Wyck Hill House Hotel & Restaurant
Stow-on-the-Wold, Gloucestershire

18Th Century manor house in the very centre of the Cotswolds. An award-winning chef, private dining rooms as well as main restaurant, overlooking gardens and valleys. A warm welcome awaits you. This Cotswold Manor House, dating from 1722, stands in l00 acres of land with stunning views across the Windrush Valley, making it the perfect place to escape the maddening rush, yet it is only an hour and a half from London. It is the ideal venue for lunch, dinner. Training course, or that special occasion party. Wyck Hill House is the ideal starting point from which to visit the beautiful villages of the Cotswolds: Burford, Bourton on the Water, The Rissingtons, Bibury, Stow on the Wold, Broadway, Moreton in the Marsh, the list is endless. Stow on the Wold is renowned for its antiques and offers a cornucopia of delights to explore. Cheltenham Spa, Warwick, Stratford upon Avon and Blenheim Palace are also close by, offering delightful shops, theatre, concerts, excellent sporting facilities and historic buildings. The Royal Shakespeare Theatre company particularly draws guests from all parts of the globe to this delightful triangle of Middle England. The hotel is currently undergoing refurbishment. This is due for completion by October 2006.

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Stow-on-the-Wold, an historic English market town in the county of Gloucestershire, sits on top of an 800 ft (244 m) hill, at the convergence of a number of major roads through the Cotswolds, including the Fosse Way (A429). Stow-on-the-Wold, an historic English market town in the county of Gloucestershire, sits on top of an 800 ft (244 m) hill, at the convergence of a number of major roads through the Cotswolds, including the Fosse Way (A429). Stow on the Wold is said to have originated as an Iron Age fort on this defensive postion on a hill. Indeed, there are many sites of similar forts in the area, and Stone Age and Bronze Age burial mounds are common throughout the area. The town began to grow as a result of trade along the Fosse Way (a Roman Road). Originally the small settlement was controlled by Abbots from the local Abbey, and when the first weekly market was set up in 1107 by Henry I, he decreed that the proceeds go to the Evesham Abbey. In 1330, Edward III set up an annual 7-day market to be held in August. This was replaced by Edward IV in 1476 with two 5-day fairs, two days before and two days after the feast of St Philip and St James in May, and similarly in October on the feast of St Edward the Confessor (the saint associated with the town). The aim of these annual fairs was to establish Stow as a place to trade, and to remedy the unpredictable passing trade. These fairs were located in the Square, which is still the town centre.