Discovering the Cotswolds is like jumping straight into a time machine. You go to turn the switch to set it to your desired year, your desired destination, and realise that you're not quite sure what you want to see first. So, you set it to random in hopes to explore a sea of eras and let it take you down the rabbit hole of history.
A Walk Through Time in Campden High Street
That's what Chipping Campden does. It swallows you up and spits you out into essences of the 14th to 19th century. Its terraced high street and vernacular architecture towers over you from either side as you walk its cobbled streets. You pass tiny shop windows filled with local designers and homemade foods, all whilst feeling like your walking down streets straight out of a J.K. Rowling book.
One of my absolute favourite buildings sits in the heart of Chipping Campden - Bedfont House. Covered in vines which cling to the sides of its Cotswolds stone, this house is said to have been built in the 1740s by the Woodward family, but known history about its walls remain a mystery.
As a market town, its most famous build is the 400 year old market hall which sits quietly in the centre of the high street. Its picturesque walls form archways, leaving gaps which stare into the streets beyond. The word 'Chipping' originates from old English which stands for 'market place', which makes it a logical name for a once wealthy wool trading centre in the Middle Ages.
The winding roads which trail out of the high street are scattered with ridiculously beautiful thatched cottages. Rooftops which shadow rickety Cotswold stone provide shade for the healthy growth of vines which crawl up its foundations, rooted with wildflowers and shrubbery which protects the foot of each build.
Cottage Life and Hiking Paths
As peaceful as it comes, Chipping Campden is high on the tourist list. Its streets get filled with vibrancy most Summers as people travel thousands of miles to take in it's old fashioned essence. It's easy to see why it's such a desired town. From quaint cottages to 14th-17th century architecture, this humble town boasts wealth and lifestyle which is hard to find elsewhere.
If you're after a walk in the beautiful rolling Cotswolds hills, then Chipping Campden offers an array on a plate. Like fine dining, there's something for everyone, whether it be Chipping Campden's short circular walk, or the 11 mile circular trail from Chipping Campden to Broadway.
Explore the meadows on a walk up Dover's Hill, a National Trust site which sits 230m above sea level, hidden between mystical woodlands and encircled by the alleged remains of a Roman vineyard. The horizon which settles over the Vale of Evesham is definitely not one to disappoint!
The Surrounding Area
Other local Cotswold destinations to visit near Chipping Campden:
Broad Campden - 1.2 miles
Moreton-in-Marsh - 4.4 miles
Broadway - 4.6 miles
Snowshill - 5.2 miles
Stow-on-the-Wold - 10 miles
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