Around a thousand years ago this little community was given what was described as a chapel of Ease. Built probably by the early Normans, possible even by the late Saxons, this little building allowed the residents of this hamlet to attend church without having to make the arduous and possibly dangerous journey to their local parish church in Guiting Power, 4 or 5 miles away.

Dedicated to St Faith it’s a fully-fledged church but in miniature. It’s full of treasures. The communion rail is 17th century and almost certainly came from Winchcombe church, the wonderful medieval roof of ancient oak beams, the charming bellcote, once a double peal but now just a single bell, touchingly poised inside the nave to summon the village to church; the alter stone, a 13th century mensa, is an extremely rare survivor of the Reformation.

It must have been removed, hidden and replaced once sanity was restored. There is even a lovely, canopied tomb featuring the effigies of Henry and Mary Stratford, dressed in full Elizabethan garb and probably dating from around 1590. They show signs of having been cut down to size suggesting that they were made somewhere else by someone you couldn’t believe the tiny space into which they were to be squeezed.

Farmcote is a beautiful little hamlet, with one of the best views out to the west that can be found in the Cotswolds. It’s likely if you do come here, it will be on foot – and that’s no bad thing. This region is criss crossed with many great footpaths, and is one of the best ways to explore this little hamlet.