One of England’s prettiest towns is home to country’s oldest pub – and a famous rock star

STOW-ON-THE-WOLD in the Cotswolds is often dubbed one of the prettiest towns in the country, thanks to its honey-coloured buildings and a door so charming it even inspired Tolkien.

The Cotswolds is packed with pretty towns and villages like Bourton-on-the-Water, Bibury and Burford.

Stow-on-the-Wold is home to stone houses and independent shops decorated with flower boxes and vintage signs.

Considered to be one of the prettiest towns in the country by travel experts SnapTrip, Stow-on-the-Wold is home to plenty of picture-perfect spots.

One of those is the Market Square, lined with independent shops like the Cotswolds Sweet Company, a homeware shop called Scotts of Stow and clothes boutique, Sister Sister Collective.

Literary fans always make a pitstop at the nearby St Edward’s Church, just a two-minute walk from the square, as it’s rumoured that the doorway inspired Lord of The Rings author J.R.R Tolkien’s book Doors Of Durin.

The parish church is one of the 98 Grade I listed buildings in the Cotswolds, but there are plenty of more modern attractions, including the Fosse Gallery.

Established in 1980, the Fosse Gallery is thought to be one of the most important contemporary art galleries in the country.

The pretty Cotswold town also claims to be home to England‘s oldest inn, with its title being authenticated by the Guinness Book of Records.

Dating back to 947 AD, the Porch House is certainly one of the oldest pubs in the country.

Its 16th-century stone fireplace in the dining room is inscribed with symbols as “witch marks” that were used to protect the boozer against evil.

Today the pub is a five-star hotel but it maintains its ancient heritage with original feature fireplaces, windows and oak doors.

There are roughly nine pubs in the town, including other popular spots like The Bell Inn and The Kings Arms.

Caffeine lovers will want to head to Stow Town Coffee, an artisan micro-roastery that’s said to be one of the smallest commercial coffee roasteries in the UK.

Other spots to grab a bite to eat in the town include Cotswold Cheese Company and Lucy’s Tearoom.

The Cotswolds is a walker’s paradise and Stow-on-the-Wold is no exception, with several walking routes running out of the town.

One of those is the Heart of England Way Stow Circular, a 6km circular walking route that takes roughly 90 minutes from start to finish.

Other popular routes include the six-mile walk to Bourton-on-the-Water, which passes the nearby villages of Icomb and Wick Rissington.

Bigger walking challenges can be found on the Gloucestershire Way, North Cotswold Diamond Way and Macmillan Way

Other nearby attractions include Cotswold Farm Park, run by Countryfile‘s Adam Henson.

Set up by Adam’s father, the farm is home to over 50 rare breeds of farm animals.

Family members of all ages will be entertained with the farm demonstrations, feeding time, adventure playgrounds and walking trails.

Entry tickets to the farm cost £13.50 for a full-paying adult and £11.50 for kids.

Blur bassist Alex James also calls the area home, as he swapped the rock star lifestyle for Cotswold life many years ago.

He lives only a 10-minute drive away, on a farm in nearby Kingham village where he holds his annual Big Feastival festival.

In 2015, the Beckhams were set to buy in the area too, eyeing up the multi-million pound Abbotswood Estate on the outskirts of the town, but instead chose their now-home in Great Tew, which is a 20-minute drive away.

Stow-on-the-Wold is a 45-minute drive from Gloucester.

Earlier this month, we revealed our favourite towns and villages to visit across the UK.

Another tiny village in the UK has been compared to a retro 1940s film set.