The town and civil parish of Shipston-on-Stour is in the Warwickshire County in England. It lies along the River Stour near the boundaries with Gloucestershire and Oxfordshire and approximately 10 miles south of Stratford-upon-Avon.
In the 8th Century, the name of the town was the Old English Scepwaeisctune meaning sheep-wash-town since it used to be a major sheep market. In the 11th Century, it evolved to Scepwestun and in the 13th Century to Schipton, Sepwestun and Sipestone. By the 14th Century, it has changed to Sepestonon-Sture.
The Economy and Industry of Shipston-on-Stour
The town lies along the A3400 road between Oxford and Stratford-upon-Avon and at one time a significant staging area for stagecoaches. Several coaching inns such as the Coach and Horses survived and are located on the High Street.
After the drop in the demand for local wool, the town’s economy was partly propped up by the opening of a branch of the Stratford and Moreton Tramway. The horse drawn waggon way was built ten years earlier from the canal basin at Stratford-upon-Avon to Moreton-in-Marsh in Gloucestershire. The tramway was meant to transport Black Country coal to the rural districts of southern Warwickshire by way of the Stratford-upon-Avon Canal. It was also intended for the transport of agricultural produce and limestone to the north. The line was improved in 1889 to allow steam trains to operate from Moreton to Shipston. In 1929, passenger service to Shipton was pulled out and by 1960 the line ultimately closed.
Things to See and Do in Shipston-on-Stour
The town has a small museum on Telegraph Street. The museum established and managed by the locals has a collection of memorabilia and artefacts identified with the town and the surrounding villages. The Cotswold Distillery is also a favourite destination of tourists who are interested in finding out how great spirits are distilled with of course a sample drink.