I left Gloucester accompanied by Kathy who was interested in walking the first part of the Severn
Way out of town. Sadly it seemed little used and overgrown. I then pressed on alone
but decided to take the nearby B road after tiring of the Severn Way.
By doing
so I stumbled upon numerous beautiful Tudor cottages, the Anglo Saxon Priory
Church of St Mary founded in about 800 AD and the nearby Odda’s Chapel of
1056AD
Apart from everything else the Priory had some beautiful brasses I wish
I’d had the time to take rubbing from.
I resumed the
Severn Way all the way into Tewkesbury and almost bumped straight into the beautiful
Bell Hotel with the Cathedral opposite. The Bell Hotel was offering high
standard en-suite room for £30 B&B but with the weather then looking safe I
felt obliged to check out the nearby campsite. The receptionist apologised for
the £16 cost for a tent pitch (in spite of me telling him my tent was the size
of a coffin) and I was relieved to reply that for an extra £14 I’d take the
nearby offer of an en-suite hotel room and cooked breakfast.
My evening
stroll round Tewkesbury revealed the most picturesque English town I have come
across with almost every other building a Tudor beauty. My wandering also revealed
more pubs and accommodation than I thought possible given the scarcity
indicated elsewhere. As it was the Bell had 24 rooms, few of which were
occupied.
My stroll down
to the River Severn and adjacent canal revealed a beautiful water mill and
dozens of lovely canal barges.
And the
Cathedral rang out its bells for me.
