The wool town of Painswick

Neeta Lal

As my luxury coach trundles into the historic town of Painswick in Gloucestershire, one of England’s prettiest counties, the scenery outside my window takes my breath away. Rolling hills, a wind-swept landscape, honey-colored cottages and voluptuous sheep ruminating on meadows! Interestingly, sheep appear to be the leitmotif across Painswick, part of Cotswolds region. Everywhere you go, these cuddly creatures munching on juicy grass are waddling around. That’s hardly surprising, considering Painswick’s economy was once powered by them.  Known as the ‘Queen of the Cotswolds’, Painswick was famous as one of medieval England’s oldest wooltowns.  “From about the middle of the 15th century to the 19th, the town’s prosperity depended mainly on its wool trade and the production of super-fine broadcloth,” the local guide informs as we stroll along charming narrow streets peppered with art galleries, boutiques, eateries and pubs serving locally-brewed ales. In the Middle Ages, Cotswolds became one of the largest producers of fine wool. “The town’s terroir was considered ideal to breed big, fluffy sheep. So the Abbeys and monasteries raised huge flocks of these ‘Cotswold Lions’ with long golden fleeces that produced the softest wool,” the guide shares. As the trade flourished, the local merchants became wealthy and built lavish buildings, many of which are still around. The prosperity of the clothiers in the 17th and 18th centuries reflects in their fine houses, several of which have now been morphed into private residences for the moneyed.

Meandering streets 

The streets of Painswick meander here and there as if they can’t make up their mind about where to go. One of them takes me to the Post Office on New Street, which is housed in an exposed half-timbered building. This is reputedly the oldest building in England to hold a post office. The guide explains that New Street itself was built in 1428, at the height of the prosperity induced by the wool trade.

Further along the street lies the butter-colored Falcon Hotel. The boutique property, dating back to 1554, boasts of the oldest bowling greens in the country. We now cross over to Bisley Street, once considered the town’s most important avenue as it facilitated trade between two salient hubs — Gloucester and Bisley. It is peppered with houses from the 14th century, some of them fitted with `Donkey Doors’. These doors, the guide elaborates, may seem extraordinarily wide by today’s standards, but there is a reason for their expansiveness. They were constructed to allow a donkey laden with panniers of wool to pass through!

While Painswick is sprinkled with an array of beautiful heritage structures, the most handsome is St Mary’s church, dating back to the early Norman period. As we circumambulate its stony ramparts, crowned with a towering steeple, the guide points out the multiple scars of cannonballs left by a bombardment during the Civil War. Dotted with 99 ancient yew trees in its front yard and unusual tabletop tombs, it is a visual delight. Legend has it that the Devil won’t let a hundredth tree grow! Given how well Painswick has preserved its rich heritage, it comes as no surprise to know that the town has featured in many movies and TV series. It was also the location for the BBC TV adaptation of JK Rowling’s The Casual Vacancy.

Fringe benefits

On the village’s periphery lies the local manor, Painswick House, fringed by six acres of formal and informal gardens known as Painswick Rococco Gardens. More a “pleasure ground” — to escape, explore and imagine — it is a rare survivor of the very brief rococo period in English garden design.

“The garden was designed in the 1740s as an English country gentleman’s pleasure garden, a place for holding intimate garden parties,” I’m informed as I soak in the splendor of manicured lawns, clipped shrubbery and riotous flowers.

As if the enchantments within Painswickaren’t enough, the surrounding Cotswolds region holds many delightful surprises for nature lovers. Biking routes, nature trails and camping sites beckon from all directions. Trekkers can spike their adrenaline on rugged mountains while exploring what can only be described as five-star biodiversity. Unadulterated and unique, combining history with heritage, Painswickis indeed an immersive travel experience for curious travellers!