# Stow-on-the-Wold Guide: Things to Do and History > Explore Stow-on-the-Wold, the highest Cotswold town at 800 feet, with its vast Market Square, top ten things to do, nearby villages and famous gardens. URL: https://cotswolds.info/places/stow-on-the-wold.shtml Section: Villages & Towns Location: Stow-on-the-Wold, Gloucestershire (51.93, -1.723) Last updated: 2021-03-12 ![Ancient architecture of Stow-on-the-Wold](https://cotswolds.info/images/stow/slideshow/ancient_architecture.jpg) ![One side of The Square with church of St Edward](https://cotswolds.info/images/stow/slideshow/market_square_with_church.jpg) ![The Square with St Edward's Hall - a relative modern building built in 1878](https://cotswolds.info/images/stow/slideshow/market_square_with_spired_townhall.jpg) ![Promenade of shops and cottages](https://cotswolds.info/images/stow/slideshow/promenade_of_shops_and_cottages.jpg) ![The Old Stocks Hotel](https://cotswolds.info/images/stow/slideshow/old_stocks_hotel.jpg) ![Bustling shopping in The Square](https://cotswolds.info/images/stow/slideshow/market_square.jpg) ![Lucy's Tea Rooms in The Square](https://cotswolds.info/images/stow/slideshow/lucys_tearoom.jpg) ![Digbeth Street with boutique shops](https://cotswolds.info/images/stow/slideshow/digbeth_street.jpg) ![Old cottage doorway with stylish front door](https://cotswolds.info/images/stow/slideshow/cottage_doorway.jpg) ![Doorway of St Edward's church, built between 11th and 15th c, flanked by Yew trees](https://cotswolds.info/images/stow/slideshow/church_door.jpg) ![The 15th century penal stocks](https://cotswolds.info/images/stow/slideshow/medieval_stocks.jpg) Things to know, see & do around Stow-on-the-Wold Villages Nearby Famous Gardens Interesting Facts Gypsy Horse Fair Blog Town History Blog Battle of Stow Blog More pictures of Gypsy Horse Fair Accommodation, Restaurants, Shopping, Whats On Places to Stay Places to Eat Location Map Stow Events Follow @CotswoldInfo Stow-on-the-Wold is a delightful market town (population circa. 2000) and along with Moreton in Marsh, perhaps the best known of the small Cotswolds towns. ![Original 15th century cottage doorway with elm door](https://cotswolds.info/images/stow/original_elm_doorway.jpg)Stow-on the-Wold is the highest of the Cotswold towns standing exposed on 800 feet high Stow Hill at a junction of seven major roads, including the Roman Fosse Way. At the height of the Cotswold wool industry the town was famous for its huge annual fairs where as many as 20,000 sheep were sold at one time. The vast Market Square testifies to the towns former importance. At one end stands the ancient cross, and at the other the town stocks, shaded between an old elm tree. Around the square the visitor is faced with an elegant array of Cotswold town houses and shops. Stow is an important shopping centre and has many fine Antique shops, Art galleries, Gifts and Crafts and is a centre for Walking the Cotswolds countryside. Read about the last battle of the English Civil War at Stow-on-the-Wold in 1646. For full interesting history of this ancient market town see - Stow-on-the-Wold Cotswold Blog. The funeral of John Entwistle, the famous bass guitarist of The Who, was held at St Edward's Church Stow-on-the-Wold on 10 July 2002. ### Top Ten Things to Do 1. Don't miss the Gypsy Horse Fair held biannually (May and October) on open fields just 10 minutes walk from the centre of town. For more information and history see - Gypsy Horsefair - Cotswold Blogs. 3. Antique Shopping - Stow is well known as an antique shopping center. 5. Eating Out - a wonderful choice of restaurants, bistros and tea shops to choose from including wide choice of pub food. 7. Wide variety of shops including boutique for everything you could require from food to high end fashion. 9. Visit the Cotswold Motoring Museum and Toy Collection, four miles away at Bourton-on-the-Water: vintage cars, caravans, enamel signs and historic toys in an old mill beside the River Windrush. Web: www.cotswoldmotoringmuseum.co.uk. 11. Farmers Market held in The Square on 2nd Thursday of each month, 9am to 1pm. 13. Visit St Edward's church - built between 11th and 15th century. Steeped in history with amazing stained glass windows. 15. Visit nearby Cotswold famous gardens nearby of Hidcote Manor, Kiftsgate Court and Sezincote. 17. Visit nearby Batsford Arboretum and Falconry centre. 19. Visit nearby Chastleton House. ### NEARBY DRIVE TIMES - > Moreton in Marsh - 15 minutes > Broadway - 15 minutes > Chipping Campden - 25 minutes > Bourton on the Water - 15 minutes > Upper and Lower Slaughter - 10 minutes > Bibury - 30 minutes > Burford - 20 minutes > Chastleton House - 10 minutes > Snowshill Manor - 15 minutes > Broadway Tower - 15 minutes > Chedworth Roman Villa - 30 mimutes > Rollright Stone Circle - 15 minutes More pictures of Stow-on-the-Wold Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=THKfE_O-WEg BBC 'Top Gear' Filming in Stow-on-the-Wold Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qWSzRtrkpDM ### Interesting Facts **THE FATHER OF ENGLISH GEOLOGY** William Smith - known as the father of English Geology. Born in 1769, he first learned land surveying as a young man in Stow-on-the-Wold, a place where he became aware of contrasting rock formation with that of his native Oxfordshire. For more information see - Radstock Museum. **CHURES** In the 17th & 18th centuries Stow quickly developed as a cross roads and with the growth of the wool trade, the town prospered. Livestock (up to 20,000 sheep per day) were traded through Stow market from as far away as Wales. The town is criss-crossed by '**chures**', narrow alleys formerly used to drive and count sheep to the The Square on Market Days. It is believed that the word 'chure' is a corruption of the original true word - 'TURE'. **THE BATTLE OF STOW - 1646** A major battle was fought in Stow-on-the-Wold. Fighting continued into the Square and local legend tells that blood flowed down Digbeth Street such was the slaughter. Fighting in the town ended with the capture of the remains of the Royalist Army. For further information see - Battle of Stow. ### Visiting Famous Gardens There are several famous gardens within 20 minutes car journey of Stow-on-the-Wold including Hidcote Manor, Snowshill Manor, Bourton House, Sezincote, Hidcote Manor, Kiftsgate Court and Batdford Arboretum. See - Cotswold Gardens and North Cotswold Gardens Map and Driving Directions. - For - Interesting History of Stow on the Wold - For - Accommodation in and around Stow - For - Events in and around Stow-on-the-Wold - For - Activities in and around Stow-on-the-Wold - For - Places to Eat in and around Stow - For - About the famous Gypsy Horse Fairs - For - Location Map & Driving Directions to Stow The Gypsy Horse Fair at Stow-on-the-Wold is held bi-annually every year Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3QYnKvql2Ms ![Painting of Stow-on-the-Wold market place by L.S. Lowry](https://cotswolds.info/images/stow/lowry_painting_stow.jpg) The famous artist L.S. Lowry and his winter scene depicts Stow-on-the-Wold Market Square and St Edward’s Hall which is now the public library. ![Ink sketch of Stow-on-the-Wold by Richard Grassi](https://cotswolds.info/images/generic/richardgrassi/stow-on-the-wold.jpg) Ink Sketch of Stow-on-the-Wold by Richard Grassi ## Stow-on-the-Wold Visitor Information This page last modified Friday, 12-Mar-2021 15:07:15 CET