Stow-on-the-Wold remains one of the Cotswolds’ most popular destinations, so for us locals trips into the town are done with a certain trepidation. But on a weekday in spring or autumn it is usually is not too crowded.

The settlement is thought to have started life as a iron-age hillfort sitting on the junction of ancient roadways including the Roman Road the Fosseway. The location gave it real impetus and around Henry I gave it a charter for a weekly market. In 1330 the town was allowed to host a major week-long market in August. This was in the middle of the Cotswold ‘wool boom’ and could see as many as 20,000 traded during a single day. The market square that hosted it is massive and is still there today. Around it are ‘chures’ or’tures’, narrow alleyways where traders could herd their flocks of sheep into the marketsquare.

As the wool trade declined the town shifted its focus to horse trading and two major horse fairs are held annually to this day.

One of the town’s most famous featured is the north door at St Edward’s Church, flanked as it is by two ancient yew trees. Arguably one of the one photographed doors in the world and also one that is to the best of knowledge, unused. Just like all these other ones I found there.