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TEWKESBURY VOICES

Retain & Explain

Researching Black British History in Tewkesbury Town and the Surrounding Areas.

Researching Black British History in Tewkesbury Town and the Surrounding Areas

Tewkesbury Voices: Retain and Explain, was created in September 2024 in recognition that there are areas within the Tewkesbury town’s history that are yet to be narrated. The group’s aim is to research and publish on British Black history.

Collaborating with academics, archaeologists, archivists, historians, and politicians the group is also focused on reviewing contested heritage assets using a practice called “retain and explain.” For this we are hoping to publish a Tewkesbury Monument Review with the aim to record heritage assets in Tewkesbury and learn more about British Black history.

Content Notice:

This website explores Tewkesbury’s connections with colonialism and the transatlantic slave trade. Some pages and posts contain historical accounts, images, documents, and terminology relating to enslavement, racism, and abuse, which some visitors may find distressing.

AWARDS

Jerrard Award Winner 2026

Anti-Slavery Activism in Tewkesbury, presented by the Gloucestershire Local History Association (GLHA) and sponsored by The History Press for the most outstanding article on an aspect of Gloucestershire’s local history published within the county.

AWARDS

Woodard Award Winner 2026

Anti-Slavery Activism in Tewkesbury, published in Volume 34, of the Tewkesbury Historical Society’s Bulletin 2025.

Explore the archive

Research

Research

Family trees, archival leads, source notes and the evidence behind the project.

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Publications

Publications

Long-form writing, published research and editorial work from the group.

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Projects

Projects

Partnerships, monuments, fieldwork and heritage projects in progress.

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News

News

Talks, visits, new research notes and group announcements.

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Latest from the archive

Projects

Tewkesbury Monument Review

(Publication forthcoming) Introducing the Tewkesbury Monument Review The Tewkesbury Monument Review is a collaborative, community-rooted project that brings together academics, archaeologists, archivists, historians, and local policymakers to explore and reflect…

31 May 2026 · Emma Ash

Research

The Codrington Family Tree in the Age of Transatlantic Slavery

By John Dixon MPhil Trigger Warning: Contents on this site may cause distress. Please click here to leave the site. ×

31 May 2026 · Emma Ash

Projects

Early Day Motion

We are grateful to the Tewkesbury MP for submitting an Early Day Motion (EDM…

Jun 2025 · Emma Ash