Chipping Campden Travel Guide

Drive 15 minutes from Moreton-in-Marsh or take the Stagecoach 1/2 bus to reach Chipping Campden in the morning. Start at the Market Hall — this Jacobean open stone arcade building built in 1627 by wealthy merchant Sir Baptist Hicks was once a shelter for butter, cheese and poultry sellers, narrowly avoided being dismantled and shipped to America in the 1940s, saved by residents who raised funds and transferred it to the National Trust. Stroll slowly uphill along the High Street — within half a mile, over 270 listed buildings gather: Grevel's House built in 1380, the best-preserved medieval merchant residence in the Cotswolds, whose owner William Grevel is remembered as "the flower of all the wool merchants of all England"; the 1340 Woolstaplers' Hall once attracted merchants as far as Florence to purchase the superior wool of the "Cotswold Lion" sheep. Visit Court Barn Museum to learn about the Arts and Crafts movement — in 1902, designer C.R. Ashbee moved his Guild of Handicraft from London's East End here, reviving local metal forging, woodworking and silversmithing traditions. In the afternoon explore St James' Church — one of the Cotswolds' most magnificent "wool churches", its 15th-century Perpendicular Gothic nave and towering spire built by wool wealth, housing England's largest collection of monumental brasses and a circa 1400 medieval altar tapestry. End your Chipping Campden day with afternoon tea by the fireplace at Noel Arms Hotel.

If time allows, combine Chipping Campden with surrounding classic Cotswolds destinations for a 2-day 1-night trip. In the morning, drive 4 miles to Hidcote Manor Garden — the National Trust's legendary "outdoor room" garden designed by American horticulturist Major Lawrence Johnston in the 1910s, with high walls and hedges dividing themed courtyards, collecting rare plants and sculptural fountains from around the world. Nearby Kiftsgate Court Gardens, crafted by three generations of female gardeners, is known for its informal style and water gardens, including the famous Kiftsgate rose. In the afternoon, follow the Cotswold Way markers to Dover's Hill — an open meadow at approximately 230 metres elevation offering panoramic views of the Vale of Evesham, hosting the Cotswold Olimpick Games every Spring Bank Holiday weekend since 1612, with events including tug-of-war, hammer throwing and the famous "shin-kicking" competition. Continue onwards to Broadway and Broadway Tower, or turn towards Broad Campden to admire thatched stone cottages. End your Cotswolds trip with traditional English pie and real ale at The Eight Bells Inn.