Coleshill: Culture, Craft and Countryside

Coleshill between history and countryside

With a historic watermill, rural crafts, wartime history and countryside trails, Coleshill offers a range of themes for a stay. The village lies on the B4019 between Faringdon and Highworth. If you are looking for a hotel in Coleshill, these local and landscape themes can help you plan your stay around your interests.

Watermill and crafts

A visit to Coleshill Mill gives you the chance to see how flour is made. The present building and machinery date from 1790. The watermill has two floors of traditional machinery. Visiting and operating arrangements may change, so check the latest visitor information before your trip.

The Heritage and Rural Skills Centre has a different focus: it offers courses in historic crafts and rural craft skills. The courses are aimed at professionals, beginners and hobbyists. Behind-the-scenes tours are also possible; availability depends on the current programme. Course offerings can also change. Check in advance which courses and tours are currently available.

Circular walks through different landscapes

The Coleshill Estate is in Oxfordshire, on the banks of the River Cole. Two circular walks pass through different landscapes: the Coleshill Parkland Walk is a short circular route through Coleshill’s historic parkland. The Cole and its Landscape is also a circular walk and follows a section of the River Cole and the surrounding wetland. The difference between the walks lies in their landscape focus: historic parkland on the one hand, river and wetland on the other. The Coleshill purple walk starts at The Cuckoopen Plantation in Coleshill. Check the Parkland Walk route description and access conditions before travelling; local conditions along the River Cole may vary.

Wartime history and farming

The Church of All Saints in Coleshill is a parish church with Grade II* listed status. During the Second World War, Coleshill was the top-secret headquarters of the Auxiliaries, a British resistance organisation. The Guardhouse in Coleshill is a Second World War guardhouse built in the early 1940s. Tours of the Replica Bunker in Coleshill are tied to the Village Open Days; check their dates before planning a tour.

The Model Farm on the Coleshill Estate was built in 1852. Courtleaze Farm in Coleshill used a tram system to transport feed from the main store and barn to the animals. This brings into focus both a dated agricultural building and a specific form of transport and its purpose.

Visitor information

The Old Carpenters Yard provides maps and visitor information; there is also a café and toilets. Facilities and operating arrangements may change. If you plan to use the café or toilets, check the latest visitor information in advance.

Discover more destinations: Beckley, Kingston Bagpuze, Charlbury, Forest Hill, Oxford, Charney Bassett, Woodstock, Culham

For the regional travel overview: Oxfordshire.