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Tewkesbury Civic SocietyProtecting Tewkesbury's Architectural Heritage and ensuring today's developments add positively to it.
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About Us
Tewkesbury Civic Society Origins and evolution
The Society was created in June 1965 as a result of the “improvements” that were happening in Tewkesbury, as they were across the country in similar situations and with similar reactions. In our case it was primarily the wholesale demolition of the block of old properties that stood where Bishops Walk (The Kremlin) etc. now stands.
These were the days before buildings could be Listed and before Conservation Areas could be defined. In consequence there was little protection for anything that “improvers” wished to tear down.
Pressures had built up to improve living conditions, provide better facilities but also to grow the community significantly with overspill from the Midlands. These were the objectives of the “Progs” (Progressives). Those that whilst not against much needed improvements however wanted also to preserve the best of the heritage buildings and character of the medieval market town were cynically called the “Meds” (Medievalists)!
These were the days before buildings could be Listed and before Conservation Areas could be defined. In consequence there was little protection for anything that “improvers” wished to tear down.
Pressures had built up to improve living conditions, provide better facilities but also to grow the community significantly with overspill from the Midlands. These were the objectives of the “Progs” (Progressives). Those that whilst not against much needed improvements however wanted also to preserve the best of the heritage buildings and character of the medieval market town were cynically called the “Meds” (Medievalists)!
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The battles between Progs and Meds, the main protagonists, the factors leading to the confrontation, the national and international notoriety that ensued, the buildings finally lost and other consequences, including the creation of the Civic Society are all described in great detail in the admirable publication “Doddo Defiled” (the “Doddo” was a much loved timber framed building then used as a café with frontage on the High Street) jointly authored by John Dixon and Toby Clempson. For anyone wanting to understand more about this fascinating but damaging period of Tewkesbury’s history, this book is a must read.
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The cover of “Doddo Defiled”
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Phyllis Howells, a local book seller, and Richard Woodfin, a local antique dealer, are credited with the prime roles in initiating the Society, other well know personalities like local author John Moore and the then MP, Nicholas Ridley were also heavily involved. Many of the local shop keepers, property owners, professional people and residents of the town joined. Local schools and other organisations signed up. The roll call of the good and the great in the original membership list is impressive, it includes Sir John Betjaman, The Earl & Countess Baldwin of Bewdley, The Duke of Beaufort, Gen. Sir John & Lady Evetts, The Lady Ismay, Mr & Mrs G J Yorke, The Lady Violet Benson, the Overbury Estates, so giving some idea of the great appeal of the cause and the efforts made to recruit the influential!
However, the buildings were demolished, that battle was lost. The Society was thus born in the heat of controversy and the bitterness of defeat. Fortunately, things were changing with Listings being introduced soon after along with Conservation areas. Public awareness of the potential loss of heritage was sharpened in consequence of such lost causes as the Doddo, so, for instance, the Church Street medieval houses between the Crescent and the Abbey Hall were saved from the same fate in favour of a new Woolworths!
Members of the Society settled down to a less dramatic programme of activities but protection was still often necessary, some members took a very proactive role in this by forming Gem Town Tewkesbury Limited. Gem Town’s objective was to buy threatened historic property, renovate and sell on.
These were the years of flight of the more affluent to the nearby attractive villages or if not yet a member of the property owning democracy, to the very pleasant new houses the Council was building in Priors Park. Only slowly did people start to invest in the restoration of older town properties or even start to build much new residential accommodation within the town itself. The initial post-war enthusiasm for the Riverside Walk waned and the orgy of preparatory building clearance slowed to a halt. There were years of desolate undeveloped sites in areas like Back of Avon, awaiting the time when such sites could again provide desirable homes.
One likes to think that wholesale vandalism on the Kremlin scale could never be contemplated again! However, things still happen that are very questionable, one proposal was for the development of housing on the Gastons Battlefield site in 1996-7. The Society in the person of John Faull played an active part during the Inquiry as a witness objecting to such abuse of a registered Battlefield site. Again, this became national news, particularly when Sir Jocelyn Stevens, Chairman of English Heritage and the well-known Cheltenham born actor Robert Hardy got involved. The Inspector ruled against the application; the Gastons lives on.
More recently, in 2006, the Society was among the leaders in protest against the planned paving over of the Crescent, an ill thought-out proposition to use S106 (Planning gain) money to thus “improve” the town. Finally, after a huge protest the idea was dropped and the Crescent was saved for the essential purpose it serves.
All this seems to imply a recurring need to confront authorities but that is far from the case, these were regrettable past blips and the Society has since sought to influence matters in a positive and co-operative way that makes confrontation unnecessary. Also, to be fair, the Borough has learned to be much more inclusive as a matter of course. The Town Council too, over the last couple of years, became more competent and more prepared to work with rather than automatically against the Borough, this has helped. There are still issues of course but they are less.
However, the buildings were demolished, that battle was lost. The Society was thus born in the heat of controversy and the bitterness of defeat. Fortunately, things were changing with Listings being introduced soon after along with Conservation areas. Public awareness of the potential loss of heritage was sharpened in consequence of such lost causes as the Doddo, so, for instance, the Church Street medieval houses between the Crescent and the Abbey Hall were saved from the same fate in favour of a new Woolworths!
Members of the Society settled down to a less dramatic programme of activities but protection was still often necessary, some members took a very proactive role in this by forming Gem Town Tewkesbury Limited. Gem Town’s objective was to buy threatened historic property, renovate and sell on.
These were the years of flight of the more affluent to the nearby attractive villages or if not yet a member of the property owning democracy, to the very pleasant new houses the Council was building in Priors Park. Only slowly did people start to invest in the restoration of older town properties or even start to build much new residential accommodation within the town itself. The initial post-war enthusiasm for the Riverside Walk waned and the orgy of preparatory building clearance slowed to a halt. There were years of desolate undeveloped sites in areas like Back of Avon, awaiting the time when such sites could again provide desirable homes.
One likes to think that wholesale vandalism on the Kremlin scale could never be contemplated again! However, things still happen that are very questionable, one proposal was for the development of housing on the Gastons Battlefield site in 1996-7. The Society in the person of John Faull played an active part during the Inquiry as a witness objecting to such abuse of a registered Battlefield site. Again, this became national news, particularly when Sir Jocelyn Stevens, Chairman of English Heritage and the well-known Cheltenham born actor Robert Hardy got involved. The Inspector ruled against the application; the Gastons lives on.
More recently, in 2006, the Society was among the leaders in protest against the planned paving over of the Crescent, an ill thought-out proposition to use S106 (Planning gain) money to thus “improve” the town. Finally, after a huge protest the idea was dropped and the Crescent was saved for the essential purpose it serves.
All this seems to imply a recurring need to confront authorities but that is far from the case, these were regrettable past blips and the Society has since sought to influence matters in a positive and co-operative way that makes confrontation unnecessary. Also, to be fair, the Borough has learned to be much more inclusive as a matter of course. The Town Council too, over the last couple of years, became more competent and more prepared to work with rather than automatically against the Borough, this has helped. There are still issues of course but they are less.
