If you’ve ever driven around Upstate or the Midlands of South Carolina, you’ve likely passed through the Olde English District, whether you realized it or not. The region’s rolling hills and wooded flatlands span seven counties—Chester, Chesterfield, Fairfield, Kershaw, Lancaster, Union, and York.
Perhaps most notably, the district includes Camden, the oldest inland city in South Carolina. Camden is home to something akin to a greatest-hits list of the South’s most treasured obsessions—dogs (the Boykin Spaniel Society, honoring the South Carolina state dog, was founded here), horses, hunting, and history.
At the end of January, Camden hosts the Wateree Hounds Sporting Week. Events include five days of fox hunting, along with special activities like a dove hunt and lunch, quail hunts, a polo clinic, a golf tournament, a wild game dinner, and a beagle hunt with cocktails and a barbecue. The week highlights Camden’s “resort era” (1882 through the end of World War II), when it was a resort town where wealthy visitors from the North and Midwest came to escape the cold. During that time, the area also became an equestrian stronghold, and it remains the Steeplechase Capital of the World.
“If it’s spring or fall, you don’t want to miss the steeplechase races, the Carolina Cup, and the Colonial Cup,” says Chris Hunter, the owner of Sterling Fox Antiques, a high-end shop in Camden where you just might find some memorabilia from the events he mentions.
Whether you’re planning a jaunt through the Olde English District, a visit to Camden, or a road trip through the state, keep a few of these stops in mind:
SHOP AND LEARN
“The most popular place to start would be the Revolutionary War Visitor Center at Camden, where you can learn about our rich history,” says Kathryn Couch, who owns Pink Stable, a women’s clothing and gift store in town.
Travelers will find plenty of antiques and collectibles across the region, too. Shops like Clover Antiques in small-town Clover and Menagerie Antiques & Collectibles in Camden are good pit stops if you’re into Pyrex and antique furniture. In Rock Hill, the Mercantile is a modern general store and coffee shop housed in two historic buildings that also offers workshops on the likes of soapmaking and flower arranging.
If fresh produce and preserves are your jam (pun intended), be sure to stop at one of the many family-owned and -operated farms—Cotton Hills Farm, McLeod Farms, Bush-N-Vine, and Windy Hill Orchard & Cider Mill, to name a few—that help South Carolina produce nearly three times the amount of peaches per pound than neighboring Georgia, according to the South Carolina Department of Agriculture.
Home to nine state parks, the district is also a haven for outdoor enthusiasts. Cheraw State Park has an eighteen-hole championship golf course and offers kayaking, canoeing, and fishing on Lake Juniper. Landsford Canal State Park, located along the Catawba River, is home to preserved remnants of a historic canal system commercially navigable between 1820 and 1835. The Catawba River houses the world’s largest population of rocky shoals spider lilies, a popular find for kayakers in the park come May.
Spider lilies at Landsford Canal State Park.
History buffs can learn about the historical and cultural impacts of the American Revolution by visiting museums and battlefield sites, including the Camden battlefield, Historic Brattonsville, and the Revolutionary War Visitors Center. In Lancaster, the Native American Studies Center offers insight into South Carolina’s Native American peoples.
Dine and Drink
“We are currently fixated on B.Colson’s, located in downtown Camden,” Couch says. “Our current favorite is the Pine Tree Hill Half Chicken, chicken cooked sous vide with a hot chile honey glaze. It’s certainly big enough for two people, but it’s so delicious that you might not want to share it!” Broad & Vine, a self-service wine bar housed in a restored bank building, is another of Couch’s favorites in Camden.
Union County locals swear by Midway BBQ, serving barbecue and country cooking for more than fifty years. History buffs will want to try Kounter in Rock Hill, known both as the site of the McCrory’s sit-ins (also called the Friendship Nine civil rights sit-ins) and chef Rob Masone’s culinary prowess. (While you’re there, be sure to check out the walk-through exhibit Jail, No Bail, showcasing original artifacts from the Friendship Nine events.)
A look at the Jail, No Bail exhibit.
York County has organized its YoCo Brew Trail, featuring more than a dozen breweries. For those with an adventurous palate, stop at Ed Currie’s PuckerButt Pepper Company in Fort Mill. Currie secured a spot in Guinness World Records 2017 for growing the hottest chile pepper and has since beaten his own record with Pepper X, the world’s newest, hottest pepper.
One other quick stop—a peaceful cup of tea in Ridgeway at Laura’s Tea Room. Originally the town mercantile, this historic building has been completely renovated to bring full tea service and a gift shop to the small town.
Book a Room
“One of the best places to stay in town is Four Oaks Inn,” Hunter says about the charming 1860s Georgian-style house that operates as a bed-and-breakfast. “If you’re looking for a quintessential Camden experience, it doesn’t get much better.” Wine enthusiasts will enjoy the Laurel Haven Estate, a thirty-seven-acre vineyard property in the Lancaster area that includes a lovely farmhouse inn. And in the Rock Hill area, the East Main Guest House is a restored 1916 Craftsman bed-and-breakfast just steps away from Old Town.
