Tewkesbury

It was time to leave Malvern today, but I still had time for another outing on the way home! I left the campsite late morning and decided to visit the historic medieval town of Tewkesbury. The town was settled at the meeting of the Severn and Avon rivers and is known for its 12th century Norman Abbey, half timbered buildings, numerous alleyways and a history of industries including mustard making, brewing, pin making, boat building and the knitting of stockings.

I started by visiting the Abbey. I wasn’t able to stay long as a funeral was starting soon after I arrived but I had a quick look around and will have to come back another time.

I briefly wandered around the town and along the river - long enough to know I want to come back and explore more! (See extra photo)

Most of my time, however, was spent having lunch in the colourful and quirky Abbey Tea Rooms (see next extra photo). I stumbled on it just as I was ready for lunch and had no idea what I was about to encounter! The inside is like an Aladdin’s cave of treasures and nostalgic collections crammed in to a small space with several tables. Outside there were only 3 tables but one opened up for me as I arrived so I was able to sit in the equally amazing garden, full of even more collections, both plant and non-plant varieties! It was a really hot day so the shaded garden was welcome and the food was delicious. This is definitely a place to visit and return to. The friendly couple who own it do all the cooking and collecting and gardening and both the tea room and the garden have won several awards. It was hard to pull myself away!