When St Edwards Church in Stow on the Wold appeared in The Ultimate United Kingdom Travel List Lonely Planet* a couple of years ago. I knew I wanted to visit this tourist attraction and this weekend we managed it. St Edward’s Church in Stow on the Wold is a church that has ancient yew trees growing from the church door. The historic Cotswold building which is a draw for many sightseers would not look out of place in a Lord of the Rings film set. If you want to visit St. Edwards church with the yew trees then here is some useful travel tips to help you.
Where to park in Stow on the Wold
Stow on the Wold is a popular tourist spot so bear this in mind. We arrived early on Saturday morning in early Summer. Wanting to try and beat the crowds. In the centre of the village, there is The Square where there is a large number of parking spaces. These are free but you are limited to a maximum stay of two hours. Not sure how long we were going to be we parked in the only small pay and display carpark the village has. This is located on Maugersbury Road opposite The Bell pub.
The pay machine will take a card or you can use the Pay and Park app. It cost £3.70 for four hours. It is not a very large carpark and by the time we were leaving, there were a number of people waiting for spaces. There is also a supermarket which is a little further out of town that has a large carpark.
Where is the church with the yew trees?
There is only one church in the centre of Stow in the Wold so it is not too difficult to find. We spotted the spire from the road. Once parked we walked up the main road through the village and then off to the right and into The Square. Where many of the shops and cafes are located.
If you turn you back to the main road and look into the square you will see a monument in front of you. To the right the Talbot and to the left a small road that takes you up to the church. Google maps does work in Stow on the Wold so you can just put St Edwards Church in to direct you if needed or use postcode GL54 1AB
J. R. R. Tolkien
Local legend would have you believe that the church building, more specifically the north door gave Tolkien inspiration for a scene in the Lord of the Rings. Since it bears a striking resemblance to the Doors of Durin that lead to the West Gate of Moria. They have even earned th nick name J.R.R. Tolkien’s doors among those that part of the the fellowship of the ring seeking out middle earth. Charlie who is just getting into the stories brought along his Lord of the Rings Trilogy for photo inspiration.
St. Edward’s Church Stow on the Wold
A Norman Church that was built during the middle ages in the 12th century or 13th century. With some later additions having its tower built in the 15th century. With the north porch being added in the 17th Century. There is thought to have long been a church on the site. With a Saxon church made of wood having been there previously. During this century it also found itself involved in the battle of Stow being home to royal prisoners after the first battle.
The conspicuous landmark is a listed building is made out of yellow Cotswold stone much like the surrounding village.
There is a path that leads you around the church and through the gravestones of this small building. Allowng you to look at the lovely architecture. The entrances are gated and many of the stained glass windows have metal frames over them for protection. At the moment the church is not open due to the pandemic so we could not go inside. The yew tree door is located by the church’s north door.
You can see where it has been photographed so much as the grand has worn away. And the yew trees are very smooth where they have been climbed and sat on for pictures.
What is there to do at Stow in the Wold?
As well as St Edwards Church there are some other things you may want to do while in the area. It is a quintessential Cotswold village with little rows of yellow brick houses. It is very pretty. With various independent shops to nose in. As well as several antique shops if you are looking for a one-of-a-kind souvenir. Charlie really enjoyed looking at all the old horse brasses and Harry found a different take on a toilet down Church Street.
Around The Square, there are various places to stop for a bit to eat and a drink. Stow Lodge Hotel has a picturesque garden with outside seating and is open to non-residents. Lucy’s cafe also has a little garden at the back and serves brunch, lunch and cake. We sat in the window and had tea and cake, the lemon-tiered cake was very nice. However, they are very popular and encourage a quick turnaround.
Also in The Square, there is a traditional sweet shop, various places selling ice cream and also Le Patissier Anglais. The French pastry shop makes a number of guidebooks and is located next to the post office. However, it only stays open for as long as it has things to sell. We arrived at 11 am and it only had a couple of strawberry mousse left. So my suggestion would be to make sure you arrive at 9 am when it opens.
We had a lovely visit to Stow in the Wold only staying for three hours. But it was long enough to fit in all we wanted. By the time we left around midday, the village was getting very busy.
Have you visited Stow on the Wold? I would love to hear about your visit in the comments below
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4 Responses
I visited Stow in the Wold a few years back and found it a charming place. Like you we arrived a]early in the morning and practically had the place to ourselves. The churchyard is fascinating
Never been ! Somewhere our family wol love
This looks so fab
Oh, the commode! LOL. I like the church door, inbetween the ancient yew trees. Magical!