Stow-on-the-Wold
At a height of nearly 800 feet, Stow-on-the-Wold is the highest settlement in the Cotswold Hills. There are glorious surrounding hill top views.
Stow's large market square is a gem - the focus of most activity in the town. The surrounding houses, shops and inns, in mellow Cotswold stone, represent a pleasing blend of styles, mainly from the 17th and 18th centuries.
Surprisingly, there are no real 'tourist attractions' in Stow. Visitors come to enjoy the buildings and atmosphere and to shop. There are, in a small area, delicatessens, many antique shops, galleries, art craft and book shops.
In the centre of the town, the medieval market cross is a reminder of the days when up to 20,000 sheep were herded, for sale, into this square - the cross there to remind traders to trade fairly under the eyes of God.
The Battle of Stow in 1646, was the final conflict in the English Civil War. St. Edward's church suffered extensive damage whilst used as a prison for the defeated Royalist soldiers.
The Royalist Inn, a pub and hotel in the town, is listed in the Guinness book of records as the oldest inn in England, dating back to 947AD.
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