Tourist Plaques

This is a home page for all the proposed tourist plaques that may be added to buildings in Tewkesbury.

Abbey Lawn Cottages

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In Church Street.

Arthur W. Stevens

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Plaque to Arthur Stevens 1939-2007 marking his membership of the Showmen's Guild and his involvement with Tewkesbury Mop Fair. The plaque is on a house in Oldbury Road.

Bishops Walk Plaque - including 90 High Street and the Doddo Restaurant

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History of the Upper High Street Shopping Centre. This plaque was a joint venture by THS and The Tewkesbury Civic Society, unveiled in 2024 opposite Tesco exit on the wall of Sue Ryder.

The Doddo Restaurant, 90 High Street, (named after a Saxon Thane) was found near here until its demolition between 1965-9. Its loss was a symbol of resistance, and the Civic Society was formed in 1965 to prevent a repetition. In 1970, Tewkesbury was named a Conservation Area under the 1967 Civic Amenities Act. The current shopping precinct was built amidst controversy - but other buildings were subsequently saved.  A summary of the background to this can be read using this link. 
A book on the subject, Doddo Defiled, was published in 2004 by John Dixon and Toby Clempson, a digital copy of the book can be read here.
In 2017 the book was simplified and updated in Tewkesbury Then and Now Volume V which can be read here. Sam Eedle designed a map, which superimposes the modern development with a historical 1883 map. We have also provided, in February 2024, a table of addresses of Historical Tewkesbury compared with 2024. From there, you can read about the history of each property.    

Cross House

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"This substantial merchant's house is thought to stand on the site of the medieval Court House of the Lords of Tewkesbury. Built in the fifteenth century, initially two storey and at least two separate abodes. Probably the residence of Giles Geast an important Tudor philanthropist (the adjacent Tolsey Lane was once called Geast Lane.) The house was greatly altered in the Tudor and Stuart periods with the addition of a third stoey and some especially fine internal panelling and staircases. In the 1860s Thomas Collins a local conservationist restored the building and removed the Georgian pargetting exposing again the timber frame.

Fair Society

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At the Crescent, Tewkesbury.

Queen Margaret's Camp

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This sign was inspired by the 'Glorious Childhood in Prior’s Park' of members of the History Research Group of Prior’s Park Neighbourhood Project.
The Project Co-ordinator is James Baker, and the History Advisor is John Dixon, President of Tewkesbury Historical Society, aided by its designer Rick Talbot.  The members of the group, which meets monthly at PPNP, are Steve Pocock, Edward Jones, Anne Ludlow [née Dawe], Avril Taylor [née Avery], John Blencowe and Rob Brett.
We had the support of Cllr. Cate Cody and were financed by Georgia Smith and the High Street Action Project who will formally unveil the sign. 
The HSAZ designers had little space for all the ideal information which can be read on Queen Margaret’s Camp: A Myth?
For this, we were assisted by Steve Goodchild and Clive Montellier of the Battlefield Society and Dr. Andrew Crowther of THS.
When the estate was started in 1919, it was called Prior’s Ground [after a rich hosier] and it was conceived as a village with streets with geographical names.  Named Priors Park in 1926, the number of streets increased but it was after WWII that Perry Hill was inhabited by a great number of residential streets – and it was decided to name them after aspects of the 1471 Battle of Tewkesbury – so if you would like to know who inspired the name of your Street click here.
We hope that this sign will increase the interest of both tourists and residents in their own estate on a par with the Riverside Walk Scheme in the centre of the town.
For more information see https://priorsparkneighbourhoodproject.co.uk/

Tewkesbury Town Hall

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"Anticipating the visit of King George III, Tewkesbury's town hall was built in 1788 with a loan from the then M.P., Sir William Codrington, so contributing to the council's 1828 insolvency. Set back, with a cobbled corn exchange front, it housed a court room and banqueting hall. Later a fire station and a police station with cells were incorporated. The corn exchange was roofed and a stone frontage was built, funded by the local wealthy miller, Samuel Healing. The clock is flanked by figures of an agricultural worker and Ceres, goddess of agriculture. The building now houses Tewkesbury Town Council."

Click on 'Read More' to read John Dixon's article on the History of the Town Hall published in THS Bulletin 30 in 2021.

Tewkesbury's First - and Forgotten Railway Station

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Plaque is on 103 High Street, on 'Love Labels [as at 2024] frontage. The commissioning of the plaque was a joint venture by THS, The Tewkesbury Civic Society and Tewkesbury Railway Society in 2013. 

Tewkesbury Civic Society

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The Tewkesbury Civic Society was founded here in 1965; the author, John Moore, was the President until he died in 1967. The Civic Society, in July 1983, subscribed to a plaque in his memory which may be seen on the front of the building.
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