Mostly Cloudy 13 oC
The walk starts at Grevel House almost facing the junction with Church Street. This private house is the oldest building in Campden and was built in about 1380 for William Grevel, a wealthy businessman and wool merchant. Note the sundial - there are seven other sundials to be spotted as you stroll (ask for a copy of the Sundial Trail in the Information Centre).
Keeping to the same side of the street and heading towards the Square, you'll soom come to the old St. James' Primary School built in 1831 and used until the 1960s.
Further along, you will come to the Market Hall built by Sir Baptist Hicks in 1627 for local traders. His coat of arms and the date can be seen. Each corner has a pediment and each gable a window (blocked in). The floor still retains its stone pitching and there is fine craftsmanship in the roof timbers. The Market Hall was used to sell dairy produce and vegetables and was in a sorry state until it was presented to the National Trust who restored it.
Beyond the Market Hall is the War Memorial and Town Hall. The Town Hall was originally a 14th century building that was used by the burgesses of the town as a gaol and later as a wool exchange or court house. Rebuilt in the 18th century, it was fully restored in 1897 when the new entrance porch was built for Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee.
At the side of the Town Hall and adjacent to the Square is the stone that marks the start/finish point of the Cotswold Way long-distance footpath. Beside the War Memorial is the new sign to commemorate Campden winning the Bledisloe Cup for Best Kept Village.
The Cotswold House Hotel, an elegant building facing out over the Square, was built in 1815. Darby's House was the home of Richard Darby, an early 18th century maltster who is credited with inventing the slide rule. Now pass between the Baptist Church (rebuilt 1872) and Island House (more correctly houses). This provides an illustration of a timber-framed 16th century building that has not been refaced.
The pathway between the two houses opposite is believed to be a 'rope walk', hence 'Twine House' at the High Street end and 'Twine Cottages' at the far end on Back Ends.
Continue along the same side of the street into Lower High Street. There was once a great elm outside Elm Tree House that became the hiring point for agricultural workers. The house dates from 1656 but has a Georgian bow window. C.R. Ashbee used it for his architectural practice and its outbuildings for a School of Arts and Crafts. The Old Bakehouse speaks for itself. Ernest Wilson, the explorer who was responsible for collecting over 1,200 species of plants from China in the early part of the 20th century, lived in the Lower High Street. (There is a small plaque on his house.)
When Catholics were given greater freedom to worship, the 3rd Earl of Gainsborough (descendant of Edward Noel) built the Church of St. Catharine in 1891 and named it after a medieval chapel now lost. A fine building in late Gothic style, it is worth a visit to see the stained glass windows made in Campden in the early 20th century by one of Campden's famous craftsmen, Paul Woodroffe.
Cross the road to the Volunteer Inn that probably dates from 1859 when the volunteers came to the inn to sign on for the county militia.
You can extend your route to include Westington (originally a separate hamlet) with its thatched cottages, manor and farmhouses continue along this side of the road (Park Road) until you come to a gap in the houses with a footpath sign on the side wall. Follow this across the footbridge over the River Cam and uphill across the field, pausing at the top to enjoy the view over the town. Goalong the path between the houses to emerge in Westington.
Turn left and follow the road (past some much photographed thatched cottages) around a sharp bend into Sheep Street.
Resume themain walk at the Old Silk Mill - make your way back along the street towards the town centre and at the corner with the Robert Welch Studio turn right into Sheep Street. A few yards down on the right is the Old Silk Mill, which was the base for C.R. Ashbee's Guild of Handicraft in the early 20th century.
The mill still contains working art and crafts studios including on the ground floor, TheGallery@TheGuild, a co-operative of local artists and craftspeople. On the 1st floor, you can visit the workshop of Harts Silversmiths where descendants of the original Guild craftsmen still work.
Rejoin the High Street at the 17th century Red Lion Inn. Brewery receipts dated 28th February 1660 (found during renovations in 1929) reveal that Valentine Smith of Campden paid three shillings and nine pence for "one barrel and halfe of strong bears" (beers) in Excise duty (about 12p a barrel - a lot in those days!).
