About
One of the Cotswolds' most distinctive village traditions. On the Sunday on or after 19 September, Painswick gathers in the churchyard of St Mary's for the Clypping — from the Old English 'clyppan', to embrace — where the congregation joins hands, encircles the church and sings the Clypping hymn led by the Salvation Army Band. The outdoor service runs for around an hour from 3pm; children receive a Clypping Bun and a coin afterwards.
Around the ceremony sits the Painswick Feast — stalls, local crafts, apple day, live entertainment and games running through the day around the churchyard and the surrounding lanes. The signature delicacy is Puppy Dog Pie, a small beef pie baked with a china dog ornament hidden inside (no actual dogs involved). Get there early: they sell out by early afternoon.
The Clypping dates from at least the 19th century in its current form, though the underlying encircling ritual is far older. It is a rare surviving example of the church-embracing customs once common across the West Country.
In Painswick
Silver-grey stone (rarer here than honey) and a churchyard of 99 ancient yews, with the Rococo Garden a mile north.
Read the Painswick guide →