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The Start - Chipping Campden
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Date: Saturday, January 22, 2005 Weather: Cold, clear at first, turning cloudy with sleet. Itinerary Summary: Chipping Campden - Dovers Hill - Broadway Tower - Broadway - Stanton - Stanway. Distance and Terrain: 11 miles, two ascents and descents of the Cotswold Escarpment. Time: 4 1/2 hours including two 15 minute breaks Comments: Mostly good quality footpaths and farm tracks. Muddy after rain, particularly on shared bridlepaths around Stanton. Opportunities for drinks and snacks at Broadway Tower (cafe), Broadway (wide range of shops, hotels, pubs and cafes) and Stanton (pub). |
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Chipping Campden to Stanway comprises the northernmost leg of the Cotswold Way and includes several towns and villages along the way. Despite this, most of the route follows footpaths and farm tracks and soon gets away from the hustle and bustle of the major tourist spots. Several interesting locations are off the trail (Snowshill, for example) and are worth considering as a sidetrip or visiting separately.
(Left - St. James' Parish Church and part of the Manor House, most of which was burned down in the Civil War) |
| Chipping Campden is a tourist destination all of its own, with or without the Cotswold Way. The start of the trail is marked on a stone outside the Town Hall on the famous curved High Street that was laid out in the 12th Century (long before any of the existing buildings). Nearly all of Campden is in a protected planning zone and it shows. Shop signs are discrete, kerb appeal is uniformly high and residents are keen to keep it that way. But visitors will find friends here and if you plan to stay one night before setting off for Bath, there are plenty of hotels and B&Bs. There is even a Tourist Information Office in the Old Police Station who can help sort out accommodation, information, maps, etc. |  |
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Campden is one of the "Cotswold Wool Towns" and the fine church of St. James is a testament to the wealth that the Cotswold Sheep bestowed on the area. Flemish weavers had a saying "English wool is the best in Europe but the best English wool is from the Cotswolds". The merchants who sold the wool to Europe ploughed back their riches in fine churches, manor houses and almshouses. Campden has all of these and more. The photo above is of Grevel House, while the original almshouses (still used to house elderly residents of the town) are shown at left. |
| The Jurassic Cotswold Limestone in this area has a golden hue that is considered by many to have the optimum appearance of all the local buidling stones. Further south the limestone is grey, to the northeast it is brown. Campden's stone has just the right amount of iron. It is still quarried today, in fact there is a resurgence in the use of real stone in preference to the aggregated material introduced after WWII.
These cottages are on the outskirts of the town, in the once separate hamlet of Westington. |
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The Start of the Cotswold Way is officially at the southern end of the Town Hall. The trail follows the High Street to the south up to the Catholic Church. This building is one of many "modern" buildings that reflect the influx of Arts and Craft artisans at the end of the Nineteenth Century. This is commemorated by a plaque on the Silk Mill, definitely worth a visit - do tour Harts Silversmiths, still there after a 100 plus years! C. R. Ashbee was a romantic socialist who believed in the philosophy of John Ruskin and William Morris that the Victorian era's dominance with mass production could only result in the dunning down of craftsmanship. His plan failed after a few years but the results live on in both Campden and Broadway. A sign outside the Catholic Church points up Hoo Lane and soon the road steepens and becomes a bridlepath (recently improved and gentrified) up The Hoo to Dovers Hill. |
| Dovers Hill affords the hiker the first test of fitness and the first views. Don't forget to look back on Campden, nestling in its Vale, and if the sun is shining the church will be glistening. On the horizon above the church is a large hill on the horizon with a group of trees on its summit. This is High Spinney on Brailes Hill, an ancient meeting place for pre-Christian worshippers.
Dovers Hill itself has plenty of history. One Robert Dover started his Olympick Games in 1612 with local sports such as shin kicking. The Olympick Games have been revitalized and are a big event on the local calendar (last weekend of May). More recently the land, now owned by the National Trust, was to be bought for a hotel. An impoverished local artist and idealist, F. L. Griggs, mortgaged just about everything he owned and bought the land to protect it from development. The views from Dovers Hill are superb. This view to the north includes the northern Cotswold outlier, Meon Hill, another pagan setting in years gone by (some would say it still is!). |
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The trail continues from Dovers Hill, following the road south along the ridge (walk down in the field to avoid the traffic as there is a path there). However, on the right side of the road, in among the trees you may be able to find the Kiftsgate Stone, an ancient pillar of limestone that is believed to have had several uses - the most logical being as a meeting place.