A close look at the Library building reveals its origins as a 'Blue Coat School' built in 1820 for pupils of primary school age. The Noel Arms, formerly 'The George', was the town's 'posting house'. The Noel Arms archway leads into George Lane, formerly a packhorse track for carrying wool from Campden to Bristol and Southampton. In the 1790s there was a wagon from London twice a week and it was an important coaching inn throughout the 18th and 19th centuries.
Just beyond the Noel Arms is The Old Police Station. Built in 1872 and now used as a community centre, this houses the Information Centre. Visit there for local information and a wide selection of guides, maps and souvenirs.
Continue past Caminetto, formerly 'The Old Kings Arms', until you come to the Old Grammar School. Now in private use, it was founded in about 1440 and the old school room dates from 1863. Above the principal bay window is a sculptured panel bearing the arms of the founder John Fereby, and Baptist Hicks who gave money to the school.
The Woolstaplers Hall was built in the 14th century at the height of the prosperity brought by wool. Nearby, Bedfont House looks as impressive as when it was first built in the classical style for a rich farmer in the 1740s. (Both houses are privately owned.)
Leave the High Street turning right into Church Street and, almost immediately, you'll see the Eight Bells Inn. Probably the oldest public house in town, it derives its name from the peal of the nearby church. Glance to your right at the junction with Calf Lane to the Court House, converted from the former stables of the great house.
Follow the curve of Church Street and you'll soon come to the Almshouses built in 1612 by Sir Baptist Hicks for £1,000. There are twelve houses each sharing a front door. Opposite the Almshouses is the old cart dip for washing the wheels of carts.
Set into the wall just beyond the cart dip is the 18th century Court Barn which now contains an exciting new museum of craft and design from the Arts and Crafts Movement
Behind the wall you see the impressive remains of Campden House. Built in 1613-20 in an ornate Italian style at the enormous cost of £29,000, the house and gardens covered eleven acres. Only 25 years later, a devastating fire destroyed it. Whether by accident or design, the fire effectively meant that the approaching Roundheads could not use the house, turned garrison, as
the Royalist troops within departed to reinforce the King's flagging army. Limestone, when burnt, turns pink and you can still see pink stone around the town where material from the house has been re-used.
The gatehouse and lodges, each with a solid stone roof and Sir Baptist Hicks' coat of arms above, survived the fire. The banqueting houses with astonishing spiral chimneys remain intact and parts of other ruins can be seen. The Landmark Trust has restored the banqueting houses and gatehouse and they are now let as holiday homes.
Seventeenth-century lime trees, representing the Apostles, line the path to the Parish Church of St. James. This is one of the gems of the Cotswold wool churches. Mostly built about 500 years ago in the Perpendicular style with a magnificent tower, it is a monument to the prosperity of Campden at the height of the wool trade. The area around the east window is probably the oldest part, although the 20th century glass celebrates the safe return of soldiers from war.
There are few monuments, but those there are worthy of note including a very large brass to William Grevel and his wife Mariana and the tomb of Anthony Smith with his 2 wives and 13 children. In the South Chapel are the two marble edifices to Sir Baptist Hicks and wife Elizabeth and to Juliana and Edward Noel.
The brass lectern, engraved 1618 and probably from Flanders, and the Jacobean pulpit were both given by Sir Baptist. On display within the church are 500-year-old altar hangings and a vicar's ceremonial cope dating back to 1400.
Follow Cider Mill Lane around and back into Leysbourne, a continuation of the High Street. Turn left and after a short while pass through the archway into the Ernest Wilson Memorial Garden, opened in 1984 as a tribute to Ernest Wilson, the botanist and explorer who was born in Campden in 1876. He was responsible for introducing more trees, shrubs and flowers suitable for British gardens than any other collector.
On the opposite side of the road, North End Terrace, known as "Old Maid's Row", had probably been rebuilt from existing cottages in 1825. The Regency facade, with door fanlights reminiscent of Downing Street, hides earlier timber framed buildings. Continue along this side of the road to your starting point outside Grevel House.
