Tetbury is at the southern gateway to the Cotswolds, its church spire rising elegantly into the sky over the ancient honey-coloured stones of this historic wool town. At the source of the river Avon, it has been inhabited continuously since long before the Romans built the nearby Fosse Way. The town derives its name from the Saxon Abbess Tetta who in 681 AD was granted land by Ethelred of Mercia to build a monastery.

In the early 13th century the Lord of the Manor Sir William de Broase started a long history of independent government by relinquishing feudal control of the town into the hands of its inhabitants. Then in 1632 the Manor itself was purchased from the Berkeley estate and the town run by seven elected Feoffees, an organisation that lives on to this day operating the weekly markets and maintaining our historic Market Hall, the Chipping and many open spaces around the town. Centuries of prosperity in the wool trade followed, leading to the current shape of the town and to the curious custom of woolsack racing! The railways came at the end of the 19th century and later the town was used for planning the D-Day Landings.

With six thousand inhabitants, Tetbury is the second largest settlement in the District. It is in the heart of the Cotswold Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, has Primary and Secondary schools, thriving employment opportunities and a buoyant retail environment. In 2007 we were voted Gloucestershire Market Town of the Year.

The Town Council takes a very active part in community life, hosting the Tetbury Partnership and providing a full time Community projects team. The Partnership has raised funds for and delivered on projects as diverse as a skateboard park, a multiuse games area and new gates for the Recreation Ground. The work is an ongoing part of the life of the Town.