Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
11 CIRENCESTER
20 miles SW of Burford; 89 miles W of London; 16 miles S of Cheltenham; 36 miles W of Oxford
Cirencester is the unofficial “capital of the Cotswolds.” Founded by the Romans as
Corinium and then destroyed by the Saxons 300 years later, it boomed again in the
Middle Ages thanks to the great Cotswold wool trade. Little remains from the medi-
eval period, but plenty of well-preserved stone houses from the 17th and 18th centu-
ries are still intact.
Today, Cirencester is chiefly a market town that makes a good base for touring.
Visit the Market Place in the center on Monday or Friday 9am to 3pm, when it's
packed with local traders.
Essentials
GETTING THERE Cirencester has no railway station, but Cheltenham-bound
Great Western trains depart every hour from London's Paddington Station for the
80-minute trip to Kemble (£23-£29), which is 4 miles southwest of Cirencester. You
may have to transfer trains at Swindon. From Kemble station, buses travel to Ciren-
cester (20-25 min.) but don't always meet the trains; Stagecoach (www.stagecoach
bus.com) has seven departures (Mon-Sat only).
If you're driving from London, take the M4 west to junction 15, then the A419
north to Cirencester.
VISITOR INFORMATION The Cirencester Visitor Information Centre is
located in the Corinium Museum, Park Street ( &   01285/654180; www.cirencester.
gov.uk). Hours are Monday to Saturday from 10am to 5pm, Sunday from 2 to 5pm
(Nov-Mar closes at 4pm).
Exploring the Area
Church of St. John the Baptist CHURCH A church may have stood here in
Saxon times, but the present building overlooking the Market Place in the town
center dates from the 15th and 16th centuries. In size, it appears more like a cathe-
dral than a mere parish church, with a variety of styles, largely Perpendicular, as in
the early 15th-century tower. Among the treasures inside are a 15th-century “wine-
glass” pulpit and a silver-gilt cup given to Anne Boleyn 2 years before her execution.
Market Place. &   01285/659317. www.cirenparish.co.uk. Free admission; donations welcomed. Mon-
Sat 9:30am-5pm; Sun 2:15-5pm.
Corinium Museum MUSEUM The Roman town of Corinium was the sec-
ond largest in Roman Britain, and this museum houses a fine collection of archeo-
logical remains from that period, found locally in and around Cirencester. Highlights
include intricate mosaic pavements, excavated on Dyer Street in 1849, and rare
provincial Roman sculpture, including such figures as Minerva and Mercury. The
museum has been completely modernized to include full-scale reconstructions and
special exhibitions on local history from the Iron Age through the English Civil War.
Park St. &   01285/655611. www.cotswold.gov.uk. Admission £4.50 adults, £3.75 seniors, £3 students,
£2.25 children 5-16. Mon-Sat 10am-5pm; Sun 2-5pm (closes at 4pm Nov-Mar).
Cotswold Water Park WATER PARK For fresh air and easy walks, head south
from the Market Place for 3 miles on the A419 to this 40-square-mile reserve
of parkland and woodland trails. Britain's largest water park contains more than
140 lakes surrounded by picnic tables, barbecue sites, and a network of footpaths.
 
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