With its timber-framed buildings, traditional alleyways and great Benedictine Abbey that dominates the skyline, Tewkesbury has a character that has survived for hundreds of years and can boast of having over 200 listed buildings.

At the junction of the River Severn and the River Avon, Tewkesbury is at the southernmost point of the Midlands inland waterways system and a popular place to moor. The connection with the rivers is celebrated each July with the Tewkesbury Water Festival.

For information about the Lower Avon, visit the Web site for LANT, the Lower Avon Navigation Trust.

Also held in July, the Medieval Festival features a re-enactment of the famous Battle of Tewkesbury 1471, in which the Yorkists defeated the Lancastrians in the decisive battle in the Wars of the Roses. A display can be found in the Tewkesbury Museum in Barton Street.