Chipping Campden

Chipping Campden is one of the most beautiful tourist destinations in the UK. With easy road access, it is ideal for a full vacation or just a short break. The central, location in the North Cotswolds makes an ideal base for a touring holiday.Chipping Campden lies at the very north-eastern tip of the Cotswold Hills in the county of Gloucestershire

 

This ancient town has many beautiful buildings. From St James Church right through to Dover's Hill all nestling in tranquil and beautiful countryside and is both an area of outstanding natural beauty and a conservation area. One of its main attractions is its High Street, filled with beautiful honey-coloured stone buildings (14th-17th centuries), it's often described as the most perfect High Street in England.

Surroundings

For the adventurous walker, you can take the 100 mile long Cotswold Way all the way from Chipping Campden to the Roman City of Bath

 

To the North you will find Shakespeare's Stratford and further on the metropolis of Birmingham with its' famous Bull Ring - a shoppers paradise, the NEC, NIA and the Symphony Hall.

 

To the East the National Agricultural Showground at Stoneleigh, historic Warwick and Kenilworth with their respective Castles.  The beautiful cathedrals of Coventry. Travelling further south east the amazing Blenheim Palace in the divine market town of Woodstock, just north of Oxford.

 

To the South the Old Roman towns of Cirencester and Malmesbury, the Regency town of Cheltenham, and of course the county town of Gloucester with its' famous inland docks.  Further south you can visit Bath and many more lovely Cotswolds Villages and towns.

 

To the West the beautiful River Severn meets the River Avon at the historic town of Tewkesbury.  Choose to visit the garden of the Midlands by visiting the beautiful Vale of Evesham. The county town of Worcester famous for its cathedral and china.  Further afield are the Welsh border market towns of Ledbury and Great Malvern.

History

The name Campden or Camperdene is believed to be a Saxon name meaning valley with fields, a written reference to Campden in the Domesday Book (1085), records that before the Norman conquest the manor of Camperdene had been held by King Harold. By the early 13th century, the market area was being called 'Cepynge Caumpedene' (or 'Market Campden'). The word Chipping means market. Chipping Campden established itself as a busy wooltraders town in the 14th century. Wool from Cotswold Sheep, grazed on the surrounding farmland, was graded, sold and transported to London.