An autumn of content
Tim Davey savours a large slice of English history and a generous portion of nostalgia during a very welcoming hotel break in Tewkesbury
IT doesn’t take long to realise Tewkesbury packs a hefty punch when it comes to playing a significant role in our nation’s history. If the ancient buildings, unfolding before you along its main streets aren’t sufficient confirmation of its place in our ancestry, then a visit to its illustrious abbey should quickly do the trick. Here, in this magnificent place of worship, you can roll back the centuries to the times when knights were bold and chivalry was purportedly the order of the day. The abbey, which dates from the 12th century, possesses some fine examples of their ornate tombs. Among those whose last resting place is there is the unfortunate George, Duke of Clarence, who is said to have perished by being drowned in a large barrel of Malmsey wine And if you have a head for heights the abbey also stages tower tours, too, during the summer months. The structure is rated as being one of the finest Norman tours anywhere. Tewkesbury Park, our destination for a short stay in this part of the world lay on the edge of the town and was one of the friendliest hotels I have ever encountered. Every single member of staff seemed genuinely interested in you and the service was impeccable. The food was on another level, too. And our room? Well what can you say about somewhere called The King Richard the Third room? It has a lot to live up to with that regal title – and does so. Calling it a room is something of a misnomer. It’s a large suite, with a massive bed-sitting room boasting a triple aspect view through its main bay window across the hills. To the left, the Cotswolds, to the right, the Brecons. There was also a large bathroom, a double-shower wet room and a dressing room. The bathroom contained a marvellous gizmo which looked to all intents and purposes like a large mirror, until you clicked a (waterproof!) remote control and it transformed into a widescreen TV. The weather was bright, sunny and warm while we stayed and this stately hotel, which completed an extensive £9million renovation last year, is designed to take advantage of just such a situation with an extensive terrace overlooking the town in one direction and rolling pastures towards the distant hills in another. You could, if you felt like being energetic, also take a stroll down to a path by the banks of the river. We ate in the hotel both evenings in its 1471 restaurant which also boasts those fine views across its 163 acres of grounds, which include an 18-hole, par 73, golf course. There are also squash and tennis courts, a health club and an indoor swimming pool. Tewkesbury, where the Severn and Avon rivers meet, oozes character in all its main streets along with its prolific maze of 30 narrow ancient alleyways. On view are half-timbered medieval houses, Tudor buildings, Georgian properties and Victorian homes jostling for your attention and all adding up to an astonishing 350 listed buildings. There’s plenty to keep a visitor interested here including the town museum,
the John Moore Museum and its heritage centre. Head out of town and there are a host of places to visit, too. We travelled back on ourselves a bit because we wanted to take a trip on a train we’d previously only viewed from afar when spending a day at Cheltenham Racecourse and its annual National Hunt festival. This was courtesy of the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Steam Railway which has a delightful period piece station on the edge of the racecourse. When the famous horse-racing festival is on it ferries thousands into the course from other stops up the line which these days finishes in the beautiful Cotswold town of Broadway. Our classic train, polished and gleaming, steamed into the Cheltenham Racecourse station and on we got for an hour or so’s journey, passing through Gotherington, Winchcombe, Hayles Abbey Halt and Toddington before reaching Broadway. Here we walked into the town and soaked up the atmosphere of a main street packed with galleries and interesting shops…and lots of visitors just like us. If you have sufficient time do check out the Gordon Russell Museum which pays homage to the work of the 20th century furniture maker. There’s also the town’s museum and art gallery to visit. On the return journey our fabulous steam train service stopped at Toddington where steam buffs of all ages can wallow in railway nostalgia. In what is a perfect preservation of a station from the past was a great café, emulating the old days of the classic station buffet as seen in grainy old British movies such as the classic Brief Encounter. That wasn’t all, though, there was also a bookshop and vintage buildings crammed with items from a bygone age of steam. Back at our hotel there was time to check out the health club’s pool before dinner and take a walk around the hotel’s vast grounds and golf course. Tewkesbury Park’s summer seasonal menu gave more than a passing nod to some locally sourced dishes. For exam- ple, a confit cornfed chicken leg and ham hock terrine starter was accompanied with a Tewkesbury mustard dressing, while the asparagus served with a free range poached egg, black truffle and prosciutto crisp came from Revills Farm in the Vale of Evesham. Among the mains you could find and enjoy a free-range Gloucester Old Spot pork rib eye or a braised shoulder of lamb from Grafton Farm. While the desserts on offer featured some delicious home-made Tewkesbury Park ice creams and sorbets. Our stay at Tewkesbury Park coincided with the town’s annual homage to a landmark event in its history, the Battle of Tewkesbury in 1471 a decisive encounter in the War of the Roses between the houses of Lancaster and York. Here the Lancastrians led by the Duke of Somerset were vanquished by the Yorkists under Edward the Fourth. So, from many buildings, ancient gabled half-timbered High Street ones, to contemporary homes, eye-catching heraldic banners were hung. While in the meadows close to the hotel people assembled, as they do every July, for a Medieval Festival which re-enacts the famous battle.