The first item on my list was to visit Moreton-in-Marsh, because a guidebook indicated that on every Tuesday the town has an open-air street market that has run continuously for hundreds of years. I just love farmer's markets. Since the market has been around for so long, I was picturing this to be the best market in the world. In hindsight, I recognize now that the guidebook only called it old, not good. Traffic was no problem until I reached town. Being just a small two lane road that went right through the center of town, there was quite a long back up of cars. There also was hardly anywhere to park. These two problems were frustrating, and wasted a lot of time that I didn't have to waste. (I had less than one day to try to explore four different towns.)
Once I finally walked to the market, I was pleased at first at the site of a fruit and vegetable stand. However, other than one man selling wooden kitchen tools, supposedly from Poland, there were no handicrafts or unique items to be found. Everything else was mass-produced crap. I felt like I was walking around Dollar General. Needless to say, I was extremely disappointed and upset. The town itself wasn't much to speak of either from what I saw, so I left, hoping for a better outcome at the next spot.
I came. I saw. I left.
It was a rainy day. Definitely not an ideal day to take a leisurely stroll around a village, but I still attempted to do this in Stow on the Wold. After a failed attempt to complete a self-guided walking tour, due to wind and rain droplets making it hard to follow the guide book, I decided it was time to eat lunch since it was already late in the afternoon.
I think Ketchup is a member of the royal family.
Other than enjoying my soup and risotto at The Vine Leaf (http://thevineleaf.co.uk/), I can't say this town left too much of an impression on me, not that it's the town's fault. I was just tired and still cranky from wasting time earlier to go to the lame market.
View of a typical street.
Super cute doors. They're just about my height too.
Obligatory photo op in a rusty old phone booth.
The buildings are made of Cotswold limestone, which is golden in color.
Every house should have a stone warthog at the entrance.
Next it was onto Chipping Campden. As I walked around town, I was looking for a place to try one of those Devonshire cream teas. For some reason, it seemed like very few shops and restaurants in town were open, or it was too late in the day for teatime. So once again, I missed out. But at least the town had lots of neat things to look.
I loved the windows.
St. Catharine's Church.
The town's Market Hall, built in 1627.
"No persons shall cause annoyance to others..." That should be a rule everywhere.
The ceiling of the Market Hall.
I continued to walk through town, on a mission to find a thatch roof house. Finally, I found some, and they were just as cute as I thought they would be!
Neat houses, but still not what I was looking for.
I think I'm getting closer. P.S. I love, love, love stone walls.
It was like finding Snow White's cottage!
It was already early evening by the time I made my way to Stratford-upon-Avon. I know some Shakespeare fanatics spend days here, but for me it was just an overnight pit stop, mainly only because it was along the route north. Thankfully, there were still a couple hours of daylight after I arrived. The town looked very different from any of the places I saw in The Cotswolds. I liked that different old towns in different parts of the country had their own character, which I assume was mainly due to the architectural style of when most of the town was built and also which building materials were available in the local area.
Such a variety of styles and colors.
Super old building, as if you couldn't tell by its lopsidedness.
I guess this is the "new" part of town. Bay windows everywhere.
Shakespeare statue at Bancroft Gardens.
The River Avon, swans and all.
Ideally, it would've been better to have had more time to explore The Cotswolds and Stratford-upon-Avon. But when covering so much ground in a relatively short amount of time, you have to prioritize and make compromises. I'm glad I chose to stop here, even if just for one day, rather than skip it altogether. There are still plenty of highlights and hidden gems though that I would like to check out if I ever go back.
Up next: Cheshire
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