A DAY OF TWO HALVES AND A BBQ, THURSDAY 29th OCT.

30 Oct
Four Pheasants on the fence – viewed from the bedroom window.

Tom and Dan took the boys to a local fishery for some angling practice, Vickie and Nelly took the girls to Tewkesbury and Hannah,Barbara and I decided to revisit nearby Tewkesbury too,as we had happy memories of Motorhome stays and rambles there.

Tewkesbury Abbey
Lying at the southern edge of the old town, the Abbey quietly dominates the land and skyline with its long nave and “probably the largest and finest Romanesque tower in England” (Pevsner).

We left the Abbey to”Saunter along the streets and waterways of one of England’s best preserved medieval towns, Tewkesbury!”

Some original buildings still standing between the shops on the High Street.
There are 350 listed buildings of special architectural and historical interest today, many of them timber-framed Tudor houses. 
The Town Hall

Royal Hop Pole Hotel, the traditional coaching inn that appears in Charles Dickens’ ‘Pickwick Papers’ – Now a “Spoons”!
Tewkesbury once was home to 101 pubs.

 A now deserted and almost derelict 19th century flour mill which, when built, was one of the most advanced in the world
These old industrial building are found on this stretch of water.
Back of Avon is a historic, highly picturesque riverside street and lane located in Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire. Running directly parallel to the High Street and the Mill Avon (a branch of the River Avon diverted by 12th-century monks), it serves as a prominent reminder of the town’s rich maritime, industrial, and medieval past.
Walking through some of the rabbit warren of alleyways which run throughout the town. No relation to W S. This site .
This info.board did not include a traditional, locally made confection.

Tewkesbury mustard balls are a historic 17th-century English staple condiment made from a fiery blend of mustard flour and grated horseradish root. Originating in Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire, the ingredients were pounded together, shaped into balls (or “pills”), and thoroughly dried so they could be preserved and easily transported. 
A traditional water meadow, home to rare and endangered plants and birds.
We crossed the bridge and found ourselves by another kind of watering hole.

The inn’s past is woven into local folklore. It once served as a toll-house for St John’s Bridge and acted as a makeshift hospital during the Wars of the Roses. Rumours persist of a legendary hidden medieval tunnel connecting its historic cellars straight to Tewkesbury Abbey. It’s also reputedly haunted by an old lady dressed in black who vanishes when approached, as well as a ghostly Lancastrian soldier. Inside, you can even spot a unique 19th-century leather ceiling in one of its rambling bar areas. 

This Grade II listed historic gem famously stood during the 1471 Battle of Tewkesbury. Following a massive multi-year sympathetic restoration, the pub reopened its doors in 2023, beautifully combining its original medieval timber frames with natural stone floors, exposed beams, and a striking glass-covered staircase and riverside beer garden.

We went into the Tudor House hotel for coffee and were pleasantly surprised by its characterful interior, the walls decorated with old photos and prints. The coffee was good too!
Shot glasses accompanied our coffee,containing ice cold Maltesers.
We bumped into Flo and Martha in this shop doorway on our way back to the car park, we also met up with Hannah who was very pleased with her purchases from a “ Designer” outlet – She can never resist them! We had an enjoyable morning in Tewkesbury and my particular feeling as we drove back to East Barn was about the friendliness of the town’s people.

The boys had a successful morning’s angling as their photos show.

“If You Want to Catch Fish, You Have to Go Where the Fish Are”

This funny fishing saying stuck around for so long because it’s obviously a great piece of advice. The funny thing, however, is how regularly this advice gets ignored. Every experienced angler has watched someone spend hours working an unproductive stretch of water while fish were active fifty yards away. 

The saying doesn’t imply that fishing is easy. It just points out that your chances improve considerably when you start looking in the right place – a principle that somehow still needs repeating on a regular basis.

“Even a Fish Wouldn’t Get Into Trouble If It Kept Its Mouth Shut”.

It had been a fine morning sauntering around Tewkesbury but Barbara had no difficulty in persuading us that if you come to the Cotswolds then after lunch, you should do some more strenuous walking…

Bredon Hill for instance…a prominent, isolated limestone hill, Geologically an outlier of the Cotswolds, it stands clear of the main escarpment and dominates the landscape of the Vale of Evesham. There are panoramic views that stretch across the Malvern Hills, the Severn Valley, and all the way to the Welsh mountains on a clear day.
It started quite sedately as we passed through cabbage patches.
Some big birds above us and we made a gradual climb.
Cotswold stone church
Cotswold stone dry wall, newly built, as we passed through some small hamlets.
The Wychavon Way was well signposted for the most part and the well maintained Stiles we encountered proved to be no problem.
A few tops had been discarded after this ascent – warm work.
Ted loved the freedom to wander about and Barbara, with her OS skills to the fore, using a useful App. on the phone.
A good day for the panorama.
Just showing us the way.
Passing a finger post on the way down.
Another kind of clamber.
Evening approaching
We were quite pleased with ourselves at the end of a great walk.
Ted was very relieved and Nelly was looking relaxed too.
Tom had made an earlier trip to a local Farm Shop and all the great array of bbq meat stuffs marinaded in advance. The evening’s much looked forward to feast was being prepared, with Vickee helping out,too.
Two escapees from the hot tub made their way on to the patio.
And Dan was in a supporting role too. It was a really tasty dinner followed by a fun music quiz put together by the tireless Tom. A great final evening of our stay at East Barn.

Thanks to Tom and Dan for some of the photos.

“Togetherness runs in my family; it practically gallops”, as a famous film star never said.

Leave a Reply