Tewkesbury
Tewkesbury is an ancient settlement at the meeting of the Rivers Severn
& Avon. The surrounding rivers and flood plain have prevented the
old town from expanding so that its long, thin profile has hardly altered
since the Middle Ages. Here you will see one of the best medieval townscapes
in England with its fine half-timbered buildings, 
overhanging
upperstoreys and narrow alleyways.
The Norman Abbey, built in the early 12th century, dominates the town
and in 1471 the fields to the south saw the penultimate and decisive
battle in the War of the Roses leading the house of York to power. Mustard
making, brewing and malting, pin making and the framework knitting of
stockings were at one time major industries. Goods were transported
on the rivers and a thriving market brought business to the town.
Winchcombe
Set amidst the picturesque Cotswold countryside is the ancient small
Cotswold wool town of Winchcombe. A walled city in Saxon times, this
town became prosperous as a result of the wool trade, and this wealth
grew in the 17th century when tobacco was grown in the area.
The
prosperity of the past is reflected in the interesting rows of houses
lining the street, most of which were built in the 16th and 17th centuries,
and the old Abbey House still has remains of the 15th century demolished
Abbey. Nearby Sudeley is the site of the foundation of two Roman villas,
although it is best known for its castle.
For further information on Winchcombe visit the following web sites
www.winchcombe.co.uk (link opens in new window)
and www.winchcombe.info (link opens in new window)
Countryside Surroundings
This beautiful corner of England has scenery ranging from gentle hills
to beech wood slopes leading down to the Severn Vale. To the east lie
the Cotswolds, an area of outstanding natural beauty, with beautiful
villages built from local honey coloured stone. Many of these villages
were built in medieval times when the wool trade brought prosperity
to the area and nearly all have magnificent manor houses and lovely
churches.
From
the highest point of the Cotswolds at Cleeve Hill it is possible to
see as far as the Bristol Channel and the Welsh Mountains. At the foot
of the Cotswold scarp begins the Severn Vale, following the meandering
route of the river, along which are water meadows and orchards. Here,
the stone built cottages of the Cotswolds give way to thatched, half-timbered
buildings and the mellow red-brown brick which is typical of the Vale.
www.cotswoldsaonb.com (link opens in new window)
The Cotswolds is a protected landscape and designated as an Area of
Outstanding Natural Beauty.
