I have compared every other Cotswold town with Painswick. This does not necessarily mean that Painswick is the prettiest or the most unspoiled or the most characteristic small Cotswold town, but for a long time I thought it might be, and it became the standard by which I judged the rest. The town has even been titled "The Queen of the Cotswolds", so there you go. Cotswold stone is used throughout this small town, and although the architecture is always varied, the effect is extremely pleasing and harmonious.
Painswick is set high on a spur between two valleys a few miles north of Stroud. Its most unique and outstanding features are the church and the churchyard with its ornamental clipped yew trees. According to tradition there should be 100 of these trees, but the Devil does his best to kill off new trees to keep the number down to 99. The yews form long avenues of melancholy green through the large churchyard, baffling one's field of vision, and creating an almost maze-like effect. The yews are clipped every year in mid-September and on the following Sunday the clipping ceremony takes place, possibly a vestige of a tradition dating back to pagan times.
As if the surreal spectacle of the yews was not enough, Painswick had some fine masons who created a large collection of box and pedestal tombs in the churchyard, many designed by a John Bryan, whose own tomb, dated 1785, is in the shape of a pyramid. The man was ahead of his time - the fashion for ancient Egypt did not really take hold until after Napoleon's invasion of Egypt in 1798.
The spire of the 15C. church is huge and visible for miles around. The spire was struck by lightning in 1883 and parts crashed through the roof causing great damage, less however than that caused in 1643 during the Civil War when Parliamentary troopers took refuge in the church and were flushed out with fire, cannon and hand-grenades by members of the Society for the Preservation of Ancient Buildings.
There is a shop facing the churyard called "The Fiery Beacon Gallery". According to tradition it was here that soldiers lit their torches before storming the church, and subsequently there were stories that a strange light seen in the house. In 1984 a Canadian tourist taking photographs of Painswick found that his photograph of the gallery showed a flame on the outside wall.
Painswick was granted a charter in 1253 and New Street was set aside for development. Parallel to New Street, which was old in 1400, is Friday Street, referring to an earlier Friday market held there. Tibbiwell slopes down to the old mill valley and is full of buildings of great character.
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The churchyard lych-gate, built out of old belfry timbers
and decorated with bells. In the entrance are iron
"spectacle" stocks. Return to Contents
In most cases further details can be found under Things to See.
Painswick is close to Stroud, which should also be referred to.
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Painswick Golf Club is a short course of seven par 3 holes set high on Painswick Beacon in an area of outstanding natural beauty. Four of the holes are situated within an Iron Age hill fort.
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Copyright Digital Brilliance 1995