Stow-on-the-Wold
Owing its origins to Norman lords who saw its importance as a place at a convergence of roads, Stow-on-the-Wold remains the archetypal Cotswolds town, steeped in history and busy with traders and tourists alike.
Perched in an exposed spot on Stow Hill, the town is often buffeted by winds, but is still a beautiful and beguiling mix of ancient architecture and historical streets. The annual horse fair which takes place on the edge of the town only adds to its sense of place and history.
What a Property Buying Agent Can Purchase
£1m buys: four-bedroom Cotswold stone property, with several reception rooms in extensive gardens.
£3m buys: a smallholding with outbuildings and 3/5 acres of land.
£5m buys: a reasonable sized farm or estate.
Best Hotels in Stow-on-the-Wold
Wyck Hill House Hotel and Spa (https://www.wyckhillhousehotel.co.uk/) is a setting where the service and interiors match the beauty of the historic building. The Old Stocks (https://www.oldstocksinn.com/) is a boutique hotel housed in historic town centre premises. The Unicorn Hotel (http://www.birchhotels.co.uk/) is a lovely spot in a converted 17th Century coaching inn.
Best Restaurants in Stow-on-the-Wold
The Old Butchers (https://theoldbutchers.squarespace.com/) is exactly what it sounds – a meaty place housed in very appropriate premises. The Sheep (http://www.thesheepstow.co.uk/) is a great spot all day round. Slightly out of town is Number Four at Stow (https://www.hotelnumberfour.com/), an award-winning contemporary eaterie housed in a boutique hotel.
Best Schools in Stow-on-the-Wold
Kingham Hill School (www.kinghamhill.org.uk/) is an excellent independent school for girls and boys, nestling in the Cotswolds countryside. The Cotswold Academy www.cotswold.gloucs.sch.uk) is a hugely popular State school for girls and boys.
Buying Agents Fact
The Porch House pub in Stow-on-the Wold can claim to be England’s oldest pub as it dates back to 947 AD when it was a hospice (a place of rest and refreshment) attached to Evesham Abbey.
How to get to Stow-on-the-Wold from London
Train: 1hr 30 mins, direct train from Moreton in Marsh to London Paddington (10 mins drive to station).
Car: 2hrs mins using the M40.
Plane: London to Gloucestershire Airport (Staverton) by private plane: 45 minutes.
Helicopter: 1 hour, 10 mins from Battersea Heliport.