Once an important wool town, the quiet market town of Northleach is tucked away off the busy A40, surrounded by peaceful countryside. Northleach might not be one of the more well-known Cotswold destinations, but pay it a visit and you’ll find beautiful half-timbered buildings, cosy pubs and one of the Cotswolds’ most impressive churches. Find out more with this guide to things to do in Northleach from our local expert, which includes tips on where to eat, drink and stay.
Northleach’s history
The town of Northleach was laid out by the Abbey of Gloucester, who owned the land from 800 AD. As it was built north of a ‘lecce’ (a Saxon word for stream), it was given the name Northleach. In 1227, King Henry III granted the town a charter to hold a weekly market and an annual Charter Fair. Both still take place – the market on Wednesdays and the fair on the last weekend in June.
Northleach boomed between 1340 and 1540 thanks to the wool trade, with wool from local Cotswold Lion sheep being sold across Europe.
Wealthy wool merchants built houses and a new church, until the industry went into severe decline in the 16th century. Northleach had a revival during the 18th century as a coaching stop between London and Gloucester. But when the railway network began to grow, passing traffic decreased.
During the Battle of Britain, pilots from the RAF’s No 87 Squadron were billeted in Walton House on the High Street – you can see a blue plaque outside the building. From July to November 1940 they flew Hurricane fighters from a landing strip between Northleach and Bibury.
Increased car use brought people back to Northleach, with the busy A40 running through the town. But once that was diverted in the 1980s the town has been quiet and off the tourist trail.
Map of Northleach
Things to do in Northleach
The Church of St Peter and St Paul
Known as the ‘Cathedral of the Cotswolds’, Northleach’s Church of St Peter and St Paul is one of the area’s most impressive churches. It was built in the mid-15th century on the site of an older church in a style known as Perpendicular Gothic. There’s an ornate vaulted ceiling in the South Porch, a 14th-century carved font and the Cotswold Window which fills the church with light.
Construction of the church was funded by wealthy wool merchants – you can see some of them depicted on the memorial bronzes on the floor inside. Look out for the symbols to show what their occupations would have been, like scissors for a tailor or sheep for a wool merchant.
The Market Place
The Market Place is right at the heart of Northleach, and its layout hasn’t changed much since the 1500s. It has a mix of half-timbered Tudor houses – many of which were once coaching inns – and 16th- and 17th-century merchants’ houses, with narrow alleyways between them.
Keep your eye out for the old lock up on the path to the church. This was used for prisoners who’d committed minor offences which weren’t worth a prison cell. On The Green next to the Market Place is award-winning WJ Castle Butchers in a beautiful black and white building. And just around the corner is The Dolls House, an old-fashioned dolls house shop that’s full to the brim.
The Old Prison
As part of a scheme to improve conditions in dirty, overcrowded, disease-ridden 18th-century prisons, new ‘Houses of Correction’ were built, including one in Northleach in 1792. It was designed to house up to 37 prisoners and originally focused on rehabilitation, but later prisoners were made to do hard labour like grinding corn on a millstone or climbing up a steep treadmill.
The Old Prison closed in 1859 after the expansion of the railways meant rural prisons weren’t needed any more. Parts of the building were knocked down and others used as a Petty Sessions Court, County Police Station and a home for vagrants. And today it houses a café and offices.
You can take a look around the cells in the more modern female prisoners’ block built in 1844 as well as the former courtroom. Or book a 45-minute guided tour to learn more. And outside there’s the Lloyd Baker Rural Life Collection displaying wagons, carts and old farm machinery.
This Country locations
BBC comedy series This Country was a fly-on-the-wall mockumentary series about the lives of two cousins in a small Cotswold village. Starring siblings Charlie and Daisy May Cooper as the Mucklowes, it ran for three series from 2017–2020 and was mainly filmed around Northleach.
Fans of the show can track down This Country locations around the town. Kerry and Kurtan were often shown in the Market Place and sat in the bus shelter. The Sherborne Arms pub appears as The Keepers Arms. And the exteriors of Kerry’s mum’s house were shot at 16 Fortey Road.
Walks from Northleach
You can follow a stretch of the Roman Fosse and Salt Way roads on a 4.5-mile circular walk via Hampnett (though note the ‘Cotswold Discovery Centre’ mentioned is now closed).
A Walks Around Northleach booklet is available for sale in shops around town, with maps and instructions for several other local routes. These include a shorter 3.5-mile circuit to Hampnett and 4-mile routes to Farmington and Yanworth, with an extension to Chedworth Roman Villa.
