Things to see and do in Moreton-in-Marsh, a market town in the north of England’s Cotswolds region. Includes a Tolkien site to visit for Lord of the Rings fans!
Click to read also: Our Top 10 Things To Do in Bath, England
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Moreton-in-Marsh: Things to See and Do in a Cotswolds Town
What You'll Find on This Page
We took the train from Oxford to visit Moreton-in-Marsh. A friend who used to live there took us on a tour of this delightful town. The town is a short thirty minute direct train ride from Oxford, so an easy visit for us!
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#1 Consider Visiting on a Tuesday
Every Tuesday from 9am-3pm is market day in Moreton-in-Marsh. Visit on a Tuesday if you want to see this site, but if you prefer a very very quiet down, visit on a different day.
#2 The Bell Inn: Inspiration for The Prancing Pony Inn in Lord of the Rings
Author J.R.R. Tolkien is said to have stayed in the cosy Bell Inn. He enjoyed his time there so much that he used the inn as the inspiration for the Prancing Pony Inn in his Lord of the Rings series.
This inn is happy to lean into their Tolkien fame; they even have a print of Tolkien’s imaginary world up on the wall.
#3 London House Antiques
The London House Antiques shop is worth a visit even if you think you aren’t an antiques person! We found old letters, magazines, coins, and more in addition to your traditional antique dishes and furniture. It’s really a walk back through history, with fascinating items from ordinary people.
The shop features 20 different antiques dealers, making for an incredibly diverse selection of products. My kids want to return to the village just to visit this shop!
#4 Visit the Duck Pond
Moreton-in-Marsh turned their marsh into an adorable duck pond that is definitely worth a visit! We were there on a cold day and the ducks were hiding in the house on their little island in the middle of the pond. The kids still enjoyed seeing this scene, which looked like something from a Beatrix Potter book.
#5 Huffkins Bakery
Huffkins is a chain of tea rooms that you’ll find in the Cotswolds and London. We visited their Moreton-in-Marsh shop on my friend’s recommendation. They have good food, including some gluten free sandwich options (no gluten free desserts when we were there, apart from milkshakes and hot chocolate). Their staff were friendly and accommodating of our group of two moms and 7 children.
#6 Just Wander
Moreton-in-Marsh is a small, one main street town. It’s full of interesting, fun old buildings. We highly recommend just wandering around and seeing what fits your fancy. We enjoyed dropping into the various charity shops, which especially impressed me with their beautiful sets of dishes.
Consider Visiting Neighboring Towns
You can drive or catch a bus from Moreton-in-Marsh to nearby Stow-on-the-Wold and Bourton-on-the-Water. We loved visiting both, and I’ll be writing up blog posts on them soon!
What is your favorite place to visit in Moreton-in-Marsh? Is there anything we should add to this post?
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MaryAnne is a craft loving educator, musician, photographer, and writer who lives in Silicon Valley with her husband Mike and their four children.
That looks like so much fun. I would love to visit any of those, but that tea shop sounds fun and Bell Inn would be fun to explore.
The Bell Inn was so cozy! It’s easy to see why Tolkien liked it. And the tea shop is lovely.