Sponge Project Blog ~ Web design in Tewkesbury

Tipping the wink to Mr Cherim and Mr Pickard, here’s an insight into my real-world home town: Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire (UK).

Just to confuse the issue slightly for a moment Tewkesbury is my home town, although my proper home town, i.e.: place of birth, is in fact Huddersfield, West Yorkshire.

But this article isn’t about where I was born, it’s about where I live. I’ve spoken about Tewkesbury in the past which due to a sudden and very distressing event, really put us on the map. I’ve only lived here for about 3 years, but it’s a great little town. Small, but not too small, and very friendly.

Where is it?

Geographically, Tewkesbury is set between the edge of the Cotswolds and the Malvern Hills and on a gravel terrace where the rivers Avon and Severn meet. You can see a map on Google, if you like. About half way between Bristol and Birmingham and about 100 miles from London as the crow flies, it’s twinned with the town of Miesbach, Bavaria. Here’s a flickr place if you need some more photos.

A history lesson

It was founded by a Saxon called Theoc in the seventh century, hence the town’s name being a derivative of his name and bury, a common Saxon word for fortified place. Apparently he set-up a hermitage here and the presence of religious sites can be traced back to that point.

A huge battle occurred in 1471 during the War of the Roses which resulted in the death of the young prince Edward of Lancaster. Hence why that field is now called “Bloody Meadow” and the site of an annual medieval festival (apparently the biggest re-enactment and fair in Europe). In 1964 the Council of British Archaeology listed it amongst 57 towns so splendid and so precious that the ultimate responsibility for them should be of national concern. Apparently there’s well over 350 buildings that are listed as being of special architectural of historical interest.

Famous people

In addition to yours truly, here’s some other famous people to grace Tewkesbury:

• Anna Ford, the BBC newsreader, was born in Tewkesbury
• The comic genius Eric Morecambe, collapsed on stage at the Roses Theatre sadly marking his final curtain call
• Sir Raymond Edward Priestly was an all-round top chap: explorer, soldier, scientists and teacher

Interesting facts

Here are some interesting facts about Tewkesbury:

• Tewkesbury Abbey boasts the largest surviving Norman tower in the world. With the exception of Westminster Abbey it contains more tombs than any other church in Britain.
• The town has circa 20,000 residents (if you include Ashchurch and the surrounding areas), but the Borough of Tewkesbury has about 80,000 people and covers 415 km²

I’m proud to live in Tewkesbury, it’s a great town.

Image courtesy of Tewkesbury Borough Council’s website. Sources: Wikipedia, Tewkesbury Borough Council, Tewkesbury.net.

Contact Rob Mason for details on website design and build services in Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire.