Faringdon

About

Faringdon is a beautiful old market town, on the edge of the Cotswolds, with a rich and vibrant history and is an ideal place to visit.

Faringdon, meaning ‘fern-covered-hill’, is a beautiful old market town perched on a ridge between two river valleys, the Ock and the Thames, gracing it with panoramic views of the surrounding area.

With a rich and vibrant history, and a range of hotels, pubs, cafes, and shops, Faringdon is an ideal place to visit for a holiday, short break or day out. 

Faringdon is famed for its Folly Tower, built in 1935 by Lord Berners, the then owner of Faringdon House. This 100ft high tower is the last major Folly to be built in England, and sits on Folly Hill, within a charming four-acre, circular woodland of splendid Scots pine and broadleaf trees. The Folly Tower is open every first and third Sunday of the month when you can climb to the top to see the breath-taking views over five counties. Follow the sculpture trail around the woodland and look out for twenty-four blackbirds, the hidden fairy door, the bridge to nowhere, Cromwell’s cannon and much more.

A charter was granted for a weekly market in 1218, with markets continuing to be held every Tuesday in the marketplace.

All Saints’ Church, just off the marketplace, is well worth a visit. It has a rich interior with monuments that reveal the intriguing history of Faringdon. Civil War cannon and musket balls from the battle between the Royalists and Parliamentarians in 1646 are on display inside the church, and there is even a cannonball lodged in the church wall!

A short stroll from central Faringdon are open fields and a network of footpaths and themed walks. Two of England's National Trails - the Thames Path and the Ridgeway are accessible within a short walk or drive.​​​​

 

Five things to do in Faringdon:

• Faringdon Folly Tower and Woodland - This unique unusual 100 ft tower is Faringdon’s icon and the last major folly to be built in England. It sits on Folly Hill, within a charming four-acre, circular woodland of splendid Scots Pine and broad leaf trees, some more than 200 years old.

• The Old Town Hall - The first-time visitor to Faringdon is sure to be struck by The Old Town Hall, a late 17th century hall. Built on stone pillars in a Tuscan style, right in the centre of the Market Place. It was built by public subscription after the Civil Wars and is one of only two town halls from the period in the Vale of White Horse, the other being in Abingdon.

• All Saints’ Church - All Saints’ Church may date from the 12th century, it has a central bell tower which was reduced in height in 1645 after it was damaged by a cannonball in the English Civil War.
  A key to the church can be collected from the Faringdon Information Centre.

• Visit a Market

T​​​​uesday Market - The market is held every Tuesday from 9am to 12.30pm in Faringdon Market Place (The market is not held on the Tuesday after a Bank Holiday).

Farmers Market - Held on the 1^st Tuesday of the month in the Market Place from 9am to 12:30pm

Saturday Market - The market is held every Saturday 10am to 1pm in Faringdon Market Place

• Faringdon Circular Walks - Enjoy our two circular walks around town, collect a map from our Information Centre or visit our website for more details.

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Enjoy a walk to the River

Faringdon, Radcot and Littleworth - 7 miles/11km
This easy walk, which starts at Faringdon, takes you to the River Thames. Here, you can visit The Swan at Radcot, before continuing the walk along the riverside to Radcot Lock and returning to Faringdon via Littleworth. The route takes in two sections of roadway, but the roads are quiet. There are also a number of gates and stiles to climb.

Parking in Faringdon 

You can park for two hours free in either of our Town Centre Car parks:

Gloucester St, Faringdon, SN7 7HY
Southampton St, Faringdon, SN7 7AZ