Take a trip to... Stow

Katie Jarvis talks to the Mayor of Stow-on-the-Wold, Ben Eddolls, to find out more about this 'top' town.

Ben, what makes Stow-on-the-Wold a top town?

We’re literally a top town. At 800ft up, we’re the highest town in the Cotswolds. I grew up on a little farm in the Thames Valley, near Lechlade, and I’ve seen plenty of other small market towns wither. But there’s something about Stow – and I can’t quite put my finger on it – that means it’s thriving. For one thing, we’ve excellent pubs and hotels offering places to be sociable as well as some very fine cuisine.

 

What do you value about living in Stow?

I’m a bumpkin so I like the countryside: the slower pace of life; the lack of crime. But I also find the people very interesting. They’re an eclectic mix here. 

 

What would you recommend for children?

The rugby club brought me to Stow. It’s fantastic. Founded in 1879, we’re very fortunate that we bought the club grounds in the 1970s. Today, we have a vibrant club: 350 junior players, men’s and women’s teams. Rugby is very good for children. Everything comes down to a level playing-field on that pitch. Plus, you need total respect for the referee - and you need to get along with people. It’s rough-and-tumble on the pitch; but, when you’re off it, you make some very good friends with your opponents.

 

Name the best things to do for free in Stow…

To start with, I’d say: walk round the unique medieval town square. Whenever I come back home after being away, I make a point of driving through because it is lovely. We’ve photographs taken over 100 years ago and you wouldn’t see any difference other than cars. Then there are all the independent shops. I’d also recommend having a look at the church [St Edward’s] with its ‘Tolkien’ door. There are two yew trees either side: it was supposed to be JRR Tolkien’s inspiration for the Doors of Durin.

 

Best walk in and around Stow?

There are lots. The Cotswold Way and the Monarch’s Way [long distance footpaths] come down through the town. There are also walks around local villages, including one that takes in Donnington Brewery. Our Visitor Information Centre [in the library, Market Square] can supply a walks leaflet.
It’s interesting to stroll around the town itself. When wool was king, there was a massive market in the centre, where something like 20,000 sheep would be sold. They’d use the town’s narrow alleyways – known as tures – as makeshift sheep pens.

 

If you could go back in time…

Going back 60 years or so, Stow was an impoverished town. I own a building company, and I can see signs of that lack of money just by looking at some of the work done here. They’d sell their Cotswold stone slates, for example, and put a very much cheaper substitute on. But if you go back further - say to the 1850s when the church was remodelled - that would be interesting because there was a lot of money coming in. If I went back in time, I’d want to be the right side of the money!

 

For more on Stow go to www.stowinfo.co.uk