For breakfast I chose a variation on my choice of the previous day, scrambled eggs with bacon. It was delicious.

After checking out of the hotel, we drove to Quarry Bank Mill. We had been meaning to return after our previous brief visit for a cup of tea the day before we travelled to Rome in August 2024.

Once again, we started with a cup of tea in the café next to the upper garden before heading to the apprentice house for a guided tour. The tour was interesting but we both felt that our guide was placing today’s values (and her personal point of view) on that period of history. She seemed not to appreciate that the conditions in Quarry Bank Mill were superior to most other mills in the area. The mill owner and his wife took a paternalistic approach towards workers, providing medical care for all and food and limited education to child labourers.

When we left the apprentice house there was torrential rain. We walked to the lower café next to the mill where we had lunch, in my case a Danish pastry. The service in the café was not very efficient leaving Mr C and others to wait an excessive time for tea to be brought to a table next to the serving area.

We visited the mill and its exhibitions showing how the cotton spinning industry developed from hand spinning to increasingly more efficient mechanised spinning and later weaving techniques. The mill was, and still is, powered by a water wheel fed from the nearby River Bollin.

To this day the mill still produces Calico Cotton. I found the history particularly interesting as I have recently read Ken Follet’s book, The Armour of Light, which covers this period of time.

My mother and her family lived in this area and I was aware that one of our ancestors worked in the cotton industry. Looking back at my records after I returned home, I was excited to find that it is possible that he was an overlooker in this mill (I need to do more research).

When we left the mill, we had a mooch around the shop and pre-loved bookshop. It was still raining so we decided not to explore the wider estate walks, leaving them for another day.

On our way home we stopped at Fordhall Farm to pick up some pork and Morrisons to pick up the remaining ingredients for our evening meal of Lemony Pork Piccata. Not quite the same as our tasting menu of the day before but delicious all the same.

Marcus – Aurelius

Fed by the Mill Avon leat, there have been mills on this site for over a thousand years. In monastic times it was the principal mill for Tewkesbury Abbey, hence its name. The downstream part of the building, which housed the milling machinery and waterwheels, was rebuilt in 1793. The upstream, enlarged in the mid 19th century, was for the reception of grain and housed the hoist. The mill was in use until c1921, when it became a restaurant. It was converted to residential use in 2005.*

*from a signboard on the mill building

Victoria Pleasure Gardens were created by public subscription to celebrate the diamond jubilee of Queen Victoria in 1897. These gardens were popular with the elegant Edwardians and in 1910 Walkers of Tewkesbury installed a band-stand which was in regular use until the 1950s. In 2007 a combination of severe flooding and reduced funding devastated the gardens. What we see now is the result of collaboration between local councils and a volunteer group, ‘The Friends of Victoria Pleasure Gardens’.

The main features of the gardens include the old wall of the Abbey Grounds, The Abbey Malthouse, now used as private dwellings and the The Mill Avon.  The Mill Avon is a spur of the River Avon, cut by medieval monks to power their flour mill. The mill seen today is the 18th century replacement and currently privately-owned flats.

After the flooding in 2007 new flowerbeds were formed in 2008. Brightly coloured annuals are planted in early June and permanent plants are chosen to withstand the annual winter floods and provide food an shelter for insects.

The arches at the entrances were financed from public donations and erected in 2012 to commemorate the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II*

*Information from a signboard in the gardens

It is reputed to have been in use since 1660. There are references in 1670 and 1677 to an adjacent Quaker meeting-place, occupying ‘three messuages in St Mary’s Street’. Two of these cottages (timber-framed) still exist, and as “16 and 18 St Mary’s Lane” are Grade II Listed Buildings – see the British Listed Buildings website for details.

We packed and were ready to load the car before we went to breakfast. Our table was in glorious sunshine, leading us to linger a while before loading the car and checking out. As we handed in the room keys we were asked if  we would like complimentary coffees ‘to go’. Mr C declined and asked if it was possible to have some bottled water instead to which the answer was yes.

We had intended to buy water and sun cream before the festival opened, now we only needed to obtain sunscreen. We arrived in town too early for the Sunday opening hours so we parked at the festival site (we were almost the first to arrive) and walked back into town. As we walked past the visitor information center we noticed it was open so I was able to purchase the walking leaflets I had hoped to pick up the day before. Whilst in town I purchased a scarf to shield my neck and shoulders from the sun. The one I had brought with me was not fully up to the job.

