Take a trip to... Tetbury

Kathryn Limoi, office manager at the Goods Shed and 30-year Tetbury resident, shares her insider knowledge of this refined market town.

Tetbury, the second largest town in Gloucestershire, home to King Charles III and Queen Camilla, boasts a rich heritage rooted in the  medieval wool trade. Its fine stone buildings showcase 400 years of architectural history. Today, it's beloved for boutique shops, exquisite food, antiques, famous woolsack races, and royal connections. At its heart stands the restored Tetbury Goods Shed Arts Centre, a thriving cultural hub in the Old Station Yard.

Kathryn, what is so special about Tetbury?

I have always described it as a town with a village mentality, and I mean that in the nicest possible way! You have people like me who have been here for 30 years; you have others who go back many generations. We have a genuine care for the town. Various social events bring the community together, such as those at the Tetbury Goods Shed: events, cinema, theatre, traditional folk, tribute music, and regular exhibitions to support local artists.
We have the annual Tetbury Music Festival in October/November; and the Tetbury Woolsack Races take place each May, where competitors race up and down a really steep street, carrying a full woolsack on their backs. Tetbury has always been a magnet for antique lovers, and many-an-hour can be spent in the town’s multitude of antiques shop. Of course, we have Highgrove along the road, King Charles III and Queen Camilla’s home, which offers garden tours. Not many towns can say they have a royal resident on their doorstep.

What can folk do for free in Tetbury?

From the Goods Shed, people can walk all the way to the Trouble House [bar and restaurant] and beyond. The old cycle path is suitable for buggies and wheelchairs. The Play Station playground here at the Goods Shed is great for little ones, and the recreation ground for older children. It is worth going to our Visitor Information Centre to get ideas for walks, including around the town. Tetbury Police Museum and Courtroom is free to visit, with life-sized models of jury and judge who give verdicts when the buttons are pressed. It tells interesting stories, such as a couple who were taken to Gloucester for trial for stealing a silver spoon, while others were caught sheep- or turnip-stealing.

Which are the well-known landmarks in Tetbury?

The Elizabethan market hall in the centre, still used as a meeting place and market, and the medieval Chipping Steps are two features you always see on postcards. 'Chipping' is an old English word for market. For centuries, the area close to the Chipping Steps, lined with weavers' cottages, was where Mop Fairs took place. They enabled the unemployed to offer their services for domestic and farming posts.
A well as the gardens of Highgrove House, we have the Highgrove shop in the heart of the town. Our parish church, Mary the Virgin & St Mary Magdalen, has the tallest spire in the area, and can be seen from all directions. And Gumstool Hill, the steep street where the Tetbury Woolsack Races are held, is a reminder that, in medieval times, Tetbury became an important wool and yarn market. There was once a ducking-stool or gum-stool on the hill, used for the punishment of 'scolds'. Locally a ‘gummy’ was a gossip or a scold.

Why has the town’s crest got dolphins on it? 

According to one local story, a ship used by the local aristocratic Berkeley family was transporting wool to the area when it hit rocks. A pair of dolphins swam into a hole in the ship and brought all aboard safely back to shore. Others say the dolphin connection refers to medieval times and certain landowners and knights of the realm. There is also a French connection: part of their shield was dolphins that we adopted. But I like the dolphins’ swimming story. We have Dolphins Hall, Dolphins Amateur Dramatics, the Dolphin Runners, and many other associations with dolphins in their name.

Why do visitors come to Tetbury?

As well as key events, Tetbury is very pretty: Cotswold stone, cream teas, and lovely hotels. We have Westonbirt Arboretum home to 2,500 species from far corners of the globe, and five national tree collections, up the road. So, there are many reasons people come to Tetbury for a holiday and visit some of our sights that perhaps locals take for granted.

For more on Tetbury go to visittetbury.co.uk