Chipping Campden, England - June 1999
By
Bob Jack
Once you have arrived in England, and have covered London's tourist traps, you may crave some peace and quiet in traditional English scenery. If you are heading for Stratford upon Avon, there is an idyllic village called
Chipping Campden, lying only 12 miles south that has by reputation, "the most beautiful village street" in England. You can have a pictorial tour of the village on the Internet.
The village is now a protected conservation area, and the broad curving High Street is a showpiece of the Cotswolds district. Mellow hues of local gold and grey sandstone are easy on the eye and the houses fit snugly together. Yet along this unbroken terrace, the buildings jostle for attention. Each has its own distinguishing features; sundials, carved dates, leaded windows and stone porches which bare testimony to centuries of changing architectural styles.
Individualism in the style of the houses probably resulted from competition between the wealthy wool merchants who lived in them. Wool was the basis of the nation's economy in the Middle Ages, when the 'Cotswold Lions' sheep were bred for their thick, heavy fleeces, which were reputedly the best in Europe. Chipping Campden was "built on the back of a sheep" although today it is hard to believe that, six hundred years ago, half of all England's woollen exports passed through here, providing the finance to build this fine village.
The wool merchants made sure that even if their town was nestling in a gently wooded valley, it would be seen for miles. St. James' church was rebuilt in the fifteenth century to include a tower standing 120 feet high, twice the height of the nave. Today, the church remains virtually intact as one of the country's best examples of a 'wool' church.
The graceful interior, well lit by large perpendicular windows, holds a wealth of treasures and curios including the sole surviving English 'Cope' from around 1400. This was a long sleeveless cape worn by clergy on ceremonial occasions. It was copied and used in Westminster Abbey for the Queen's Coronation in 1952 but no one knows that the town has the original. There are medieval altar hangings hidden from the light behind curtains - the only perfect set of that period in England. The church also contains the remains of the town's two most famous benefactors, William Grevel and Sir Baptist Hicks.
William Grevel was a major player in the wool industry and Chaucer even mentioned him in the 'Canterbury Tales'. He was buried in front of the altar in 1401 under a splendid large memorial brass of himself and his wife Marionna, commemorating 'The Flower of the Wool Merchants of All England'.
Grevel House, built in 1380, is the oldest and most famous in Chipping Campden, being one of the earliest buildings in England to feature chimneys rather than holes in the roof. Leaning over towards the street, it remains almost unaltered with its gargoyles, packhorse entrance and tall oriel window. Opposite stands the former Fourteenth Century Woolstaplers Hall in which the merchants traded their raw fleeces.
Two hundred years later, Sir Baptist Hicks, a silk trader and reputedly the richest man in England at that time, built himself a country residence - Campden House. It was an ornate Italian style mansion with eleven acres of gardens. The house itself was burnt down in 1645 during the English Civil War, although the lodges and main gateway still stand next to St. James' Church. On top of the remaining pavilions you can also see the twisted spiral chimneys of that period.
Nearby are the almshouses which Hicks financed in 1612 for £1000. They were, and still are, used as homes for twelve pensioners. Hicks was also responsible for the Market Hall in 1627 which still dominates the centre of the High Street. This striking wooden gabled and arcaded structure housed the local butter, cheese and poultry market.
It was rescued by the National Trust from export to America in the 1940s and is still used for special occasions. Standing beneath it, on the well-worn stone floor, you can view the ancient shingled roof which is hung on tough oak pegs. Nearby, stands the old three-tier grammar school, one of the earliest schools in English history, and the large water dip used to wash cartwheels to ensure that the town was kept free of mud.
In the late Nineteenth Century, the famous botanist Earnest Wilson, born in Chipping Campden, introduced many oriental shrubs and trees to Europe - hence his nickname 'Chinese Wilson'. His importance is celebrated in the tranquil Earnest Wilson Memorial Gardens, a secluded area off the High Street containing many of the 2000 species of trees and plants that he discovered.
Continuing down the High Street, narrow covered alleyways, darkened with age, invite a second glance which reveals delightful cottage gardens. Small antique shops are full of treasures. The Guild of Handicrafts, founded by Charles Ashbee in 1902, still promotes many traditional craft workshops such as pottery, needlecraft, silverware and upholstery.
Ancient pubs like the Eight Bells Inn and the Dover's Arms, with worn flagstones and roaring fires, have a relaxing atmosphere. The hotels, too, seem to be pleasantly trapped in the English past. The oldest inn is the fourteenth century Noel Arms Hotel which offers four-poster beds, whilst the Cotswold House Hotel relives the days of touring in the 1930s - quiet, comfortable, unrushed.
Chipping Campden, with a population of just 2,500, has a real community spirit which is best illustrated by the annual 'Cotswold Olympicks'. The event has been held annually for most of the past 400 years at the end of May, and involves the locals participating in some unusual team events. Proceedings culminate with a bonfire, fireworks and a torchlight parade back down to the High Street where the town dances until the early hours.
The village is also the start of the Cotswold Way which runs along the western edge of the Cotswold Hills and ends 100 miles south in Bath. It can easily be walked in a week and covers some beautiful rural scenery, picture postcard villages and historical sights.
Ask an Insider
If you like more information about the Cotswolds, email the author or ask an Insider, below.
Peter Kennet - I can offer info on The Cotswolds (tourist sites, hiking, skydiving,
sailplanes) and caving in the Mendips.
