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One of the most popular market towns situated in Gloucestershire, England is Stow-on-the-Wold whose history can be dated back to the Iron Age due to its defensive position situated on top of an 800 foot tall hill.
While the area around Stow can be dated back to the Stone and Bronze Ages due to the number of forts and burial grounds found around the region, Stow-on-the-Wold would make its first major contribution to the region after the completion of the Fosse Way in which Stow was an important spot along the trade route.
When the area was being developed in the 11th Century, the town would be controlled by the local abbey and eve after the market was set up in Stow-on-the-Wold, Henry I had decreed that all the proceeds from the weekly market would go to the abbots. By the time of Edward III in 1330, the market was changed from a weekly event to include a full week market which was held every August. Again in 1476 under Edward IV, the market was amended in which the one week festivities in August were changed to two five days fairs which would occur before as well as after the St Philip and St James in festivals in May as well as the feast of St Edward the Confessor in October.
Because of the increasing popularity of these fairs and public markets, Stow-on-the-Wold would quickly grow into an important part of the English trade. The town which is a market town features the public market square located in the center of the town with the buildings expanding outward. A vast majority of the structures also feature various passageways beneath them as a means of helping to herd sheep into the market for auctions. During the pinnacle of the wool trade era, Stow-on-the-Wold would record a record number of well over 20,000 sheep being auctioned off in a single event.
As the wool trade declined, it was soon replaced by horse auctions which originally were held in the public square but latter would be moved to a grassy location just outside of town. The markets have grown in popularity so much, that it has since brought a bunch of vendors offering wood crafts, homemade goodies as well as various other crafts. The growth of the fair has been so great that the whole town becomes blocked and congested during the fairs.
As the increased flux of visitors and vendors made their way to the Stow-on-the-Wold fairs, they brought with them an increase in vandalism as well as crime. Out of retaliation there has been a number of attempts by local business owners to have the fairs shut down but have so far been in vain. Instead, many of the local businesses will actually close down during the fairs and an increase of policing will commence.
A number of important battles during the English Civil War occurred around the town and even the local church took some damage during one of the many skirmishes. Today though, there are a number of excellent shops open in the town incase you decide to visit on a non-fair week. These shops include several old antique book shops as well as a small homemade chocolates shop which can be found near Sheep Street.
