The Market Square

The large market square at the centre of Stow-on-the-Wold is one of the finest in the Cotswolds, ringed by Georgian and earlier buildings in the local honey-coloured limestone. For centuries it hosted enormous sheep fairs that were among the biggest in England, with dealers coming from across the country for the twice-yearly events. The fairs still take place, though they have moved to a field on the edge of town and now deal in horses rather than sheep.

Today the square is lined with antique dealers, tea rooms, and independent shops rather than livestock pens. The stocks survive in one corner — a reminder that market days were not always pleasant for everyone involved. On quieter mornings, when the coach parties haven't yet arrived, the square has a genuine stillness that makes the history feel tangible.

things to do sight
A story
Daniel Defoe visited Stow in the early 18th century and recorded that twenty thousand sheep were sold here in a single day — a figure that captures how central this square was to the Cotswold wool trade. The narrow alleys running into the square, called "tures," were purpose-built to funnel sheep in from surrounding roads while keeping them channelled toward the pens.