Fernando H. Green Blog: Discover picture-perfect Painswick in the quirkiliciously quaint Cotswolds

Cotswold Way signpost in Broadway

Visiting villages in the Cotswolds is like eating a box of really good chocolates; one or two are divine, the whole box makes you feel slightly queasy. They (the villages) are all so achingly pretty, with mellow-stone walls, rambling roses and pastel foxgloves, manicured lawns, thatched roofs, quaint pubs and shops selling fudge and chi-chi things for the ‘home’ at ridiculously high prices. They have wondrously English names like Bourton-on-the-Water, Chipping Sodbury and the sinister-named, but oh so charming Upper (and Lower) Slaughter. However, if you’re looking for a slightly less known Cotswold village then search out Painswick. Calling itself the ‘Queen of the Cotswolds‘, it’s only 6 miles from Gloucester and yet it’s as if the 21st century hasn’t got here yet.

Painswick – Queen of the Cotswolds

St Mary’s Church and Yew Trees

A gilded weather-cock sits on top of the splendid spire of St Mary Church, getting a bird’s eye view of Painswick and surrounding countryside. Built over 600 years ago, this delightful church has a number of intriguing features to attract visitors. The ceilings were repainted and gilded in the 1970s, the lecturn is made from applewoood not stone, and the font dates to from 1661.

St Mary’s Church Painswick

High above hangs a model of Sir Francis Drake’s Armada flag ship, the Bonaventure. (The word ‘nave‘ is derived from the Latin word for ship, navis.) In the oldest part of the church is a beautiful mosaic from Italy and a wooden Memorial Screen carved by a Belgian refugee in the First World War. My eye was drawn to the colourful embroidered kneelers hanging from the pews. There are over 300, made by the parishioners in the 1980s.

Yew Trees

The yew trees in St Mary’s churchyard were planted in 1792. Legend says 99 were planted and a hundredth will never grow. I visited with a friend on a gloriously sunny October day; they’d been clipped in August and were looking magnificent. On the Sunday following the 19th of September the church holds the ‘Clypping Ceremony’ (from clyppan = to embrace) during which the clergy, choir and children walk through the churchyard and a join hands in a circle around the church. A sermon is preached from the steps near the tower and the children are given buns and coins for joining in.

Painswick Rococo Garden

Painswick Rococo Garden – photo HartlepoolMarina2014

Painswick has England’s only surviving complete rococo garden. Designed in the 1740s, it’s described as a ‘theatrical set for holding intimate garden parties, ripe for riotous pleasure and romance’. Painswick Rococo Garden. With quirky follies, a maze, woods, fruit and vegetable gardens plus a cafe and gift shop, there’s certainly a lot to see. Unfortunately we didn’t have time to visit this attraction, but my friend assured me it is well-worth a visit. Next time …

Painswick Village

Painswick signpost

There are a great many fine buildings in this village, which used to be a thriving centre for the Cotswold wool industry. Bisley Street has quite a few medieval houses; their low doorways indicate the age of these buildings. The oldest building in Painswick is on New Street. Built around 1428, it used to be a post office but sadly it’s no longer in use. Grander houses can be found all around and we were tempted by attractive Cardynham House Bistro for a bite to eat. Behind the church are the Spectacle Stocks, which were last used in the 1840s.

Painswick village

We picked up a leaflet of walks in the area from the tiny Tourist Information Office near the church Lych Gate. The Cotswold Way runs through the village and there’s a path along Painswick Stream. Our final stop was the Victorian Town Hall where a craft fair was being held. It appeared very popular with locals and the few tourists who were pottering about. There’s plenty to see in this attractive village and we felt we’d found a very special corner of the busy Cotswolds …

Find out about Stratford-upon-Avon and William Shakespeare here.