Fairford & Lechlade

Fairford sits in the Cotswolds on the edge of Gloucestershire countryside. Its parish church, St Mary’s, contains one of England’s most complete ensembles of late medieval stained glass, panels installed around 1500 that illustrate biblical scenes and largely survive in situ. The town grew around the church and a series of lanes and former cloth-working sites; the surrounding fields and meadows meet the upper reaches of small tributaries that have shaped local land use for centuries. RAF Fairford lies just outside the town and is used for occasional military operations and the annual Royal International Air Tattoo.

Lechlade lies a few miles east of Fairford at the upper navigable point of the River Thames, where the River Leach joins the Thames and boats begin longer downstream passages. Its riverside quays, boatyards and towpaths draw walkers and small craft, and the town retains a market-town layout with a parish church, pubs and workshops. Seasonal water levels and lock operation influence access along the river, and the area is used for day trips and canoeing as well as local agriculture.