Winchcombe is an attractive town in the Isbourne Valley, sheltered on three sides by the hills. This was the Saxon capital of Mercia. There are some timbered houses, though most are of Cotswold stone. The streets have short explanations for their names; Cowl Lane, for example, was where the monks from Winchcome Abbey were seen to walk with their cowls covering their heads. There used to be a tannery in Castle Street, which was locally known as Tanyard Bank. The Tudor-style Town Hall is Victorian. Upstairs it has a folk museum illustrating the local way of life but also specialising in the history of the Police; there are uniforms and equipment, modern and historic, from different parts of the world. In the doorway, notice the appropriately placed stocks!