Moreton-in-Marsh
About the town
MORETON-in-Marsh is a fairly small town in terms of population, around 4,000 but it has invariably punched above its weight.
Sitting at the junction of two busy routes, the ancient Roman Fosse Way from Exeter to Lincoln and the main road from Oxford to Worcester, there were around 70 stagecoaches a week rattled through Moreton in the early 19th century, making the area a honeypot for highwaymen.
The town’s name has occasionally caused debate. One version has it as “Moreton hen mearc” – meaning Moreton on the Boundary in Olde English – while the other believes it was derided from the fact that the town was surrounded by marshland. In the 13th century it was known as Moreton in Hennemerse, the word for the “haunt of the wild fowl” that congregated on the marshland.
The High Street
The wonderfully wide High Street can be credited to the local abbot back in 1222, when Moreton was owned by Westminster Abbey. The Church began to develop Moreton as a market town and were fortunate the resident clergy had one among them with an eye for town planning. In 1226 Henry III granted Moreton a market charter and there’s still a thriving weekly retail market in High Street today.
The centre of the town is dominated by Redesdale Hall, which was erected in 1887 by Sir Algernon Bertram Freeman Mitford, G.C.V.O., K.C.B., 1st Baron Redesdale, Lord-of-the-Manor of Moreton-in-Marsh in pious Memory of his kinsman, Earl of Redesdale, 1805-1886″.
The Hall was subsequently purchased by Sir Gilbert Alan Hamilton Wills, BART, O.B.E, The First Baron Dulverton who presented it in the year 1951 to The North Cotswold Rural District Council.
Lord Redesdale lived at nearby Batsford House and is also known for his famous daughters, the famous/infamous Mitford sisters.
J R R Tolkien
J R R Tolkien is believed to have had connections with Moreton-in-Marsh – a pub in the town was presented with a special print by a branch of the J R R Tolkien Society.
After painstaking research the Society claim that The Bell Inn is the inspiration behind The Prancing Pony, Middle Earth’s most famous pub in the book ‘Lord of the Rings’.
There are several hotels to stay, wonderful pubs and a good selection of eating places which serve local cuisine to tempt your palate.
Places to visit
Besides visiting The Moreton Gallery, why not pop into some of our interesting antique shops, you can visit the very popular Tuesday market.
Famous Gardens nearby
There are several famous gardens within 15 minutes car journey of Moreton-in-Marsh including Hidcote Manor, Snowshill Manor, Bourton House, Sezincote, Hidcote Manor, Kiftsgate Court and Batsford Arboretum.
Places to Visit
Hidcote Manor Garden
Chastleton House
Broadway Tower
Sezincote House
Contact The Moreton Gallery
Queens Head House, High Street, Moreton in Marsh, GL56 0LH