CHIPPING SODBURY

Lying beneath the splendid Cotswold escarpment is the charming town of Chipping Sodbury. As the Chipping in its name implies, it was once an important market centre in medieval times and stands at the cross roads on the main route between Bristol, Oxford and London. The long market square is bordered with a wonderful assortment of houses with largely 17th century Cotswold stone buildings or Georgian of mellow brick. Almost 150 buildings in the core of the town have been listed as having special historical or architectural value, with some buildings dating back to the 15th century.

The town is also famous for being the birthplace of JK Rowling, author of the Harry Potter books and was once home to Edward Jenner – the first doctor to successfully vaccinate against smallpox. At the end of the 19th century, Dr. Alfred Grace, who was related to the famous Downend cricketing family, lived and ran his practise from ‘View House’ as The Moda Hotel was formally known.

With its wide bustling market street, rich heritage of architectural styles and original medieval town plan, it has a unique character. It is surrounded by beautiful countryside, rolling farmland and many ‘honey’ coloured limestone villages which makes the Cotswold region one of the most treasured, toured and timeless destinations.