Market Town | The Happy Wonderer ~ ellen b.

Just the name of this market town makes you want to check it out. Looking back on our trip I’m already hoping to return and spend some more leisurely time here and there. The Cotswolds is one of the places I’d like to explore with time to just wander about. There was one thing I was determined to see during our very short time in Stow.

We needed to find The Parish Church of St. Edward.

The Parish Church of St. Edward was built between the 11th and the 15th century. The tower was the last part of the church to be completed in 1447. It is 88′ high and houses the heaviest peal of eight bells in Gloucestershire; it is also very prominent for miles around. The painting of the Crucifixion in the south aisle was painted by Gaspar de Craeyer (1582 – 1669), a contemporary of Rubens and Van Dyck. Many features of this outstanding Cotswold Church may be attributed to the town’s prosperity as a centre of the Wool Trade.

But all this cool history isn’t what motivated me to walk around this church…

I was looking for a special door I wanted to see. This is a cool door but it wasn’t the one I was looking for.

This is the door I was determined to see in person. Those are real trees that flank this door to the church. Pretty cool, yes?

We had to have the “we were here” photo taken! Another slightly different view. Can you tell I was excited about this door?

If I visit Stow again I think I would take tea at Lucy’s …

From the Cotswolds we headed Southwest to stay a night in the Cathedral City of Wells. Hope you aren’t getting tired of our England journeys. I’ve got lots more to share and we haven’t even gotten to Cornwall yet…

We have a fun weekend planned with lots of girlie things we hope to enjoy. October is half over. What are your plans for this weekend? Today (Wednesday) I’m just watching the leaves fall and I ordered a pizza to be delivered for dinner. There were a lot of leaves to watch after all…

“Chipping Campden is one of the loveliest small towns in the Cotswolds and a gilded masterpiece of limestone and craftmanship. The main street curves in a shallow arc lined with a succession of ancient houses each grafted to the next but each with its own distinctive embellishments.”

“As the name suggests (“Chipping” means market or market place from the old English “Ceping”). Chipping Campden was one of the most important of the medieval wool towns and famous throughout Europe. This legacy of fame and prosperity is everything that give the town its character.

Campden was already established in the 7th century and derives its name from the Saxon “Campa-denu” or “Campadene”, meaning a valley with fields or enclosures of cultivated land.”

Took this shot for my chicken/egg farmer friends!

“For many visitors, Chipping Campden is the quintessential Cotswold town. It has a variety of building styles that have survived from all ages. Chipping Campden was one of the Cotswold’s main wool markets.”

World War I and World War II Memorials.

The ancient Market Hall was built in 1627 by Sir Baptist Hicks for a cost of £90.00. It was for the purpose of giving shelter to the local market selling cheese, butter and poultry – not wool as is sometimes thought.

Each corner of the building has a pediment, and each gable had a window which is now blocked up. The side arches have stone ballustrades and the floor is paved with stone.

We really enjoyed this small market town. There was a used bookstore in town where I found an Elizabeth Goudge book.

We also spent some time at St. James Church grounds and I’ll share those photos next along with some of it’s history.

I had a fun adventure with one of the “girls” last night and hope to share about that soon. It was a beautiful day on Wednesday here in the Seattle area. Hope all is well where you live…

HT: Chipping Campden Tourist Information.

The Happy Wonderer ~ ellen b.

To honor and encourage

Tag Archives: Market Town

Stow on the Wold

Chipping Campden ~ Cotswolds