Comments or questions? Post on our Slow Europe Facebook Page.Photos - Minchinhampton in the Snow, southern Cotswolds
A walk in the market town of Minchinhampton, in the southern Cotswolds, in the snow, January 2008. Minchinhampton, or "Minch" as it is known to its friends, is a delightful town. It is small (barely makes it into my "market town" category) and is in a relatively non-touristed part of the Cotswolds. Minch is a "royal" town, with Gatcombe Park, Princess Anne's residence, on the outskirts between Minch and Avening.
Minchinhampton sits on the edge of the Minchinhampton Commons, 580 acres owned by the National Trust. The commons are wide open fields sitting high above the Stroud Valley. Rodborough Commons, also owned by the National Trust, are to the north and look down to Stroud. There is a large golf course on one side of the Minchinhampton Commons (they stop play when walkers are in the area) and the remains of Iron Age Bulwarks on the other side, close to the town. There are trails across the commons and in the woods around the edges. Read more about Minchinhampton.