When you walk through the town, you can see reminders of the great days of the Cotswold wool trade. Funded by these merchants, the impressive church of St Peter and St Paul is a fine example of the Cotswold perpendicular style. Although wool is no longer a contributor to the towns commerce, the Market Place is busy with a variety of shops, and the local hostelries provide a lively service to both visitors and locals.
For the visitor, Northleach is an ideal stop on the road from Oxford to Cheltenham, or between Stow and Cirencester. The town centre is compact and completely unspoiled, having changed little since 1500, except for the more 'recent' additions of late 16th and 17th century buildings, which split part to form The Green. Here you walk through the small alleys leading off the Market Place and discover houses whose upper levels of timber framing overhang great stone built walls and wide oak doors. It is said that beneath the houses and streets of Northleach runs a maze of stone vaulted tunnels. Whether this was the result of mining or escape routes from a nearby monastery during religious persecution, few residents of Northleach could tell you.
While many rush along the A40, travelers who stop to discover Northleach will leave the town knowing that they have just shared one of the most delightful secrets of the Cotswolds.
For more information why not visit the official Northleach web site: www.northleach.gov.uk
