Chipping Campden

Chipping Campden's accommodation is shaped by its history: this is a town of coaching inns, Regency townhouses and family-run B&Bs rather than large hotel chains, and the choice below reflects that. At the top end, a Grade II listed Regency house and an 18th-century townhouse on the main square both offer the kind of polished, spa-and-restaurant stay that suits a special-occasion break, while retaining the low-key Cotswold character that keeps this town from feeling like a resort. A stone farmhouse-turned-guest-house just outside the centre in Broad Campden adds a quieter, garden-set alternative for those who want comfort without being in the thick of it.

In the middle of the market, several historic inns do double duty as places to eat and places to stay, which suits visitors who want a proper dinner without having to book a table elsewhere. A 14th-century former monks' lodging, a coaching inn with links to Charles II, and a 17th-century country inn a couple of miles out in Weston-sub-Edge all offer characterful rooms above a working bar and restaurant, generally at a lower price than the townhouse hotels and with a more informal, drop-your-bags-at-the-bar welcome.

For those on a tighter budget, or who simply prefer a home-from-home over a hotel, Chipping Campden's B&Bs are strong. A traditional inn on St Catharine's Square offers straightforward bed-and-breakfast rooms above its own restaurant, while a family-run guest house on George Lane, a short walk from the High Street, is typical of the quieter, personally-run accommodation this part of the Cotswolds does well. Across all three tiers, rooms are limited and this remains a popular weekend destination, so booking ahead is strongly advised, particularly from late spring through to early autumn.

Compact as it is, Chipping Campden rewards slow exploration on foot, and its surroundings offer plenty for a longer stay.

• The High Street is the main event: a continuous terrace of 14th to 17th century stone buildings, best appreciated by walking its full length from the Market Hall to the church.
• Market Hall, built in 1627 by Sir Baptist Hicks for the sale of local produce, still stands at the heart of the High Street and remains one of the most photographed buildings in the Cotswolds.
• St James' Church is one of the finest of the Cotswold 'wool churches', built with money from the medieval wool trade and notable for its perpendicular tower, brasses and monuments to the Hicks family.
• Court Barn Museum tells the story of the Guild of Handicraft and the wider Arts and Crafts movement in the Cotswolds, with work by Ashbee, Gimson and their contemporaries.
• Hidcote Manor Garden, a National Trust property a few miles north of the town, is one of England's most influential Arts and Crafts gardens, arranged as a series of outdoor 'rooms'.
• Kiftsgate Court Gardens, next door to Hidcote, is a lesser-known but equally rewarding garden with dramatic views over the Vale of Evesham.
• The Cotswold Way begins (or ends) in Chipping Campden, and even a short section north towards Broadway Tower gives walkers sweeping views without committing to the full 102-mile route.
• Dover's Hill, just outside the town, hosts the historic Cotswold Olimpick Games each spring and offers one of the best viewpoints in the area, taking in the Vale of Evesham and the Malvern Hills.

Chipping Campden's food scene punches well above its size, built around a handful of historic coaching inns and gastropubs rather than chain restaurants. The Eight Bells Inn, a former 14th-century monks' lodging on Church Street, serves a seasonal, locally sourced menu in a low-beamed setting that has changed little in character over the centuries. The Noel Arms Hotel's Dovers Bar and restaurant occupies one of the town's oldest buildings, with a menu built around Cotswold produce, while The Kings Hotel's Jackrabbit Restaurant has built a reputation for modern British cooking with an AA Rosette to its name.

Out towards Weston-sub-Edge, The Seagrave Arms is worth the short drive for a proper country inn dinner, with game and trout featuring heavily depending on season. Closer to the centre, the High Street's independent shops include a traditional butcher and a bakery, both useful for picnic supplies before a walk up to Dover's Hill or along the Cotswold Way.

For something lighter, the town's tea rooms serve cream teas and light lunches through the day, a longstanding fixture of a Cotswold high street visit. Little Oak Vineyard, a small family-run vineyard just outside the town, produces Seyval Blanc and Pinot Noir and runs tours and tastings, giving visitors a taste of the more recent addition to the area's food and drink credentials alongside its wool-trade history.

Chipping Campden itself has no campsite within the town, which is unsurprising given its tightly-packed historic core, but the surrounding villages of north Gloucestershire and south Worcestershire offer a good spread of options within a short drive. Most sites sit between six and thirteen miles out, close enough for an evening trip into the town but far enough to offer proper rural camping among orchards, wolds and woodland rather than roadside pitches.

For a fuller-facility stay, a long-established holiday park at Honeybourne, roughly midway between Chipping Campden and Broadway, combines touring caravan pitches with a heated outdoor pool, clubhouse and entertainment programme, making it a reliable choice for families wanting more than a bare field. Further towards Evesham, a family-run caravan and camping park overlooking Bredon Hill takes tents, caravans, motorhomes and a handful of glamping pods, with a small shop and an emphasis on a quiet, adults-and-families rather than group-focused atmosphere.

Those after a simpler, back-to-basics stay are better served by a woodland tent site near Moreton-in-Marsh, set beside a hundred acres of trees with fire pits and outdoor showers rather than hookups or a shop. None of these sites are within Chipping Campden's boundary, so a car (or at minimum a bike for the closer ones) is genuinely useful for making the most of a camping stay here, though all three are well placed for day trips into the town and onward to Broadway, Stow-on-the-Wold and Stratford-upon-Avon.