Around Tewkesbury

Today we spent our time in Tewkesbury.  First a visit to the John Moore Countryside Museum housed in one of a row of Tudor houses.  We walked around and up two flights of very steep stairs and looked at the flora and fauna of the area and the life of John Moore, a naturalist and writer.   Then we were taken by the volunteer a few doors up to see a restored Tudor home which also doubled as a shop.

Tudor hallway

Smoke goes straight up!

Serious reader of information

Steep stairs! 

Then we explored a 'secret' garden nearby before going into the Abbey tea room for coffee before looking at the Abbey and its great Norman pillars.  There were only three of the misericords on view, and one of them was rather odd!  

Misericord, Tewkesbury Abbey

We had lunch back at the flat and then set off for the only other museum, just up the road in another fine building.  Again the museum was run by volunteers and rather quirky.  There was a great model of a fair ground with moving parts and upstairs several tableau depicting the last battle of the Wars of the Roses which took place in Tewkesbury.  I spotted a grammatical error/spelling mistake in one of the information panels and I'm ashamed to say I couldn't stop myself pointing it out.  They seemed grateful!! 

We ate at the Abbot's Table in the evening.  Peter's rib eye steak was good and my duck breast was passable!   

Tewkesbury

A day out from Tewkesbury today.  After breakfast we collected the car from the now less flooded car park and headed south to Dyrham Park, another National Trust stately pile.   The house is set in a valley and the car park is at the top of the hill and a winding path takes you down through woodland past rushing streams.  A small group of deer were seen running in the distance.  

The house is in the baroque style and was the home of William Blathwayt, a courtier to William and Mary and a man who made a lot of money as the king's accountant, collecting money from the colonies.  Slavery contributed to his wealth, a fact openly acknowledged in the house.  The interior was lovely and very interesting as were the grounds and gardens.  There were a least three 'films' projected on to walls telling the story of William and the house and excellent information is all the rooms.   

Dyrham Park

Tranquil view across a lake

As usual we started with coffee and later had lunch.  Fortunately, they run a shuttle bus back up the steep hill to the car park.  

On the way back we stopped at Gloucester services and fast charged the car to 100% while we had a cup of tea and a bun! 

Italian restaurant tonight - much better than the first Italian restaurant.  Not a lot of choice in Tewkesbury! 

Tewkesbury and the joys of travel by electric car!! 21st October 2024

Charlecote House

We set off from Norwich at 9.00 on Monday 21st October for 4 nights in the Fish Loft in Tewkesbury - with a fully charged car.   When we reached a loo/coffee stop at Cambridge services, we plugged in for a quick top up.  We stopped for lunch at Charlecote Park in Warwickshire, a magnificent house.  Charlecote car park had a whole row of chargers, so we plugged in again!! 

Peter was impressed with the inside of the house (only the downstairs rooms open) but I found it a bit heavy and dark.  Still a great history to the house with the family still in residence and having come over with William the Conqueror! 

Then on to Tewkesbury only to find the car park near the flat, for which the owner had a permit lined up for us, was flooded!  Peter eventually located another car park and despite a message in the car that we had a permit for a flooded car park, we returned to find a Penalty Notice!  Paul the very helpful owner of the apartment, sorted that out for us.  Earlier we had visited the Tourist information place and had leaflets for walks round the ancient buildings and alley ways.  We spent some time locating a roll of sellotape of just the right width for a return parcel that Peter had with him and chased a non-existent kerb side charger and eventually ended up for coffee in the oldest pub in Gloucestershire.  Then we searched the various maps for a charger to top up the car before going off on Wednesday to another National Trust property. We headed for one which was further outside Tewkesbury that anticipated only to find we could not make it work.  On to the next charger which was in a pub car park.  We plugged in and went inside for some food - very mediocre!  We spotted a bus stop outside the pub and left the car and came back to the flat and collapsed!   A recce told us that the car park near the flat was just about accessible now and so we boarded a bus back to the pub and collected the car.  We managed to get the car into the car park without going through deep water and then did one of the walks round Tewkesbury that we had collected the previous day.  Saw some very interesting buildings and alleys. 

A restored 1400 house

Large windows for stocking weavers

A view of the Abbey

The old Baptist Chapel and burying ground

We couldn't go into the Abbey because they were doing a ticketed Son et Lumiere event so we went and bought some crisps and a bottle of wine with which to wash down the evening news! 

And then to an Indian restaurant for some of the tastiest curry we've had in a long time.