Tewkesbury

Here in Tewkesbury you will see one of the best medievalblack and white townscapes in England with its fine half-timbered buildings, elaborately carved doorways andcharming narrow alleyways where the eaves of crookedtimber buildings nearly touch. It is an ancient settlement atthe meeting of the rivers Severn and Avon. The surroundingrivers and flood plain have prevented the old town fromexpanding so that its long, thin profile has hardly alteredsince the Middle Ages. Most of the old town lies within theTewkesbury Conservation Area and over 350 of the buildings are listed as being of special architectural or historic interest. These trails are generally flat and pick out the most interesting parts of the town.

Tewkesbury Alleyways Trail - Trail 1Follow the green trail marked on the map

Alleyways began to appear towards the end of the 17thcentury due to increased pressure for housing and restricted land supply. They were built at right angles to thestreet and as the original plots were very narrow, the lackof floor space was compensated for in height, often 3 or 4storeys. Courts appeared where changes of ownershipcaused the alleys to turn back upon themselves forming asquare.

The alleyways acted as drains andrubbish dumps and were the onlysource of light and air for manyhouseholds. These unhealthy filthyconditions reached a peak in the19th century when cholera and diphtheria were rife. As you walkalong the alleys and courts try toimagine the cramped and putridconditions of life in the 18th and 19thcenturies.

Tewkesbury is remarkable in the number of alleywayswhich lead from the main streets of the town. Originallythere were about 90 alleyways, but today only 30 remain.Many are named after the families who used to live in andowned the property.

StartMachine CourtNotice the re-development which

echoes the line of the old alley. Here, one of the cottageswas reputed to have housed 30 people in the attic!Continue up the High Street and turn left down Quay Street.Take the first right at the river and follow until you reach

Clark’s AlleyNotice the raised stepping bricks. In thewall to the left can be seen vertical divisions in the brickwork which denote the width of the old cottages.Follow Clark's Alley and at the end, cross the road and turnright. Continue down the High Street towards the crossuntil you reach

Eagles AlleyTurn downthe alley and look at the rearof the High Street buildings -notice the signs 'AncientLights' on the wall and'Commit No Nuisance' justunder the arch. As you continue along the HighStreet notice the hardwareshop where Malverns Alley is still intact in the storeroombehind the shop. Further along the High Street are theremains of

Old Post Office AlleyThere was a Post Office here until1840. Continue along the High Street to

Walls CourtPause justinside the entrance and feelhow cold and damp thiswould have been. Notice theTudor work in the arch abovethe entrance. Continue alongthe High Street until youreach the cross. Turn left onto Barton Street. Walk alongBarton Street noticing thecarved woodwork above theentrance to the private alley(No. 22). Cross Barton Street,walk back towards the crossand pause at the entrance to

Yarnell’s AlleyLook down at the stone blocks at thebase of the timber - designed to prevent the timber fromrotting. Stand inside the entrance and imagine how darkand dismal the alley would have been in the 17th and 18thcenturies. Continue along Barton Street. Turn left andcontinue down

Fish AlleyThis was originally known as WorkhouseAlley. Towards the centre of the alley in the wall to theright, you may notice a change in the brickwork height -this denotes the original positions of the alleyways threepublic toilets. Emerge on to Swilgate Road and turn right.Turn right into

Hughes AlleyNotice the bend inthe alley designed specifically toprevent the tunnelling effect of thewind. Turn left along Barton Streetand walk down

Fletcher's AlleyStop at the exitwith Barton Street, turn and look upat the late Victorian arch which isthe only one of its kind remaining inthe town. Mr Fletcher, a whitesmithand gunsmith lived on the front street. Turn right and continue along Swilgate Road and turn right down

Lilley's AlleyThis alleycontains many fine examplesof half-timbered buildings oneof which is 'Claypipes', adelightful house which hasbeen made from two cottages. Emerge on toChurch Street and cross atthe pedestrian crossing, turnleft and continue downChurch Street and wanderdown Turner's Court

(Overleaf)

