Things to do
around Stow-on-the-Wold

Stow-on-the-Wold is a town you can walk in an afternoon and still not finish exploring. Within about two miles of the centre you'll find some 50 shopping places, 30 spots to eat and drink, eight places to stay, three services and one activities venue — a concentration that makes it an easy base if you're touring the surrounding villages, and an easy day out if you're not. It suits browsers and grazers rather than tick-list sightseers: the pleasure here is in wandering between shopfronts, stopping when something catches your eye, and coming back for a second look before you leave.

A good few hours might begin with coffee and something warm from 42nd East Bakehouse, then a slow loop of the independents — Lambswold for wool and woollens, Saltmarsh and Pom-On-The-Wold for the kind of finds you hadn't planned on carrying home. Break for lunch at The Talbot, or put together a picnic at D'Ambrosi Fine Foods if the weather is behaving. With so many places to eat within walking distance, you won't struggle to stretch the afternoon into an evening.