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Tetbury is a Cotswold wool town which makes a perfect base for tourists. It is ten minutes from the M4 motorway, and once on the motorway you are 90 miles from London, 25 miles from Oxford, or 20 miles from Bath or Bristol.
There has been settlement in the area since prehistoric times, with the remnants of a hill fort still in existence. Flint implements and Roman coins have been unearthed, casting light on the long history of the area. Being close to the ancient highway running between Oxford and Bristol, it has long been a center of some importance. However there are no romantic ruins for the tourist to enjoy, despite a reference to 'Tetbury Castle' made by Henry VIII's librarian - no remains of a castle have ever been discovered. A brief journey to the west of Tetbury, however, takes one to the picturesque ruins of Beverstone Castle. This was the scene of an important engagement in the civil war between King Stephen and Queen Matilda in the twelfth century, though the present castle dates from the thirteenth century and was twice attacked by the Roundheads during the Civil War in the seventeenth century. Beverston Castle also has exquisite gardens open to the public.
Throughout the Middle Ages, Tetbury grew in importance as a wool town. The Cotswolds were the center of the British wool trade, not only for producing the wool but also for selling it far and wide throughout Europe. The Lombards of Italy and Flanders, powerful and wealthy merchants dominated the wool trade in the Middle Ages. Tetbury was well placed to be a center of wool commerce, being situated between the raw materials on one side and the port of Bristol on the other. The town did not, however, survive the transition to the Industrial Age very well, as there was a severe lack of natural water supply and water-powered industries could not be established.
The wool trade no longer has such importance in Britain and Tetbury's connection with wool is now only historical. But traditions live on in the annual Tetbury Woolsack Races, a festival day attended by tourists from far and wide. The Races themselves have only taken place since 1972 (every May Bank Holiday) but is based on a tradition that goes back to at least the early seventeenth century. Young drovers were reputed to show their manliness by racing up the very steep Gumstool Hill with a woolsack on their back. As there has been a public house at both top and bottom on this hill for a very long time, one can assume that the racers were well refreshed. In a relay race involving four runners per team, men carry a 60Lb sack of wool. Women compete these days, and carry 35lbs. A slightly more humane spectacle than the bull baiting which used to take place in the town center on a spot that is now a car park!
Modern Tetbury is now known far and wide for its abundance of antique shops. There is something for every pocket in Tetbury's antique shops, and it is difficult not to come away with a souvenir or two. One of the Tetbury antique shops appeared on a BBC program during which contestants were sent into selected shops to spend a set sum of money on a specific type of object. The contestants had as much trouble making up their mind as anyone would, faced with an Aladdin's cave of wonderful objects.
When first driving through Tetbury, the tourist immediately notices the Market House, an undercover market built in 1655 on the site of an earlier one, but largely demolished and rebuilt in the nineteenth century. It dominates the center of Tetbury and is still used regularly for markets and other events, both underneath on the uneven flag stones, and upstairs in the meeting room where, among other fixtures, the WI market is held every week. If upstairs, the tourist must take time to examine the carved beams.
St Mary's Church in Tetbury is also well worth a visit, being quite unusual in design. The spire is very high and can be seen from many vantagepoints throughout the countryside. Inside, the church seems to enjoy a strange combination of disparate design elements. In keeping with the tall spire, the church seems very light and airy, however the heavy wooden enclosed pews throughout the interior are at odds with this impression. On one side, the pews open out into a kind of enclosed cloister where one can walk, and examine some artifacts from the original medieval church - the present church dates from the eighteenth century.
For tourists using Tetbury as a base for an exploration of the area, there are numerous worthwhile day trips to be taken. Just out of Tetbury lies Chavenage House, open for guided tours during the summer months for a couple of days a week. This delightful Elizabethan manor house has had a checkered history and the present owners will be only too happy to tell you all about it. Although they still live in the house, it is now often used as a film set and many tourists will have seen parts of it before on television or in the cinema.
Westonbirt Arboretum is world famous and is well worth a visit at any time of the year. Over 16,000 trees and shrubs ensure that there is always something interesting to look at, at any time of the year. It is especially popular in the autumn because of the colorful leaves, and on a pleasant Sunday in October you may have to queue in your car for a long time to get in. Special events take place during the year, including a wood festival and Christmas fun. One part of the Arboretum is accessible to wheelchairs and prams, while the other part is a little less accessible but still affords good long walks (and is very popular with dog owners).
A few miles away over the Wiltshire border, Malmsbury is as interesting as Tetbury and also very worth a visit. Be sure to visit the Abbey, which dates back to 675AD. Malmsbury is the oldest borough in England.
Also a few miles away, but still in Gloucestershire, lies Cirencester, a substantial town of considerable historical interest. Roman Corinium, is boasts a fine museum, some lovely ancient buildings, and a Roman bullring. It also features, heavily disguised, in some of the novels of Jilly Cooper and Joanna Trollope.
Tetbury is close to the homes of the Prince of Wales (Highgrove House) and the Princess Royal (Gatcombe Park), but neither allows public access. Gatcombe Park is, however, the site of the famous horse trials, and also a very successful craft fair every year.
Slightly further afield lie the shopping centers of Bath, Bristol and Cheltenham, as well as the other delights of the Cotswolds. A tourist with time to also visit Burford, Stow on the Wold and Upper and Lower Slaughter will have spent his or her time well.
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