Cirencester is located 80 miles west of London and is often referred to as the capital of the Cotswolds as it lies in the heart of this beautiful part of England. It was our first visit to this prosperous market town and after finding somewhere to park on the edge of the town, we were soon ready to explore this attractive Cotswold town.
The streets are lined with beautiful Cotswold stone buildings casting a golden glow as we wandered along. Soon we had arrived at the market square which we found to be a hive of activity even in these pandemic times.
By chance we had arrived on a market day which takes place each Monday and Friday. Stalls were set out across the square and we enjoyed browsing the many stalls offering a range of fresh produce, household goods and street food.
Providing a wonderful backdrop to the market is the cathedral like Parish Church of St. John the Baptist which was funded by wool merchants with their crests adorning the pillars.
Surrounding the square are some beautiful timber framed buildings including that of the Fleece Hotel. The Fleece was a former coaching inn where in 1651 it is believed that Charles II spent a night on his escape from England after his defeat at the Battle of Worcester.
Another handsome building in the market place is the Bingham House & Gallery which contains art and photographs showcasing Cirencester through the ages.
Our walk then took us from the market on Dyer Street along to Sheep and Castle Streets where we found numerous independent retailers as well as many of the high street names. Cirencester is a very pleasant town for shopping and unlike many places up and down the country doesn’t seem to have too many empty shops.
We came across a large statue depicting a hare and a horse and at first were slightly puzzled about its significance but later discovered that hares have held a special place in the town’s history since Roman times. Back in 1971 a Roman hare mosaic was unearthed and this is now on display in the town’s Corinium Museum.
Corinium is the Roman name for Cirencester and it was the second largest town outside London and the major Roman administrative centre in the south west. The Corinium Museum contains one of the most extensive collections of Roman artefacts in the country.
Continuing our stroll, we found lots of interesting small shops and cafes tucked away down narrow passageways and in attractive courtyards off the main shopping streets. I liked both the small Wool Market and Bishop’s Walk shopping areas with quaint shopfronts and outdoor cafes making it look so pretty.
Our walk then moved on to the New Brewery Arts Centre, a converted Victorian brewery and now an arts and crafts centre with galleries and studios where visitors can watch crafts people in action, along with a shop and cafe.
We passed the main entrance gate to Cirencester Park but did not have time to visit. Owned by the Earl & Countess of Bathurst visitors are able to enjoy walking or horse riding through the park which is said to be one of the most beautiful privately owned parks in the country and a regular venue for polo matches.
Our tour of Cirencester ended with a walk through the Abbey Gardens, the site of the Augustinian Abbey of St. Mary which grew rich in medieval times through the wool trade.
At one corner of the gardens we were able to take a look at a small portion of the ancient Roman wall and then take a relaxing walk along the lake side on the edge of the park before returning to the car.
We’d spent an enjoyable few hours in Cirencester and I would recommend visiting if you are in the area as it remains unspoilt being slightly off the usual tourist trail.
If you are considering visiting Cirencester it is easily accessible by car from both the M4 and M5 motorways. However if you plan to visit by train the nearest station is 6 miles away in Kemble.
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I spent a long weekend in Cirencester a couple of years ago. Your post has bought back some great memories. I love old mosaics, so the Corinium Museum was a special place to visit. The hotel at which I stayed had an old Roman mosaic below floor level, covered by glass, which made my day. I purchased honey and cheese from the market – both excellent. Wonderful gardens in the area, including the Westonbirt National Aboretum. So missing my visits to the UK.
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The hotel you stayed in at Cirencester sounds lovely, I’ll have to check it out. Weston it is also on my list of places to visit in the future. Thank you for taking the time to comment, it’s so nice to hear from you.
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I love the old buildings in Cirencester … especially the parish church. And how lucky were you to be there on market day – a market day is always a bonus when visiting a town! And how special to see those Roman walls in Abbey Garden 👍🏻.
Thanks Marion, I’ve enjoyed my (Saturday) stroll through one of your posts!
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Cirencester is a very pleasant town and it was a good opportunity for us to visit as that weekend we were heading to Tewkesbury to attend my sister-in-laws wedding. Hope your weekend is going well. Marion.
