THE BEST OF MIDDLE ENGLAND

A tour in the Midlands affords Andria Massey the chance to rediscover some old favourites

Having been fans of Morse and Lewis since watching both series on TV, my housemat Pearl and I have always admired the fine  architecture of Oxford. So for our first trip of the season, we planned a tour including the city.

We also wanted to visit Stratford-upon-Avon, so we looked for a campsite that would make a good base for exploring the two places. Chipping Norton Camping and Caravanning Club Site, almost equidistant from both, proved ideal.

A leisurely drive to the site 

The campsite is a comparatively easy reach from our home in North Wales, so after a leisurely drive, we were soon set up on our pitch.

We prefer to use public transport when possible, leaving our motorhome on site, so next morning, we walked to the pretty village of Chadlington (just under a mile away), to catch the bus into Chipping Norton. There, we could also check the bus times for Oxford and Stratford-upon-Avon.

Soon after, we arrived in this lovely town, in the heart of the Cotswolds. We wandered through a busy street market, to the magnificent Grade II* listed Town Hall. Designed by George Stanley Repton in the Palladian style, it was built in 1842 and is now a lively events venue.

Chipping Norton has a long history, beginning with a small settlement below the hill, where the earthworks of a motte and bailey castle, dating from some time after 1066, can still be seen.

The parish church, dedicated to St Mary, stands on the hill by the castle, with parts of the building dating back to the 12th, 13th and 14th centuries. The splendid nave was largely rebuilt in 1485, with a fine Perpendicular Gothic clerestory, thought to have been funded by wealthy local wool merchant John Ashfield.

St Mary's is an excellent example of the 'wool churches that are often found in the Cotswolds, which were financed mainly by donations from traders and farmers who had grown rich in the medieval wool trade.