At the next corner, by a coppice, the Cotswold Way takes to a broad hedged avenue known as the Mile Drive. This is probably a vestige of the main sheep droving trail along the ridge. |
| At the end of Mile Drive the path veers off to the right across a field to a very obvious stile-cum-gap in the wall. At various times of the year this trail is well marked but just after ploughing it can be a little difficult to negotiate! To be fair, the farmer does his best by running his tractor up and down the footpath (giving two footpaths for the price of one!)
This view was taken looking back toward Campden. Cross another field and then cross the (Roman) road to another field that leads to the top of Fish Hill, where the A44 climbs up the Cotswold Edge from Evesham to Oxford. The path next runs through a small wood before emerging on sheep pastures that lead up to Broadway Tower. |
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Broadway Tower was built as a folly on a high point above the village of Broadway in the Eighteenth Century. Apart from being located in a superb spot overlooking the Vale of Evesham, it lays claims to have been visited by William Morris early on in the Arts and Crafts Movement leader's love affair with the area. Today the tower is open to the public and has exhibits commemorating Morris' era. The view from the top is hardly worth the extra cost - after all most of the effort of getting there has already been expended and it's time for a rest! So stand at the base and enjoy the view across to Bredon Hill and the Malverns. On a clear day Wales will be visible, particularly during cold weather in wintertime.
[As an aside, I remember visiting the tower during the 1960s. Then a family lived in the tower and charged a nominal sum to take the steps up to the roof. When my mother and I visited, the "lady of the tower" was scrubbing the steps with dishwater. Turned out that there is no water supply on site so she used every drop of water very carefully!] |
| The long hike down to Broadway crosses several meadows and the stiles on this stretch have all been upgraded, complete with special gates for dogs! The view across the Vale of Evesham is outstanding on a summer's day (as shown here!) with the large outlier of Bredon Hill very much in evidence. Bredon Hill gets a special mention in Housman's A Shropshire Lad and the hike to the top is well worth a day long side trip.
Toward the base of the hill the path veers to the right and enters upper Broadway. Turn left down the main "Broad Way" and walk through the town to the wide green, turning left again on the road to Snowshill. |
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Broadway is, like Chipping Campden, a Cotswolds gem. The Broad Way used to be the main road from Oxford to Worcester but the main A44 road now bypasses the village leaving it to the tourists. The upper part of the Broad Way is now a dead end so it is really peaceful. The lower end, around the famous Lygon Arms Hotel, is much busier.
This milestone is located on the north side of the Broad Way, east of the junction with the B4632. London is 90 miles away, Worcester 21. |
| As with Campden, Broadway was much visited by members of the Arts and Craft Movement (most of whom came from London and Birmingham) at the end of the Nineteenth Century. Several fine buildings, most of them recreated from existing structures, exist. The presence of high quality artisans in the area encouraged a small but famous furniture manufacturer, Gordon Russell, to set up shop, though the factory has since moved to Worcester.
Tourism is a mixed blessing for Broadway. Unlike Campden it appears to have lost some of its soul, possibly through being that much more accessible. Compared to the peace and quiet of the Cotswold Way, the village center has too much bustle. It's obviously time to move on! |
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The path leaves Broadway near the new church (the original church is half way up the road to Snowshill) and crosses a stream before climbing up the escarpment to Shenberrow Hill, site of an ancient (iron age?) settlement.
This ridge is quite exposed and strong winds can really cool you down after the steady climb up from Broadway. Paths down to the spring line villages of Laverton and Buckland strike off to the right but the Cotswold Way continues along the ridge. Then the path joins a bridle path, much churned up by the horses, and plunges down to the village of Stanton. The photo at left shows Paul and the state of the trail (actually it has been much worse than this!) |
| Stanton is a very attractive village but in some ways it is too perfect and has lost its original village charm. The explanation for this is that the village was rescued by an architect, Sir Philip Stott, whose grave is in the local churchyard. He gave his life and soul to Stanton and carefully went about revitalizing the buildings as well as providing for the villagers (a swimming pool was built, for example). After he died the village became much sought after and was one of the first to be swamped by second home owners. It was also one of the first villages to lose its general store and post office. And this may explain why the place has become sterile.
Fortunately there is a very good pub at the top end of the main village street, the Mount Inn. Good food and beer and excellent views across the Vale of Evesham. The path to Stanway is along the spring line and can be very muddy. The last few fields are within the estate of Stanway House and have many mature trees. Stanway marks the end of the journey that is Stage 1. More about this charming village in Stage 2, Stanway to Belas Knapp. |
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Go back to: 0 - Introduction | 1 - Chipping Campden to Stanway | Go on to 2 - Stanway to Belas Knap
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Travel Notes
The Photos
Maps
"Official Resources"
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Go back to: 0 - Introduction | 1 - Chipping Campden to Stanway | Go on to 2 - Stanway to Belas Knap Add a Comment or an Update on the FocalplaneTravelblog |