Tewkesbury is famous for its magnificent conventual church, for the historic battle fought close to the town, and for the ancient timbered and pargetted houses in the centre of the town and down by the riverside, which rival even Chester. The population of the town is decreasing; it is no longer famous for the mustard which made Shakespeare say, "His wit is thick as Tewkesbury mustard" (_Henry IV._), but it has a considerable local trade in agricultural produce. Situated on the banks of the Avon, near its junction with the Severn, it is almost insulated by these rivers and two tributaries. The old many-arched bridge over the Avon is extremely picturesque. In a county famed for its rich monasteries, Tewkesbury was among the most important. The name is believed to come from Theoc, a Saxon missionary monk, who founded a hermitage here. The abbey was originally a dependency of Cranbourne Abbey in Dorsetshire, but being richly endowed, Tewkesbury became the leading monastic establishment. Fitz-Hamon, Earl of Gloucester, began the rebuilding of the church. The choir was reconstructed in 1350 in Gothic style, but the nave and massive central tower are Norman. The whole building is cruciform, and the choir, having an hexagonal end, is surrounded by an ambulatory and numerous beautiful chapels as in Westminster. The nave is extraordinarily long, and the height of its columns has led to a squat appearance in the triforium, but the choir has short columns and plenty of height in the triforium. The colossal arch over the perpendicular window of the west front forcibly reminds one of Peterborough. The Duke of Clarence and Isabel his duchess, the king-maker's daughter; the Duke of Somerset, executed after the battle of Tewkesbury; Abbot Alear, Becket's friend, are all buried here. There is a fine gatehouse near the west end of the church. At the battle of Tewkesbury in 1471, which proved so disastrous to the Lancastrian cause, Prince Edward, Henry III.'s son, was slain while fleeing from the field. [Illustration: _Photochrom Co., Ltd._ TEWKESBURY ABBEY. Its chief feature is the huge arch over the west window, just appearing above the trees in the picture.] EXETER AND ITS CATHEDRAL =How to get there.=--South-Western Railway, Waterloo Station. =Nearest Station.=--Queen Street, Exeter. =Distance from London.=--171-1/2 miles. =Average Time.=--Varies between 3-1/2 to 5-1/2 hours. 1st 2nd 3rd =Fares.=--Single 28s. 6d. 18s. 0d. 14s. 3-1/2d. Return 50s. 0d. 31s. 6d. 28s. 7d. =Accommodation Obtainable.=--"Royal Clarence Hotel," "Rougemont Hotel," "Half Moon Hotel," Pople's "New London Hotel," etc. =Alternative Route.=--Great Western Railway, from Paddington Station, London, to St. Davids, Exeter.