Turbulent Tewkesbury

1 The walk begins at Gander Lane, north east of Tewkesbury Abbey. This spectacular Norman construction dominates the town. Walk away from the town centre. Cross the River Swilgate and continue to a pair of iron gates. Stay on the path as it traverses the area known as the Vineyards, where the monks of the abbey once cultivated grapes. Pass a commemorative plinth on your right and keep to the left of the cemetery. It was along here that a Lancastrian army, consisting of over 6,000 men, stood on 4th May 1471, facing towards the south.

2 Continue along the path as it passes close to the cemetery and you will soon arrive at a road. Cross the road and turn right towards a house, taking the path that runs along its left flank. This will bring you on to Gloucester Road, at a point where a wing of the Yorkist army stood. Turn left along the pavement. Shortly after a bus stop turn left along a path, towards houses. At the end turn right to follow another path, turning left at a corner. This brings you to a gate on your right which leads into the field known as Margaret's Camp. The field is so-called after Margaret of Anjou, as it is traditionally thought to be the place where the Lancastrian army bivouacked on the eve of the battle.

3 Cross the field to a gate on the far side, emerging on to a road beside houses. Turn right, return to Gloucester Road and turn right again, passing Gupshill Manor across the road. Now a restaurant, Gupshill Manor is where Queen Margaret is said to have stayed the night before the battle. Continue towards the centre of Tewkesbury and, after about 800yds (732m), cross the road to a stile beside a bus stop to enter a field. Walk to the other side and in the corner cross another stile. This is thought to be the point where King Edward stood. Continue ahead between a barn and a house to reach a lane. In the field before you stood the wing of the Yorkist army led by Edward's brother, the Duke of Gloucester, later Richard III.

4 Turn right and continue to a junction, close to where the first clash of the battle occurred. Turn right and after about 50yds (46m) turn left through a kissing gate into Bloody Meadow, where the remnants of the Lancastrian right wing were slain. Pass through bushes to a stile and then on to a road. Turn right and continue to meet Gloucester Road yet again. Opposite are the Vineyards, into which the demoralised Lancastrians fled, some taking refuge in the abbey. After two days they were given up, only to face execution in the abbey grounds. Altogether 2,000 Lancastrians were killed.

5 Turn left and follow the pavement until you come to the Bell at the corner of Mill Street. Turn left here, down to the Abbey Mill, which featured in Dinah Craik's John Halifax, Gentleman (1857). Now cross on to The Ham. Turn right to follow the bank of the Mill Avon towards a large flour mill. Just before it, turn right over a footbridge across the Mill Avon, bringing you on to Tolsey Lane. Turn left and follow this as it curves right to bring you to the High Street with its famous timber-framed houses. Turn right here and walk the length of the street, back to the junction with Barton Street and Church Street. Keep right to enter Church Street and then turn left back into Gander Lane.