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Thanks, we have a good old lazy weekend … raining here in South Africa. Great to sit in front of the fire (indoors of course) and drink some hot chocolate to fight the cold 💌.
A good weekend for you too. Corna
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Awww I love this.. I live in cirencester and absolutely love everything about it
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Thank you so much for your kind words. Cirencester is a lovely town and we so enjoyed our visit. Hope you have a good weekend. Marion.
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Cirencester is just up the road from where I live, about 20 mins away. You have done it proud in this article and captured its beauty. I often shop here instead of a big city to get a more rural and less crowded feel. The Roman Museum here is actually quite big and has some beautiful and huge mosaic and statues – well worth a visit.
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Thank you for your kind words, it’s a compliment indeed from a local! We loved our visit to Cirencester and hope to return again later in the year when we’ll try and visit the Roman Museum if it’s back,open.
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Good Day Marion, it feels like a British weather day here on Maryland’s Eastern shore, cloudy, rain and 10C. Nice to journey through a new city within your eyes. We are waiting for this damn Covid thinggy to end so we can once again cross the big pond. I’m running out of years to do all that remains. Peace and Safety to ye!
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Let’s hope it won’t be too many more months before we can all start travelling wherever we want again. I’ve only been to Maryland once and that was 30 years ago when we had a friend living in Laurel. We spent two enjoyable weeks together driving around and exploring the area. Hope the weather has improved now and you are getting some crisp autumnal days.
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37F and crisp this AM. Be Safe my friend.
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Thank you, you too!
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what lovely buildings. looks like a great little city
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Cirencester is very pretty Andy, on the edge of the Cotswolds but slightly off the tourist trail. Hope you’re having a good weekend. Marion
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Love the architectural marvels of old England and the beauty of rural scenes. Thank you.
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Thanks Ian, we have so much to be grateful for being able to visit some of these towns that were formed so many years ago.
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Nice write up and pictures. you have captured one of my favourite towns very well
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That’s very kind of you to say Nigel. It’s so pleasing to read that you have enjoyed reading this post.
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Cotswolds? I hear so much about it, but mainly about the smaller villages. I didn’t know this town is also in Cotswolds
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This looks like a charming town for a walk and explore all these interesting places!
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Thanks Meg. Cirencester is a lovely town and not at all spoilt by over tourism.
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Cirencester looks lovely, not sure about that hare statue though! It looks like many of the shops and cafes are independents? I wonder if that’s the secret to keeping the town centre bustling, even in tricky times!
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I think it probably is a recipe for success. I’d not been to Cirencester before but I’m glad we stopped by on our way to Tewkesbury.
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Sounds wonderful and I’ll definitely add it to my list….it appears to have most of the elements I look for when visiting a place. Thanks for the heads up
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I’m certain you would enjoy a visit to Cirencester. Somewhere else for you to look forward to visiting! Thank you for taking the time to comment.
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Great blogs. Informative and very personal.Thank you.
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It’s my pleasure. I’m so pleased you enjoyed reading about my visit to Cirencester and thank you for taking the time to comment.
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I was brought up not far from the Cotswolds which we visited frequently so it was nice to return vicariously to an old haunt.
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It’s not an area I know so it was good to visit recently. I love the warm colours of the local stone. Thank you for commenting. Have you been watching the Giro? I do enjoy watching these big tours on television when ‘m around.
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Watching and writing about it and now it’s overlapping with the Vuelta it’s hard to keep up.
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That’s the problem, it’s either all or nothing!
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Never been but it looks like a lovely little town
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Thank you for taking the time to comment. It was our first visit to Cirencester and we liked it very much as it’s not a bit touristy yet has a charm of its own.
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I’m dying to visit Cotswold, especially after discovering it recently. The buildings in Cirencester appear to be a step back in time, particularly with the distinctive parish towering over much of the heart of town. I’ve been enjoying your posts from the UK– keep them coming!
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Thanks for your continued interest in my U.K. posts Rebecca. It was my first visit to Cirencester and we enjoyed the town very much.
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I like this series on English cities, it reminds me of my stays in the south of England, these cities really deserve to be better known.
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Thank you for your continued interest in my blog. It’s pleasing to read that you are enjoying this series of lesser known towns and cities in southern England. There are so many lovely places waiting to be explored.
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