Chipping Norton: The Town That Moved up the Hill

For centuries, Europe’s finest wool came from the Cotswolds, much of which was traded at the bustling marketplace that fueled the growth of Chippy, as the locals affectionately call Chipping Norton. On this walking tour of this ‘wool town’, made rich by the trade of sheep and their fleeces, you’ll hear about Chipping Norton’s history and lesser-known quirks, like how Lord William Fitzalan’s hilltop manor ended up forcing the whole town to move up the hill.

Our tour starts in the car park just below Chipping Norton’s New Street. You’ll venture downhill past a former recording studio where some famous music was recorded between the 1970s and 1990s, while a famous madcap rock drummer ran a pub in the very same location. You’ll go on to explore St Mary the Virgin Church, one of the finest churches in the Cotswolds, with its origins in the 10th century. You’ll find the Theatre Chipping Norton, a charming establishment that is celebrated for its productions today, but was hugely controversial when it was first built. On the high street, you’ll find out how, as the town grew, it became the backdrop for an alarming number of riots, reflecting changes in social history. You’ll finish up at the Old Town Hall where you’ll learn how Chippy became the unlikely birthplace of English baseball.

Along the way, you’ll have a chance to:

• Find a grave given the extraordinarily carved epitaph of ‘The Ratcatcher’s Wife’, and hear its story
• Pass the Blue Boar whose name goes back to a war with King Richard the Third
• Learn why the town moved up the hill from its original setting
• Admire a beautiful “wool church” built in the 15th century by rich merchants
• Discover the history behind one of the most photographed rows of almshouses in the Cotswolds
• Hear how Chipping Norton reinvented itself as a stagecoach town with more than 20 inns

You’ll also hear the stories of three memorable clergymen:

• One who was hung in chains from the church roof for using the wrong bible
• Another who is famous for his knowledge of bees
• And a medical pioneer who helped develop painkillers

At the end of this tour, you’ll have followed Chipping Norton’s history as it went uphill, and have enjoyed tales of its most beloved townsfolk and their lives.