Minchinhampton
A fine example of a small Cotswold town, Minchinhampton today has a population of over 5,000.
Although a market is no longer held, the fair has been successfully revived in recent times, raising money for charity.
After the Dissolution of the Monasteries, Henry VIII granted the manor to the first Baron Windsor in forced exchange for the family estates near Windsor, which the King coveted. In 1651 the manor was
bought by Samuel Sheppard, and it was one of his descendants, Edward Sheppard, who between 1771 and 1774 built Gatcombe Park, now the residence of H.R.H The Princess Anne.
The existing Market House (there were originally three) was built by Philip Sheppard in about 1700. There is a tradition that Mrs Siddons once acted there, and it is now the home of Minchinhampton
Dramatic Society, and generally a social centre.
In recent years there has been some imaginative development in the town. Note especially near the church the doctors' surgery, old people's home, new library and modern primary school.
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