The Cotswolds: Tewkesbury

 

Unlike the small villages I visited elsewhere in the Cotswolds, Tewkesbury is a busy town and there were throngs of shoppers on the high street during my Saturday visit.

Tewkesbury is renowned for its medieval black and white buildings, as will quickly become obvious from my photographs.

It’s an ancient settlement founded at the meeting of the Severn and Avon rivers.

The location must have made it ideal for shipping goods by water, as indicated by the large warehouses beside the river.

The canal boats point to the rivers’ popularity for recreational cruising nowadays.

My primary reason for going to Tewkesbury was to visit Tewkesbury Abbey.

Tewkesbury Abbey was founded in 1087 and building commenced in 1102.

The ribs of the roof are decorated with an outstanding array of ornately carved stone bosses. I can see why one person told me I should lie on the floor to admire it as there is so much detail.

The ceiling is also brightly coloured and there is a lovely tiled floor above the altar.

While at the Abbey, I followed the Green Man trail, looking for the carvings surrounded by foliage that were located all over the ceiling and pillars as well as on the central gate. Green Men are regarded by some as a fertility symbol, a carryover from earlier pagan religions. Others believe they represent Lust, one of the seven deadly sins. They fascinate me as they are such a direct link between humans and the natural world.

I had a lovely lunch at The Bell Hotel and enjoyed my wander around the town.