The Cotswolds is home to some of the UK’s most picturesque towns and villages
Tucked away in the rolling hills of Gloucestershire, there’s a village that’s often missed by visitors who head straight for its better-known neighbours – Chipping Campden, a beautifully preserved and historically important settlement dubbed the “jewel of the Cotswolds”.
Whilst crowds of holidaymakers descend upon Bourton-on-the-Water or Stow-on-the-Wold on their Cotswolds getaways, the delightful market town of Chipping Campden might prove a more satisfying choice.
Packed with heritage and character, its slightly weathered honey-toned limestone buildings flank the historic high street, which has mostly kept its original design since the 12th century.
The word “Chipping” derives from an ancient word meaning market, so it’s hardly surprising that Chipping Campden evolved into a thriving centre for Cotswold commerce.
Whilst the early traders concentrated on flogging cheese, butter, and poultry, the modern high street now features stylish homeware outlets and independent boutiques, reports Gloucestershire Live.
Throughout its golden era from the 13th to 16th centuries, the settlement prospered as a hub for the wool industry, with the sheep dotted throughout the Cotswolds countryside funding its magnificent buildings and churches.
This encompasses St James’s church in Chipping Campden, said to be amongst the most impressive “wool” churches in the region.
Standing proudly in the town centre is the Grade I-listed Market Hall, constructed in 1627 by Sir Baptist Hicks. Originally built as a refuge for traders, it has been magnificently maintained and was subsequently handed over to the National Trust for public enjoyment.
The town also boasts the Court Barn Museum, which chronicles the arts and crafts legacy throughout the area.
In 1902, C R Ashbee relocated the Guild of Handicraft to the Old Silk Mill in the town, though his venture eventually collapsed as numerous craftspeople returned to London.
His descendants continue to operate workshops at the mill to this day, sustaining the Cotswolds creative community thanks to his pioneering efforts.
The location is ideal for ramblers as well, with Chipping Campden marking the beginning of the 104-mile Cotswolds Way, which stretches all the way to Bath.
This announcement comes at an ideal moment for a Cotswolds getaway, as prominent travel guide Lonely Planet crowned the region Europe’s premier destination to visit in September.
They said: “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 singled out Chipping Campden as the ideal starting or finishing point for the trail, praising this Cotswold town as a perfect base for a day of exploring its vast, rolling countryside.
