Stow-on-the-Wold

Stow-on-the-Wold was put on top of a hill where the roads meet by Norman lords who wanted a cut of everyone passing through, and nobody since has seen a reason to change the plan. The narrow alleys that once funnelled sheep into the market square now do the same job with visitors, who get fleeced more politely. In the Civil War the Royalists lost a battle up the road, ran back through the streets and surrendered in that same square, which is still what usually happens to anyone who walks into it with a wallet. Twice a year the horse fair jams every road in, and the town gets to be exactly as busy as its charter always intended.