PAINSWICK, GLOUCESTERSHIRE
Painswick is surrounded by beautiful countryside and set in an area of outstanding natural beauty. It is rightfully called "Queen of the Cotswolds". The village lies at the mid-point of the Cotswold Way national trail, approximately 50 miles from Chipping Campden to the north and 50 miles from Bath in the south. It is a convenient stopping off point for the large number of people from all over t
he world who enjoy walking this trail. A short walk from the village itself to Painswick Beacon provides excellent views across the Severn Vale towards the Malvern Hills and even Wales.
Many of the buildings in the village are made from locally quarried Cotswold stone, resulting from the prosperous wool and cloth trade in centuries past. The lovely chuch of St. Mary's is surrounded by the famous 99 yew trees and table tombs which fill the church grounds. In the valley below the village the Painswick Stream provided power to the many wealthy cloth and pin mills alongside the stream.
In the village there is a variety of small shops, cafes, restaurants and places to stay, ranging from the quirky Painswick Hotel to numerous bed and breakfast and self-catering accommodation.
Nearby are the delightful smaller villages of Sheepscombe, Slad, Cranham, Pitchcombe and Edge, all of which are within a short walking distance along the numerous footpaths which cover this area.
Painswick also provides a convenient base for exploring the rest of the Cotswolds, Cheltenham and Bath (famous for their spas, the latter also for its Roman Baths), and Gloucester where the cathedral rises magnificently above the city. Other nearby places of interest include Prinknash Abbey, Westonbirt Arboretum, and the Roman town of Cirencester.