Turner’s Court Notice the blue paving bricks whichdenote a public right of way. The wall of the entranceto the right dates from no later than the 15th century.The court is named after Mr Turner, a stocking weaver.Records of him and his family can be seen on a tomb inthe Old Baptist Chapel Burial Ground. Come back outof Turner's Court, turn right and continue along thestreet until you reach

Old Baptist Chapel Court (see also Heritage Trail)This was bought bythe Borough Councilin 1976 and has subsequently beenrestored. As youlook through thenarrow entrance,the full length of thecourt, some 57metres can be seen.The Court houseswhat is probably thefirst Baptist Chapelto have existed insouthern England which is open to the public. At theend of the court is the burial ground. Notice the gravestones of the Shakespeare family. Walk to theend of the burial ground and look out over the view ofthe Mill Avon and the Ham Water Meadow. Walk backalong the Court, noticing the possible pieces of gravestone amongst the paving. On the right, oppositethe Chapel, notice the raised floor level of the buildingwhich is the Old Malthouse. The raised floor denotes aspace below in which fires were burnt to heat the malt.Come back out of Old Baptist Chapel Court and turnright, continue along Church Street and to completethe trail look along

Chandler’s Court (Private) Note the buildings eitherside which are 16th and 17th century.

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Designed & produced by Tewkesbury BoroughCouncil. Whilst every care has been taken compilingthis leaflet and statements herein are believed to be correct at the time of publication, the BoroughCouncil are not liable for any errors or ommissions.

By road - the area is well served by the M5 toBirmingham, the North and the South West; by the M4 toLondon and the M50 to South Wales. Nearby are the M40and the M42.

By rail - there are stations at Ashchurch (Tewkesbury),Evesham, Cheltenham & Gloucester.

Location

www.visittewkesbury.info

Tewkesbury Tourist Information CentreVisit us in our new location on the groundfloor at Out of The Hat, 100 Church Street

Open Mon - Sat 9.30am - 5pmSunday (Easter - October) 10am - 4pm

Local and national accommodation bookingLocal attraction and event information

Tickets for local events and National ExpressMaps, guides, gifts and souvenirs

Local transport informationWalking and cycling route information

Tel 01684 855040

tewkesburytic@tewkesbury.gov.ukwww.visittewkesbury.info

HISTORIC TEWKESBURYAlleyways and Heritage Trails‘an ancient settlement whose profile has hardly altered since the Middle Ages...’

Heritage Trail - Trail 2Follow the red trail marked on the map

StartOut of the Hat This superbly

restored listed building is now hometo Tewkesbury's Tourist InformationCentre and innovative HeritageCentre on the two floors above. Thebest way to begin your exploration ofthis lovely market town is with a visitto Out of the Hat.

From the outside you can see the Beadles hat, an example ofan early 19th century trade sign, used in the times before mostpeople were able to read. If you look closely at the door of 100Church Street, you can see the initials BKR and the date 1664on the doorhead which refer to Bartholomew and KatherineRead. The date refers to when the building was refronted inthe 17th century. Make sure you go inside and learn about thetown before you start your heritage trail.

The Royal Hop Pole (now Wetherspoon)This was one of Tewkesbury's coachinginns. The reception area was once a largedouble gated coach driveway givingaccess to the yard and stables. The RoyalArms are shown on the top of the porticoand Queen Mary stayed at the hotel in1930. In another of Tewkesbury's literary associations, a plaque on the wall informs

us that Mr Pickwick, (The Pickwick Papers by CharlesDickens) dined here and had a thoroughly enjoyable time.

No. 66 Church Street An example of a recently restored timber-framed building which hasbeen dated by analysis of tree ringsto 1475. The outside has beenredecorated in a traditional limewash whilst the interior retainsthe original ceiling decoration.

The Old Baptist Chapel (seealso Alleyway's Trail) Originally a family dwelling thebuilding was adapted into aplace of worship in the beliefthat religion should be centredon the family and home asopposed to the monumentalchurches and rather impersonalclergy. It is believed to be one of

the first small Baptist chapels in southern England and was inuse as a chapel until 1805.

