Chipping Norton

Chipping Norton is a small English town in the county of Oxfordshire and one of the most attractive towns in the Cotswolds region. Chippy (as it is called by its residents) is an essential place to visit while in the Cotswolds, and is an idyllic and peaceful location to stay in while also being close to Oxford and Stratford-upon-Avon.

Understand
"Chipping" means 'market', revealing the town's past importance as the main commercial centre for the Evenlode valley. The surrounding Cotswolds were one of the wealthiest parts of England in the Middle Ages, owing to their production of wool; Chipping Norton was one of the beneficiaries of this trade. Many of the medieval buildings built as a result remain in the town centre, adding to its unique character. Many buildings also date from the 18th century.

Through the turmoil of the Middle Ages and the reformation, the industrial revolution right up to the modern association with 'The Chipping Norton Set', has seen its fair share of history.

The town has also been voted one of the UK's "top ten country towns" by the 200,000 readers of Period Living and Traditional Homes magazine.

Get in
For those living close by, there are several bus services that meet at Chipping Norton, most notably the S3 (that travels to Oxford, stopping off at Woodstock, Enstone and other places) and the number 50 to Stratford. For those coming from further afield, coming into Chippy by car is best advised.

Get around
For such a small town, the best way to get around Chippy is by foot. The town is not very wheelchair-friendly and in some places steep hills may cause potential problems for the semi infirm or people with baby buggies.



With the help of a map, phone, or friendly resident, navigating the town is fairly easy.

Buy


For shopping, it is advised to visit nearby Banbury or Oxford. That said, Chipping Norton does host a number of small shops including women's boutique shops, a shoe shop, a very good deli, newsagents, supermarkets, gift shops, cafés, a bakery, a clothes shop and even a small department store.

Chipping Norton also holds host to very nice bookshop, Jaffe & Neale, and a well run Oxfam bookshop for bookworms and record collectors alike.



Sleep
Chipping Norton includes multiple places offering accommodation, including:



It may be worth considering many quality hotels and B&Bs in the area surrounding the town, including:



Places of worship

 * St. Mary's Anglican Church Church of St Mary, Chipping Norton - geograph.org.uk - 1955588.jpg
 * Holy Trinity Catholic Church
 * Chipping Norton Methodist Church
 * Baptist Church

Stay safe
Chipping Norton is not the most dangerous place, but sensible precautions should always be taken. Chipping Norton does have a Hospital (but with no Accident and Emergency or ambulances, the nearest being in Banbury), Fire station and Police station if anything does go wrong though.

Go next
Map of places with Wikivoyage articles nearby

Any of these places can be reached from Chipping Norton via bus. Oxford and Woodstock via the S3, Stratford by the number 50 bus and Banbury by the 488.
 * Oxford, the heart of the county and the home of the oldest English-speaking university
 * Banbury, an ancient market town
 * Woodstock, home of Blenheim Palace, 'the English Versailles' and the birthplace of Churchill
 * Stratford-upon-Avon, the home of Shakespeare.