tudorhouse@relaxinnz.co.uk. Check-in: M–Sa 2-10PM, Su 2-8PM. A 3-star hotel and another good place to stop to drink and eat. The outside appearance is rather strange, the timberwork seeming to have little structural use and is in fact timber cladding added in the 1890s. Underneath though is a sixteenth-century building. The door into the secret garden retains the axemarks where soldiers tried to break in during the civil wars. There is a priest's hole in the Mayor's Parlour. From £59-73 per night.
Splurge
- 🌍 Tewkesbury Park Hotel, Lincoln Green Lane, GL20 7DN, ☏ +44 1684 272300, enquiries@tewkesburypark.co.uk. Family-run 3-star hotel with extensive golf course and spa facilities. Similar to Puckrup but within walking distance of the town centre. From £110-315 per night..
- 🌍 Hilton Puckrup Hall, Puckrup, GL20 6EL (on the A38 north of town, south of the M50), ☏ +44 1684 296200, events.tewkesbury@hilton.com. Set on a golf course a couple of miles north of Tewkesbury. £99-200.
- 🌍 Corse Lawn House, Eldersfield GL19 4LZ (5 miles SW of town on B4211), ☏ +44 1452 780771. Lovely country hotel in Queen Anne mansion. B&B double from £110.
Connect
As of July 2022, Tewkesbury has 4G from all UK carriers. 5G has not reached town.
Go next
Map of places with Wikivoyage articles nearby
- Cheltenham – 10 mi (16 km) south of Tewkesbury. A historic spa town known for its festivals.
- Gloucester – 12.5 mi (20.1 km) south of Tewkesbury. County capital and known for its historic dockyards and cathedral.
- Worcester – 17 mi (27 km) north of Tewkesbury. Historic city, county capital of Worcestershire and home of the famous Worcestershire sauce.
| Routes through Tewkesbury |
| Birmingham ← Worcester ← | N S | → Cheltenham/Gloucester → Bristol |
| Cardiff ← Ross-on-Wye ← | SW NE | → merges with |
| Worcester ← Upton-upon-Severn ← | N S | → Gloucester |
| END ← | W NE | → Evesham → Warwick |
| Hereford ← Ledbury ← | W E | → END |