Visit Cotswolds and Severn Vale - Tewkesbury Heritage Project

The Tewkesbury Heritage Interpretation Project Update

Hats Off at the Hat Shop!!

In December 2004, the Borough Council was awarded a grant of £1,339,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund towards the new Tewkesbury Heritage Interpretation Project.

The scheme involves the repair and re-use of a fantastic and prominent grade II* timber framed building in the centre of Tewkesbury, known as the ‘Hat Shop’. Tewkesbury Tourist Information Centre will be re-located onto the ground floor and the rest of the building, particularly the upper floors, will be used to explain the history of the town and the battle of Tewkesbury. At the side of the building is the old Bank Alley and this will be re-opened for access. The project also involves improvements to Tewkesbury’s historic battle trail and improved interpretation around the town.

During the development of the project, survey work uncovered significant architectural and historic features, including rare but fragile decorative paint schemes, dating from the 16th and 17th centuries. Some of the carvings

Development of this project will link together important heritage attractions in the town, including the John Moore Museum, Tewkesbury Museum, the Merchant’s House, Old Baptist Chapel and, of course, Tewkesbury Abbey, with the new scheme acting as a hub for the town and surrounds.

Improvements to the interpretation of the town’s history will be greatly improved to highlight important connections between existing historic sites. Disabled access is a key element of the scheme.

Education, crafts and skills events will be developed to encourage wider participation and training in the understanding of historic buildings and their construction. Living history events will also be developed in joint projects with other town attractions. During the development of the project there will be open days for residents and teachers. The BKR initials, in close-up, and the door itself

The borough is also be in receipt of grant aid from English Heritage and Tewkesbury Town Council. The project has also received European funding.

This funding is a major success for the borough as the area, in general, has not received its fair share of Lottery cash. It will aid regeneration of the town and will provide a much needed improved Tourist Information Centre.

Some Historical Information

As part of the project the Borough Council commissioned Keystone Historical Buildings Consultants to carry out historical research work on the project. It is though their work that a painted room has been found to the rear of the building, believed to date from the late 16th or early 17th centuries. As part of the Heritage Lottery requirements we have now commissioned a Paint Specialist to carry out detailed research on the painted room and also the painted beams.

Keystone’s research also uncovered some fascinating information about the people who lived in the Hat Shop.

The Read Family
- If you look closely at the door of 100 Church Street, you can see the initials BKR and the date 1664 on the doorhead which refer to Bartholomew and Katherine Read.
- Bartholomew appears in the hearth taxes as having three hearths!
- Bartholomew was a glover. He lived through the Civil War and it seems that his sympathies were Parliamentarian since, at the Restoration of Charles II in 1662, he was amongst the thirteen purged from the Town Council to be replaced by citizens considered to be more favourable to the Crown.

The Date of the Building
Window Features The date of 1664 on the door lintel is largely confirmed by the dendrochronology (tree-ring analysis) report. In addition, most of the 17th century features and detail are consistent with the date of 1664, coming from a transitional period in English urban architecture following the Civil War.

The tree-ring analysis also indicated that many of the timbers of the front block were reused medieval timbers. This shows from the internal exposed timbers since many of them show redundant mortises, pegholes, and joints.