North Cotswolds A guide to (mainly) FOOD SHOPPING, PARKING and PUBLIC CONVENIENCES within a 12 mile radius of our cottage in Ilmington. All distances are from Ilmington

In Ilmington – The community shop (staffed by volunteers) on Grump Street. Sited in the old Catholic Church on the Upper Green. Open from 7.30 in the morning. Fresh local vegetables and meat. Fruit, all everyday items. Newspapers etc. Freshly baked croissants every morning. There is a café attached.

Shipston on Stour 4.5 MILES

There is a supermarket (the Co-Op) in Shipston which will have most of the things you need although it is not super large. Shipston is a charming little town of predominantly independent shops with a post office, 2 banks, an antique emporium (different shops within a shop), charity shops, good greengrocer, a fish shop, bakery, butchers and a food shop which concentrates on local and fresh produce (Taste of the Country. There is also a Pharmacy and other assorted useful shops as well as restaurants and Mrs Brown’s Tea Room at the bottom of Sheep Street. Also several pubs of course!

PARKING: Several small car parks and street parking. All of the car parks are free except for the Telegraph Street one. Street car parking in the main square (not square but rectangular)restricted time. Telegraph Street car park is 20p (April 2019) for an hour’s parking and is probably the easiest to park in as street parking can be tight.

Public Loos in the Telegraph St. car park.

Chipping Campden 4.5 MILES

Very good cheese shop. Very small supermarket and a delicatessen. Otherwise I would not say it was overly supplied with food shops as it is mostly antiques, clothes, a small book shop, very nice craft type shops (jewellery, glass, Robert Welch design shop) tea places etc.

PARKING: No restrictions on parking in the street (subject to yellow lines) for usually VERY difficult to find a place. 90 minute pay and display car park in the Square (part of the High Street). If all else fails and you can find no parking, try Back Lane which is the road which runs parallel to the High Street and can be approached by turning right at the Catholic Church at the bottom of the town (go past Sheep Street which is on the left) and then right again round a sharp bend. There are two small roadside parking spots in Back Lane which each take about 5 or 6 cars at right angles to the road.

Public Loos in Sheep Street (off the High Street), on the left.

Just outside Stratford-upon-Avon 6.5 MILES from Ilmington

Waitrose supermarket. It only takes about the same length of time to get to Waitrose as to the other villages above (fewer bends!) from Ilmington, and of course you have no problem about parking. This is at a roundabout on the road from here to Stratford (you go via Wimpstone). It is the first roundabout you come to. Turn right there. Food shopping is excellent.

Stratford-upon-Avon 7.5 MILES

Central – in Bridge Street - Marks and Spencer’s Food department. Opposite this is a small Sainsbury’s. Both excellent if you don’t want to do a huge shop and want to get some ready prepared meals to heat in microwave or oven (M and S particularly good for these). If you have a lot of shopping bags you can collect by car from the back of M and S later but you are only allowed to park there for as long as it takes for pick up.

On the Birmingham Road (on the way out going North – you have to go over the bridge for this) - Tesco. Open late and some days, 24 hours. Very big with clothes, housewares and electrical goods as well. This is out of town shopping, next to the Maybird Centre, which has a very large Boots (Chemist’s shop) a WH Smith (stationery and books) , Asda clothes and toys, a Next, B and Q (a diy store), Halfords (for bike and car stuff), a Marks and Spencer food shop and some budget clothing shops.

On the Alcester Road -straight on after the bridge and keep going straight, through roundabout at the top of Bridge Street and several lights, turning right at first roundabout past the station – Morrisons which is a large supermarket with a big car park.

Farmer’s Market held on the first and third Saturdays of the month in Rother Street (9 – 2). Normal market every Friday in Rother Street.

PARKING:

If you are going to explore Stratford coming from the direction of the A3400, I suggest you follow signs for Stratford (two roundabouts, straight at first and at the second roundabout turn left). Just after the roundabout there is a sign on the left to parking (Recreation Ground) by the river. This avoids taking the car over the bridge and into a one way system for big car parks but you have to know how much time you want to buy in advance. You can walk over a pedestrian bridge straight into the centre. Alternatively, there are other pay and display car parks and street parking in the town and in Bridge Street (if you want to do a quick nip into M and S or Sainsbury’s for food) .Very limited parking here so you have to be lucky and you are only allowed ½ hour – tickets from machine. If you fail there, try going around the small roundabout at the top of the street and taking the 4th exit, keeping Lloyds Bank on your right. Sometimes you can get parking on the right there. If you fail there (!) turn left into the big road, left at the next roundabout and turn right into Windsor Street car park. This is very near the top of Henley Street. (Shakespeare’s birthplace). This is also pay and display but you can stay as long as you like. There is a large multi-storey car park (Bridgefoot – 5 mins walk from Bridge Street) opposite the Leisure Centre, which, if you haven’t parked on the river, is suitable for the theatre but you have to go round the one way system after the bridge, heading back out again so if it is a busy holiday period you might be better staying by the river. You can park for an hour at Bridgefoot for free. After that you pay. It avoids going into the centre of Stratford and is an easier car park to get in and out of than the Windsor Street one.

Public Loos at Riverside.

Moreton in Marsh 8 MILES

The Co-op supermarket. Specialist cheese shop. Antique and gift shops.

On Tuesdays the biggest street market in the Cotswolds is held in Moreton and takes up most of the main street (9 – 4). Food, hardware, clothes. Traffic jams sometimes so I generally advise avoiding Tuesdays! At the far end of the town, next to the hospital is the German supermarket, Aldi. Turn right just before the hospital and after the garage. A little further on is a great garden centre – the Fosseway Garden centre which also has a café and sells gifts, card, books, outdoor wear and more. It also has a café.

PARKING:The Co-op has a car park which is free if you are shopping there but may make a charge on market day. There is another car park round the back - left turn after the lights at the mini-roundabout and left again just before the bridge - near the station which makes a small charge and there is also street parking, but this is difficult to find on market day and beware of parking at the railway station as there is a bigger charge here.

Public Loos close to the Town Hall. Also for customers in The Co-op and Aldi.

Stow on the Wold 12 MILES

Some nice small specialist food shops and another smaller Tesco (a turning to the left at lights just before you enter Stow town from the north). Stow is good for antique hunting and has a great kitchen shop.

PARKING: The town car park is at the same turning as Tesco’s but you can sometimes be lucky and get parking in the main square (restricted time, 2 hours (?)).

Public Loos on the right as you drive or walk down to the Square from the north. Tesco also has customer loos.

FARM SHOPS SELLING LOCAL PRODUCE

In addition to these shops, farm shops abound in this area and I can tell you where to find the best ones when you are here

Photo by Daria Shevtsova from Pexels