Chipping Campden in Gloucestershire is often overlooked by tourists in favour of its more famous neighbours, but it’s one of the best preserved and most historic towns in the region
Tucked away in Gloucestershire’s renowned rolling countryside, one village hailed as the “jewel of the Cotswolds” often gets bypassed by its more celebrated neighbours, despite being among the most well-preserved and historically significant settlements in the entire area.
Whilst hordes of visitors descend upon Bourton-on-the-Water or Stow-on-the-Wold during Cotswold excursions, the picturesque market settlement of Chipping Campden might prove a worthwhile alternative destination.
Rich in heritage and character, its somewhat weathered honey-hued limestone facades border the ancient high street, with the town centre’s design staying largely unaltered since its original blueprint from the 12th century.
Chipping derives from the ancient term for market, so naturally, Chipping Campden has served as a commercial centre for Cotswold merchants to establish their businesses.
Whilst initially the vendors concentrated on trading cheese, butter or fowl, today the high street boasts upmarket homeware establishments and designer boutiques, reports the Express.
During its golden era spanning the 13th to 16th centuries, the settlement thrived as a wool commerce hub, with the flocks dotting the Cotswolds funding its magnificent halls and places of worship, with Chipping Campden’s St James’s church regarded as amongst the finest “wool” churches throughout the county.
Standing prominently in the town’s centre is the Grade I-listed Market Hall, constructed in 1627 by Sir Baptist Hicks.
Originally designed as protection for merchants, it remains immaculately maintained and was subsequently donated to the National Trust for public access. The town is also home to the Court Barn Museum, which chronicles the heritage of arts and crafts throughout the area.
C R Ashbee relocated the Guild of Handicraft to the Old Silk Mill in the settlement back in 1902, though his venture proved largely fruitless as numerous craftspeople returned to London.
His family continue to operate the mill for their studios to this day, maintaining a thriving Cotswolds creative community thanks to his legacy.
The location proves ideal for ramblers as well, with Chipping Campden serving as the terminus of the 104-mile Cotswolds Way, stretching all the way to Bath.
The announcement arrives at an ideal moment for a Cotswolds getaway, as renowned travel publication Lonely Planet declared the area Europe’s top destination to explore in September.
They added: “This land of rolling hills, hiding historic towns and stone hamlets in their clefts and valleys, has long attracted urbanites seeking an English idyll.
“Visit in September not just to miss the heaviest onslaughts of coach tours, but to enjoy the countryside at its finest and to admire the leaves beginning to spark into their fiery autumn finery in the wonderful arboretums at Westonbirt and Batsford.”
The publication even highlighted the pathway beginning – or concluding – in Chipping Campden specifically, describing it as the ideal spot for an afternoon stroll across its rolling countryside.