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Stow-on-the-Wold: Old Stocks Hotel

The Square, Phone: 01451.830666
www.oldstockshotel.co.uk

Reviewed by: kaydee from TN, review #1250

When: June 2003

Small hotel with a great location on the main square in Stow. 16th century building. Friendly and helpful staff.

Old Stocks Hotel in Stow-on-the-Wold, photo by Kathy Wood

We spent three nights at the Old Stocks Hotel during our 50+ mile circular walk in the Cotswolds in 2002. Our trip coincided with the Queen's 50th Jubilee celebration weekend, and none of the villages were offering a one night stay. So we took a break from our walking and enjoyed the celebration with the village.

The Old Stocks Hotel has a wonderful location on the large main square of Stow, taking its name from the old prison stocks that are still right there on the green. It's a very photographed spot and the exterior of the hotel has a lot of character.

There are 18 rooms in the hotel. This is a comfortable place, kind of a mix of the old and the new. We had a very spacious family room with windows looking right out over the green. The ceilings were low with big oak beams and the floor sagged in a few places-- but then, what do you expect from a building that's from the 1500's! Our big room had a sleeping area with a queen sized bed and then a sitting area that is part of the same rom with a couple of swivel easy chairs and a cot for our daughter. The room was just a little worn, but we thought it was fine.

The traditional English breakfast is included in the room price. The staff was friendly and helpful, so we came back for afternoon tea twice and even ate dinner here one night. There are a number of other restaurants in the center of Stow or you can venture further by car to other Cotswolds villages.

We enjoy Stow a lot, but it is a major "tour bus" destination during the middle part of the day. We found the village very quiet and peaceful until about 10:30 am when the buses arrived, then horribly crowded on-and-off with daytrippers until maybe 4:30 pm. After that you have the peaceful village to yourself again. There are lots of interesting shops, art galleries, and antique galleries. Mid-day might be a good time to go on a hike to a village where the buses don't go, or perhaps venture out to see more of the Cotswolds.

For more information about this trip and our 50-mile walk in the Cotswolds, see my trip report at: my trip report on SlowTrav.

This review is the opinion of a Slow Travel member and not of slowtrav.com.

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