Or if you fancy a bigger challenge, Northleach is also on the route of the North Cotswold Diamond Way (60 miles) and Monarch’s Way (a huge 625 miles) long-distance walking routes.
Things to do near Northleach
Far Peak two miles south of Northleach is the place for adventure. As well as indoor and outdoor climbing and bouldering they also have a low ropes course, escape room, bike hire, a campsite and café. And you can book Finnish sauna and ice bath sessions at the Scenic Sauna.
Northleach is also close to a couple of National Trust sites. Chedworth Roman Villa (5 miles) is one of Britain’s grandest Roman villas with elaborate mosaics, and Lodge Park and Sherborne Park Estate (4 miles) has miles of walks and a rare 17th-century deer coursing grandstand.
You’re also within easy reach of two of the most famous Cotswold villages, Bibury and Bourton-on-the-Water (both 6 miles). And it’s eight miles to Burford for great shopping and dining – take the back road through the Windrush Valley to see pretty, unspoilt villages like Taynton.
Places to eat in Northleach
Cafés and delis
The Old Prison Café on the edge of town is open daily from 9am–4pm. Today’s ‘prison plates’ are a lot tastier than the dishes previous residents enjoyed, with salad bowls, baked potatoes, sandwiches and stone-baked pizzas. It’s dog friendly, with lots of outdoor tables for sunny days.
Lynwood & Co brings a taste of Australian coffee culture to the Cotswolds. After opening their first café in Lechlade in 2015 they now have eight branches around the region – including one in Northleach. They source their coffee from Extract roasters in Bristol, which is served with cakes and sandwiches made using slow-fermented sourdough bread from their Carterton bakery.
The Curious Wine Cellar is a café come wine merchant overlooking the Market Place. Their menu of ‘Cotswold Tapas’ features homemade sausage rolls, tarts and pasties (including vegan and gluten-free versions) alongside teas and coffees or thoughtfully sourced wines by the glass.
There’s also a small Wednesday market from 9am–1pm, selling produce, plants and housewares.
Pubs and restaurants
The ivy-clad Wheatsheaf Inn has been welcoming travellers since the 17th century. This Youngs pub is family- and dog-friendly, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner every day. On the menu are pub classics with local touches like Rouselands Farm steak, Chicken kiev with wild garlic butter and Oxfordshire sausages. They also do Sunday lunches and pizzas in the garden in summer.
The Sherborne Arms is a half-timbered 15th-century pub with a cosy bar with open fires, a separate restaurant and courtyard garden. Their simple, tasty pub food uses seasonal produce from local butchers, fishmongers and farmers in dishes like confit duck leg and chicken Milanese. They also have weekly specials including steak on Wednesdays and Sunday fondues.
Where to stay in Northleach
Historic coaching inn The Wheatsheaf* has 14 individually designed bedrooms which pair original features with statement wallpapers and industrial-style lighting. They range from the compact Snug room to the spacious Bigger Boutique rooms which have a rolltop bath and honesty bar. Larger rooms have space for cots or fold-out beds for kids – or dog beds for furry friends.
The Sherborne Arms* has three newly renovated bedrooms featuring exposed brickwork and wooden beams. Each comes with a king-sized bed, en-suite shower room and freestanding roll top bath. Breakfast isn’t available at the pub, but there are several options nearby.
If you prefer self-catering, Mulberry Cottage* is a Cotswold stone cottage that dates back over 200 years. It’s a perfect romantic retreat with a woodburner, king-sized bedroom and vintage bath with separate shower. There’s also a dog-friendly private courtyard garden with BBQ.
Or Antelope Cottage* is a stylish two-bedroom country chic holiday home for four decorated in restful tones. The comfortable lounge has a woodburning stove and there’s a kitchen/diner and cloakroom downstairs and two bedrooms (one double and one twin) and a bathroom upstairs.
How to get to Northleach
Northleach by car
Northleach is just off the A40, around 14 miles southeast of Cheltenham and nine miles west of Burford. Limited parking is available in the Market Place (except on Wednesdays) and The Green. There’s also a free car park at the Old Prison (GL54 3JH), half a mile from the Market Place.
Northleach by public transport
Northleach’s nearest train station is in Cheltenham. The Stagecoach S2 bus (daily) runs from Cheltenham town centre to Northleach (35 minutes) and continues on to Burford and Oxford. Or the Pulhams 855 bus (Monday–Saturday) connects Northleach with Bibury and Cirencester.
The Robin, the Cotswolds’ bookable bus service, also covers Northleach. Minibus journeys around the area can be requested and pre-booked via their website and cost £3. Northleach is part of both their North Cotswolds and South Cotswolds areas so you can use it in either direction.
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