We called in at the Touching Souls tea rooms for refreshments before heading to the festival ground to meet with our friends and to join one of the battle field guided walks. After the walk we had lunch, then we split up to explore the event independently before meeting up again for the battle re-enactment. ‘The boys’ stayed to see the battle whilst I returned to the town intending to explore some of the alleyways and heritage trails on one of the leaflets I picked up at the tourist information center.

I entered Victoria Gardens and found a shady spot to ‘rest a while’ before setting off into town I noticed a signpost to the river walk so I set off in this direction, passing the Abbey Mill and some other interesting features before returning to the Touching Souls tearoom on the off chance that it may have stayed open later due to the festival. It wasn’t but I lingered a while to rest my feet before setting off on my next adventure which turned out to be short-lived. I had just managed to dodge the cars and cross the road when I received a text from Mr C, ‘On my way. Meet you at the Abbey tea shop’. I renegotiated my way across the road which had become even busier and returned to the shady bench that I had recently vacated.

The tearoom being closed led to us stopping at a motorway service station for the much needed refreshing, rehydrating drink.

Back home, bags unpacked, we enjoyed fine dining on the patio. We lit the two RAF blue memorial candles given to us at our friends funeral and watched them fluttering in the wind as the sun went down.

Click on photo to see video

The breakfast spread was excellent, including interesting continental options as well as the usual cooked options.  Straight after breakfast we drove to Tewkesbury and parked the car in the dedicated festival car park.

Rather than heading into town as we had originally planned, Mr C elected to explore the festival ground arriving before most things were open so we retraced our steps and enjoyed a refreshing drink in the Touching Souls tea room followed by a quick visit to the Abbey. I was amused by a sign on a table in the Abbey’s entrance porch that stated, ‘Please leave your weapons here’. Sunlight was streaming through the windows and the Abbey had a special atmosphere that we had not experienced on our previous visits.

By now the festival was officially open so we walked back to the showground and visited the trade stands picking up some lunch along the way. After lunch we visited the Kings Camp living history area and walked around the field where the re-enactment of the battle was due to take place.

I then left to visit Victoria Gardens whilst Mr C stayed to watch some of the re-enactment.  I enjoyed the peaceful gardens which were a contrast to the hustle and bustle in the street outside and at the festival site.

When the toing and froing of people and cars had died down I was able to cross the road to the Abbey, although by this time the tearoom had closed. It was not so peaceful in the Abbey grounds with a noisy family whose children were breaking twigs and leaves of a magnificent tree that had grown amongst the gravestones. I didn’t linger long before walking to the town’s visitor information center hoping to pick up some walking leaflets I had noticed earlier in the day. This was not to be because it had also closed for the day. By this time Mr C had seen what he wanted to see of the battle re-enactment and texted me to say he was on his way. In the Abbey Grounds I settled myself a shady seat framed by flowers to wait for him.

Back at the hotel we had a shower to wash away the dust and heat of the day before dining in Zitto e Mangia. I chose Branzino al Vino Bianco (sea bass fillet with white wine, garlic and herbs) followed by Tartufo al Limoncello (Lemon ice cream with a liquid limoncello centre coated with crushed meringue). Both dishes were delicious. When we arrived back at the hotel for a nightcap I noticed that the people sitting on the next table to us were the same people that we were seated near in the restaurant.

A friend suggested that we get together to visit Tewkesbury Medieval Fair which commemorates the Battle of Tewkesbury with re-enactments of the battle that took place there in 1471. Because different activities were taking place on the two days of the festival. Mr C and I decided to turn it into a mini break, meeting our friends when they arrived for their day trip on the Sunday.

After we had booked our accommodation we learned that the funeral of another friend, who had recently passed away after a long illness, was to take place on the day we were due to travel. The funeral, although sad, was an uplifting celebration of the life a lovely man who died too young and will be missed by many.

In the late afternoon, following the wake, we set off for Tewkesbury. We had a good journey without any holdups, arriving at the hotel earlier than expected. After checking in, we were given complimentary water bottles and a glass of Bucks Fizz (more Bucks than Fizz) to carry up to our room before unloading the car.

We had just enough time to chill out and freshen up before dining in Coopers, the hotel restaurant. The menu was brief but the food was delicious. I chose trout served with potato and rainbow carrots whilst Mr C settled for steak. We both had ice cream for dessert with Mr C choosing a rather exotic sounding burnt coconut flavour for one of his options which, when it arrived, turned out to be black, looking rather unappealing to me. I was glad I chose vanilla and salted caramel, both were delicious.

After dining we settled on the terrace to enjoy a post dinner drink soaking up the last of the sunshine from a beautifully sunny day.