Abbey Lawn Cottages & John Moore Museum This rowwas built in the late 15th centuryfor the Benedictine Monastery asa commercial venture and consisted of shops which wereopened to the street by loweringtheir shutters to act as counters.The John Moore Museum andthe Merchant's House also formpart of this row. John Moore wasa local author of books on the area, ("Portrait of Elmbury") andalso a broadcaster, and within the museum there is a naturalhistory collection which honours his work.

Town Museum Housed in a fine17th century half timbered building,the museum celebrates the culturalhistory of the Tewkesbury region fromthe Stone Age to present day. A spectacular model vividly illustratesthe medieval battle of Tewksbury andthe colourful fair models celebrateTewkesbury as a centre for the manufacture of fairground attractions.

The Wheatsheaf Once an important inn, the shape of thebuilding is reminiscent of the stern of the ship.

The Olde Black BearThe present building dates fromthe early 16th century, but therewas probably a pub on the site hundreds of years before that.Shakespeare is said to have performed here with a travellingtroupe.

Healing’s Mill AVictorian steam poweredroller corn mill built in 1869by Samuel Healing. At onetime grain from America andCanada was transportedfrom the docks at theAvonmouth or Sharpnesscanals by the firm's barges.

Abbey Mill The foundations of the Mill are believed to dateback to the late 12th century when the Avon was diverted into thetown to power the corn mill of the Benedictine Monastery. Thepresent building is late 18th century and was in use as a mill until1933. It was Abel Fletcher’s Mill in "John Halifax, Gentlemen". Thetimber framed cottages at the corner date from the 16th centuryand were once Abbey property. At the other side of the Mill is theentrance to the peaceful Victoria Gardens.

The Bell Hotel Built around1696, it probably stands on the site of themonastic hostelry within the Abbey precincts.In the novel "John Halifax, Gentlemen" by MrsCraik, The Bell features as the house of thewealthy tanner Abel Fletcher.

Abbot’s Gateway Just up from the wonderful Abbey you will pass the Abbots House, it is one of the few Cotswoldstone-built domestic buildings remaining in the town today.

The Abbey The building wasfounded in 1087 and was consecrated in 1121. Inside are massive Norman pillars and the central Norman tower is said to beone of the finest in the world. TheAbbey has many splendid tombs andchantries of the medieval baronage, some of whom weregreat benefactors of the Abbey. During the dissolution ofthe monastries the town's people, to their eternal credit,purchased the Abbey from Henry VIII for the sum of £453,the value of the lead on its roof and the metal of the bells.

To the south of the Abbey are the fields which, in 1471, saw the penultimate anddecisive battle between the houses of York and Lancaster. The Lancastrian armywas routed and many drowned in their attempt to cross the river. Many survivorswere executed at the site now occupied by The Cross in the centre of the townand adjacent to Out of the Hat.

A footbridge links the town with the Ham, (a water meadowbetween the rivers). A walk around the Ham allows you tosee the confluence of rivers and also affords glimpses of thejumbled rooftops of the old town. Adjacent to Healings Mill,note the cast iron bridge of 1822. North of the Mill are theAvon Lock and King John's Bridge, built in 1197.

The Town Hall Of classical proportions, this is one of the fewbuildings in the town built of stone.The town's corn market was heldhere in the late 18th century. Thefrontage onto the street dates fromthe mid 19th century when the market was also roofed over.

The House of the Nodding Gables Alsoknown as the house of the Golden Key, thisused to be the ticket office for travellers onstage coaches. It was an ironmonger'sshop at one time, hence the key outside.The "nodding gables" caused by the brokenridge piece of the top storey lend the building a top-heavy appearance.

The Cross House One of thefinest houses in Tewkesbury. Ithas a magnificent entrance hall,Elizabethan panelled rooms and afine staircase. It is believed tohave been at one time the CourtHouse of the Lords ofTewkesbury. Notice the doorwaycarving.

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The Town Museum

The Wheatsheaf

The Golden Key

The Bell Hotel

Out of the Hat

Abbey Lawn Cottages

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Healing’s Mill

The Olde Black Bear

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Footbridge link with the Ham

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Plaque at The Royal

Hop Pole

The Old Baptist Chapel

Abbey Mill

Abbot’s Gateway

The Cross House

The Town Hall

Tewkesbury Alleyways& Heritage Trails

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66 Church Street

The Abbey