This magnificent fortress was built in 1067 by William FitzOsbern, one of the closest lieutenants of William the Conqueror, who gave him the task of defending the western frontiers of his land. FitzOsbern chose a site with excellent natural defences: a rocky outcrop overhanging the river to the north, and an enclosed valley to the south.

Fairford is famous for its church, that was rebuilt in the late 15C. Sculptures, some grotesque and amusing, decorate the exterior. Inside, the enclosures, stalls and misericords of the choir are of an exceptional quality. The church's masterpiece, however, is the marvellous series of stained glass windows (c. 1500) that tell the story of the Bible from Adam and Eve to the Final Judgement.

A street lined with half-timbered houses, the most impressive being Greyfriars (c.1480), which has a lovely garden and an interior hung with tapestries.

Constructed in the 17C, this mansion was built for William Blathwayt - a minister of William III, King of England from 1689 to 1702. The formal regular entrance front is made of local stone. The east façade (40m long) consists of two storeys rising to an attic, with the same balustrades as on the west façade, but lightened by touches of Baroque ornament. The house contains some beautiful furnishings and objets d'art mainly from England and the Low Countries.