Heritage weekend... TEWKESBURY
Medieval half-timbered buildings and classic Tudor cottages mingle with elegant Georgian and Victorian townhouses to create Tewkesbury’s iconic patchwork high street. There are over 350 listed buildings in the town, and one of the most notable is the 15th-century Royal Hop Pole Hotel in Church Street. Still in operation, it found its fame as a watering hole for Samuel Pickwick in Charles Dickens’ Pickwick Papers.
Outside of literature, Tewkesbury earned its place as a town of historic significance as the site of one of the most decisive battles in the War of the Roses. On 4 May 1471, the House of Lancaster met the House of York on the battlefield and the ensuing clash resulted in the death of the Lancaster heir to the throne, Edward, Prince of Wales. The Battle of Tewkesbury temporarily restored political stability to England until the death of Edward IV in 1483. Visit the)
