A STONE lined cart wash in Chipping Campden has been restored to its 19th century glory thanks to donations from the town council, the Campden Society and The Cotswold Wardens.

The restoration project to the feature in Church Street, was masterminded by Ros Young with a team of volunteers, who raised the funds for the work to commence. Volunteers cleaned out the cart wash, cut back ivy and removed the turf, so that local builder Nick Godson could commence the repairs. A marker stone was carved by stonemason Ian Ashurst.

The cart wash is located opposite to the Almshouses, built by Sir Baptist Hicks. It dates from the early 1800s and replaced a pond at the bottom of Church Street, originally used for the purpose of allowing a cart to wash its wheels and stand in water, so that wooden wheels could expand in dry weather and remove the mud in bad weather. If wheels were allowed to dry out the spokes loosened and the iron tyres on the wheels would fall off. Campden locals can still remember water in the Cart Wash and as children paddling, playing and sliding there in icy weather. Tony Rose, chairman of the Campden Society, unveiled the marker stone. The children of St James' School window had made a display for the Co-op window in the High Street and local artist, David Birch, had created a painting.