Lechlade tourist information

Lechlade is a delightful market town to visit when on holiday. Close to the Oxfordshire border, stands beside the River Thames at its highest navigable point.

Lechlade played a part in the Cotswolds wool trade but grew to promience as a staging post for goods and passengers on the Thames. Cheese was shipped down river by the 17th century and when the Severn and Thames Canal was opened the town traded in coal. By the late 19th century visitors were attracted to the town for fishing and boating.

Leisure boats have completely replaced the trading boats and Lechlade continues to serve the needs of recreation on the river. The statue of Old Father Thames at St John's Lock just above Lechlade, marks the the head of the navigation and upstream from here the river winding and attractive.

For the tourist Lechlade has many interesting old buildings and two fine bridges, at St. John's and Halfpenny Bridge, to see. The town is still focused around its market place, dominated by the 15th century church of St Lawrence.  The slender spire of this wool church is a landmark across the water meadows.

Near Lechlade stands two fine country houses - the Adam-style mansion of Buscot and Kelmscott, the home of William Morris from 1871 - 96.

At Filkins near Lechlade is the Cotwolds Woollen Weavers, a splendid 18th century mill still creating beautiful woollen cloth using age-old production methods.