Tewkesbury is considered to be the Gateway to the Cotswolds, Why?

THEOC is the original name for the town of Tewkesbury, which sits on the border of Worcestershire and Gloucestershire.  There have been debates over the years as to whether Tewkesbury is part of the Cotswolds or not.  Some say yes and others say no.

Why, I hear you ask.  One of the main reasons is that Tewkesbury itself is a Tudor town with no golden Cotswold stone buildings.  However, part of the larger surrounding area of Tewkesbury includes villages of Overbury and Kemerton which are very much traditional picturesque Cotswold stone villages.  

However, they remain a local secret due to their distance from other well-known Cotswold villages and towns like Stow on the Wold, Bourton on the Water and Broadway.  They also do not have any shopping sights, but they are a beautiful place to stop for a pint in their local pub’s or a coffee stop before hiking through the surrounding bridal ways.

Whilst not strictly a Cotswold Town in the traditional respect, Tewkesbury is very much considered to be the Gateway to the Cotswolds and sits just 35 mins from Broadway, 30mins from Stow on the Wold and 45mins from Bourton on the Water. 

What Is There To See & Do In Tewkesbury, the ‘Gateway To The Cotswolds’?

Tewkesbury’s Medieval Festival

Sitting on the edge of the Cotswolds, Tewkesbury is steeped in history and is host to one of the countries largest medieval re-enactments which replays one of the last major battles of the English civil war involving over 2000 re-enactors.  

The war of the Rose in which the Yorks were triumphant against the Lancastrians after they pushed back their soldiers into the river and town, before slaying the Lancastrian heir Prince Edward.  

The medieval festival takes place every mid July, normally around the 2^nd week of the month and see the whole town go back in time.  The properties adorn the flags of the household flag of the time.  You can visit the medieval market with shops, exhibitors from throughout Europe and local pubs open up their beer gardens in celebration. Even if you are not into your history it is a wonderful day out for all the family and the weather is often spectacular.

Stop By The Tewkesbury Abbey

The Tewkesbury Abbey is a spectacular site that adorns the skyline of at the southern edge of the old town and is an enchanting opening to the Gateway to the Cotswolds. It often features in photo’s during times of flood as a surviving beacon during times of struggle.  

The abbey was founded in 1087 by a nobleman and in 1102 was developed to house Benedictine Monks.  Current developments to the interior of the Abbey reflect the Anglo-Catholic persuasion. To this day the Tewkesbury Abbey remains one of the largest Romanesque Towns in England.

From the Abbey you can take a leisurely stroll through the town, grabbing some chips or ice cream on the way and head and down to the Marina.  The Marina is situated on the confluence of the River Severn and the River Avon (two of the largest rivers in the UK).  The river Severn at its tidal is up as far as the Upper Lode Lock near Tewkesbury.  

The tide is particularly present in the Spring periods in which the natural phenomenon known as the Severn Bore occurs that in some previous years has seen the water rise by 15 meters with the bore achieving 4 to 5 meter tidal waves and speeds of upto 21kph.  People have come from all over the world to ride the waves of the Severn Bore with the first documented surfer being in 1955.

Visit the Marina & Array of Historic Pubs in Tewkesbury

Tewkesbury is definitely not short of a pub or two and is home to what is considered to be one of the oldest pubs in Gloucestershire.  Ye Olde Black Bear in Tewkesbury located on the marina bridge at the end of the high street dates back to 1308 when it was a toll house, and then later believed to have been used as a hospital during the battle of Tewkesbury in 1471.  

During the floods of 2007 the pub was significantly damaged and stood closed for some years.  However, since then has undergone a beautiful renovation and now hosts a large beer garden overlooking the marina. 

The Tudor House Hotel sits proudly in the high street, it is a timber framed building that was believed to have been built in 1546 as a private home, but has also been used as a court of justice and now a hotel. It has a quaint private beer garden and is well located within the town. It is a grade 2 listed building and is part of the National Heritage list for England. 

Do a Spot of Shopping at the Gateway to the Cotswolds

Only just recently opened the Cotswold Design Outlet Village is home to brand such as Tommy Hilfiger, Reiss, North Face, Boss, Levi, Rituals and many more.  Hosting over 100 stores and eateries it is a lovely location to walk around and get some last minute bargains.  Opposite the Designer outlet is a wonderful antique store called the Emporium where you can find beautiful furniture and trinkets.  It is one of my mum’s favourite places to go when she visits. 

Whilst Tewkesbury does have good public transport connections with nearby larger towns and a connecting train route from Birmingham New Street & London – the times may be restrictive.  So car is the best option. 

Tewkesbury’s train platform is ‘Ashchurch for Tewkesbury’ which is located approximately 10mins drive from Tewkesbury Town centre.  There is free parking at the station and has train routes from both Birmingham & London.  

However, you may have to change in nearby Cheltenham if travelling to/from London.  There is currently a free shuttle bus into Tewkesbury town centre from the train station which is supplied by the Cotswold Designer Outlet that opened during the summer 2025. 

Alternatively you can get from the train station to town using the Stagecoach Number 41 or 71 bus routes which will cost you approximately £2.10 for a single or £4.00 for a return.

If you live or are staying in the Gloucester or Cheltenham areas then there is a direct Stagecoach bus that travels every 30mins to 1hr from those locations to Tewkesbury.  The Gloucester City bus you want is the 71 and if travelled from the Cheltenham area you can catch any of the 41, 42 or 43 buses which all stop in the centre of Tewkesbury before diverting off to different locations within the town.

The bus will cost you between £2.50 and £3.50 for a single per person or £5.50 to £7.50 for return per person for a return depending on where you get on. 

You can access the ‘Gateway to the Cotswold’ via a chauffeured car service offers customers; flexibility, comfort, quality and customer focus.  A chauffeur is the highest level of private hire – with luxury cars and professional drivers you will receive the ultimate one to one experience.  

Chauffeurs rarely take back to back bookings because they need the flexibility should a customer wish to change their itinerary preferences om the day.  So you will have the benefit of a bespoke service tailored for you with high standard of driving and vehicle quality.  Notably not the cheapest – costing anything upwards of £150+VAT for a single journey in the Mercedes S-Class Saloon or for a £350+VAT for a bespoke sameday wait and return service.

If you are wanting to visit a number of Cotswold villages then you can book a Cotswold Tour through Valkyrie Chauffeurs Ltd.  Our Cotswold driven tours start from just £450+VAT. 

If you do not have access to your own personal car then you can access Tewkesbury, ‘The Gateway to the Cotswolds’ by booking a regular taxi or standard private hire car.  However, these are limited in numbers within Tewkesbury and surrounding Cotswold villages, so you will most likely need to book one in advance from Gloucester, Cheltenham or Worcester areas.  

A private hire or taxi will set you back around £25 to £35 per journey if starting from the within 10miles of Tewkesbury.  As a taxi / Private hire work on a model where they carry out multiple short distance journey’s a day you may want to secure your return journey in advance, especially if it clashes with school run travel times or is after 10pm to avoid disappointment. 

The other option would be to drive yourself.  Whilst this is the cheaper and most flexible means to travel to Tewkesbury via car.  You will need to consider parking options as traffic wardens are considerably ruthless in Tewkesbury.