Shipston-on-Stour

Shipston is a small town of great antiquity. Situated on the northern most tip of the Cotswolds in South Warwickshire, it was originally a Saxon settlement near a ford that was used as a sheep wash. The area around the ford was used for grazing sheep. The name for Shipston in the 11th century had evolved to "Scepwaestune
(Sheepwashtown). Shipston was known for farming a breed of sheep, known as the Cotswold Lion, so called for it's lion-like mane. The town and its surrounding villages enjoyed great prosperity as a result of it's connection with sheep: a connection that evolved into the lively plush and shag weaving industries. It is still possible to see the great prosperity the town has enjoyed in the past through the fine Georgian buildings which are still present today.

Modern day Shipston has retained its prosperity through a unique combination of its quaint streets, alleyways and niche businesses. Shipston on Stour has a great deal to offer the shopper with a variety of independent retailers who sell practically everything from contemporary art and crafts through to locally produced food. The independent businesses in Shipston also offer unique and specialist services, which means that customers are drawn from a wider geographic area than a town of its size might usually expect.

Shipston-on-Stour can easily be found off Junction 15 of the M40, follow the signs to Stow on the Wold and Moreton in the Marsh along the A429, then along the A3400 to Shipston - the Stratford to Oxford Road; just south of Stratford-upon-Avon.

More information is available on the Shipston-on-Stour town council website.

For more information about activities and initiatives in Shipston on Stour, please contact the Stour Area Coordinator on 01789 260103 or by email at ecodev@stratford-dc.gov.uk or by fax on 01789 260607.

Please click on the relevant links below or use the download links on the right to view these documents.

• Housing Needs Survey
• Shipston Town Plan and relevant committee report