Stow and District Civic Society
Huffkins
The Curiosity Shop - (currently Huffkins)
Welcome to the historic market square of Stow-on-the Wold. At nearly 800ft above sea level, Stow is the highest Cotswold town. It is located at a point where the Roman Fosse Way and several other ancient routes cross and it has evolved as an important trading centre and meeting place with a history deeply steeped in the wool trade. It has a long history dating back to an Iron Age fortified settlement on top of the hill and had a special importance in the first English Civil War as the last battle was fought here back in 1646.
This is probably the oldest building in the square, built around 1450. It was originally built of wood, with timber crucks supporting the roof, and wattle and daub walls. An upper floor was added later. The base was supported by beehive-shaped mounds of stones at the corners of the building. One of these mounds is missing at the front, hence the lean.
As building methods evolved and stone became the common building material, a stone frontage was added but the builders had to accommodate the lean. Later renovations have levelled the floor inside, making the upstairs Huffkins coffee lounge an interesting place for a break.
