Bridge over the moat at Tetbury
Tetbury is a nice little town with just over 5,000 inhabitants on the edge of the Cotswolds in the county of Gloucestershire. The town centre is definitely worth a visit to see the great medieval market house from 1655, the magnificent church and also the Chipping Steps – steps only for pedestrians with some buildings which partly have their origins in the Middle Ages.
Also worth seeing are the bridges, which still lead to the town today as if you are going over a defensive ditch.
The town itself, like many places in England, owes its former place of residence to the wool trade – consider that England’s Lord Speaker in the House of Lords still sits in Parliament on a sack stuffed with wool!
A fun run, the Woolsack Race, is still held once a year to celebrate the importance of wool or the woolsacks with which it was transported in trading centres such as Tetbury. A 60-pound wool sack for men (and only 35 pounds for women) must be carried over a distance of 240 yards. Some of the race is up steep hills and of course the aim is to complete the route as quickly as possible.
Tetbury Woolsack-Race Homepage
On this day, Tetbury goes wild and most of the roads are closed to traffic. There is a large folk festival with market stalls (even from France during our visit!) There is Gugge music (yes, exactly the same as in Switzerland) and a lot of outdoor seating at the local restaurants on otherwise busy streets. This all creates a very special atmosphere.
Special place to visit: Tetbury’s church St Mary the Virgin and St Mary Magdalene only opens its church tower to visitors on Woolsack Races Day. On the one hand, you climb to the church roof in the truest sense of the word, but you can also visit the bell tower with an explanation of how the church bells are still rung by hand today – including a live demonstration. This is definitely worth seeing and experiencing!
More Information: Visit Tetbury Website
The course for the Woolsack Race is quite steep!
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Street Life on Woolsack Races Day in Tetbury
The hog roast tastes best freshly roasted!
Gugge-Music in England
The enjoyment of playing an instrument!
Tetbury Church in the most beautiful evening light
Detail of Tetbury Church
And this is the Woolsack Race:
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