If you tell the truth, you don't have to remember anything - Mark Twain
Tewkesbury is a mid-sized town (population ~ 20,000) approximately 30 miles from Hereford. Travelling by car is, by far, the quickest (~ 40 minutes) and most convenient means of getting there. It is possible to get a train (journey time 100 - 150 minutes) from Hereford to Ashchurch which is 3 miles from the centre of Tewkesbury. Alternatively, several buses/coaches run between these two locations with a change at Gloucester (travel time ~ 120 minutes).
Photo 1: Museum of the Moon at Tewkesbury Abbey (27th October 2025)
This inflated (helium) balloon is a 1:500,000 scale model of our nearest astronomical neighbour. The sphere can be lit internally though we only saw it in its non-illuminated form. An impressive piece of art. So impressive, in fact, that there are a few more pictures ...
Photo 2: Museum of the Moon
Photo 3: The Dark Side of the Moon
Photo 4: Museum of the Moon
While Tewkesbury Abbey does not have the status of a cathedral, its size and grandeur certainly put it on a par with other cathedrals. It is roughly the same size as Hereford Cathedral, the current church is slightly older (mostly built by 1121) than Hereford Cathedral (mostly built by 1140) and it features the largest Norman tower in existence. Tewkesbury Abbey is a former Benedictine monastery and, probably, the finest and best example of Norman architecture in Britain.
Photo 5: Approaching Tewkesbury Abbey
If you like stained glass windows, there is plenty to see here ...
Photo 6: Tewkesbury Abbey (October 2025)
Photo 7: Tewkesbury Abbey (October 2025)
Photo 8: Tewkesbury Abbey (October 2025)
Photo 9: Tewkesbury Abbey (October 2025)
Photo 10: Tewkesbury Abbey (October 2025)
Photo 11: Tewkesbury Abbey (October 2025)
Photo 12: Tewkesbury Abbey (October 2025)
Tewkesbury has a long history with many fine medieval and Tudor buildings (Photo 13) ...
Photo 13: The Berkeley Arms, Church Street, Tewkesbury
... and runs the largest free Medieval Festival in Europe where you can watch a re-enactment of the Battle of Tewkesbury (1471). We attended the festival a decade or so ago when we had a blacksmith student (Tom) who was also a re-enactor. An exciting (and somewhat noisy) day where you get to see all aspects of a medieval life. If you are the market for a new suit of armour, you could possibly find a supplier here!!
Tewkesbury, like Abergavenny, seems like a great place to live with plenty of activities and events. Lots of independent shops, a theatre and museum, and a nice atmosphere. The M5 motorway is close by with fast road links to London, Cardiff, Birmingham and beyond. As noted earlier, there is a railway station at Ashchurch, about 3 miles from the town centre. However, perhaps the biggest drawback arises from the location of Tewkesbury at the confluence of two rivers, the Severn and the Avon, and the enormous flooding risk this entails. Drone footage of the January 2024 floods is shown in Video 2.
Video 2: Tewkesbury Floods, January 2024
The floods of 2007 were the worst in recent times, partly because they occurred in July rather than the usual winter months.
Video 3: Tewkesbury Floods, July 2007
Before travelling home we thought we would visit the newly opened Cotswold Designer Outlet situated just outside Tewkesbury and close to the M5 motorway and Ashchurch railway station. This shopping centre is a clone of Bicester Village which we visited last year.
Photo 14: Cotswold Designer Outlet (October 2025)
They had made a bit of an effort for Halloween but the shopping experience seemed soulless albeit the staff were very friendly (and young). Not really our 'scene' so no purchases made either here or at Bicester village.
Photo 15: Cotswold Designer Outlet (October 2025)
Dobbies Garden Centre (Photo 16) is very close to the Cotswold Designer Outlet so we popped in for a cup of tea and a piece of cake before heading home.
Photo 16: Dobbies Garden Centre, Tewkesbury
Halloween hadn't even passed but Christmas was just around the corner!
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