From Savannah to the Cotswolds, Part 7: Chipping Campden

Our final full day in the Cotswolds began in the town of Chipping Campden. By this point in the trip, I thought I had seen all the charm one area could possibly offer…but nope, the Cotswolds just kept outdoing itself.

When we first arrived, we parked and wandered a little ways out of town to a road lined with the most beautiful thatched cottages. Honestly, they looked like something straight out of Alice in Wonderland. Remember when Alice eats the cookie in the White Rabbit’s house and suddenly grows too big for the space? That’s exactly what came to mind when I saw the first cottage. Each one had such personality, and to make them even more whimsical, they had animal figures sitting right on top of the roofline. I later learned these are called finials — little straw animals that sit on top of the roofs. (How amazing is that?!) Oh, and in case you’re wondering: the thatched roofs are covered with a mesh layer to keep out birds and critters. Practical and magical.

After happily snapping pictures of the cottages, I stumbled across this bright red post office box while we were walking back to the main part of town. By now, I had become a little obsessed with these. Each one has the royal cypher (basically, a monogram) of the reigning king or queen at the time it was installed — this particular one dated back to Queen Victoria.

One of the highlights of Chipping Campden for me was visiting St. James Church, considered one of the finest wool churches in England. Most of the current structure dates back to the 13th and 14th centuries, and it was absolutely breathtaking inside. The medieval cope and altar hangings were incredible to see in person, and a kind lady inside the church patiently answered all of my (many) questions about its history. Walking inside felt like stepping back in time, but walking around outside the church was just as special. Like the other churches we visited, St. James was surrounded by a graveyard. I know that might sound a little morbid, but I found it fascinating to read the names and dates on the headstones (for those that I could still read) and to wonder about the lives of those who had once lived in this beautiful town.

Somewhere along the way, we came across a really pretty berry bush, and my mom joked that she should use it for her Christmas card photo: “Have a berry merry Christmas. Love, Jean.” We laughed, but I was fully on board with this idea — and yes, that picture did, in fact, end up on her Christmas card. (And it was perfect.)

On our way back toward the car, we had one more delightful surprise. We met a sweet older gentleman named Mr. Evans, a longtime resident of Chipping Campden. He chatted with us about the town, shared little tidbits of history, and even offered us a peek inside his historic home. I could have listened to him for hours, but unfortunately, time wasn’t on our side. Lunch was calling, and so was the next stop on our itinerary.

From Chipping Campden, we made our way to Broadway — though we were technically supposed to squeeze in Upper and Lower Slaughter, too. Let’s just say we got slightly sidetracked by some sheep and Broadway Tower…but more on that next time. 😉

If you liked reading this blog, you may also enjoy:

• From Savannah to the Cotswolds, Part 1: Bibury
• From Savannah to the Cotswolds, Part 2: Castle Combe
• From Savannah to the Cotswolds, Part 3: Bath
• From Savannah to the Cotswolds, Part 4: Stow-on-the-Wold
• From Savannah to the Cotswolds, Part 5: Bourton-on-the-Water
• From Savannah to the Cotswolds, Part 6: Burford

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