Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Concessions here will hook you up for sailing, fishing, canoeing, cycling, kayaking,
horseback riding, and water-skiing (but no jet-skiing and no waterslides). All equip-
ment needed is available for rent on-site. Swimming is possible June through Septem-
ber at Lake 32 (www.ukwatersports.co.uk) and Lake 16 (www.southcerneyoutdoor.
co.uk).
Gateway Centre, Spine Rd., South Cerney (B4696).
&
01285/861459.
www.waterpark.org. Basic
admission free, otherwise varies according to activity and location; see website for details. Gateway
Information Centre open daily 9am-5pm.
New Brewery Arts
ARTS & CRAFTS The heart of this arts complex is the work-
shop area of 12 resident crafts workers who produce everything from baskets to
chandeliers. Other components of the center include three galleries, featuring crafts
and fine-art exhibitions alike, a theatre, education classes, a shop selling the best in
British crafts, and a coffeehouse.
Brewery Court.
&
01285/657181.
www.breweryarts.org.uk. Free admission. Mon-Sat 9am-5pm; Sun
10am-4pm.
Shopping
For antiques in Cirencester, try
William H. Stokes,
the Cloisters, 6-8 Dollar St.
(
&
01285/653907;
www.williamhstokes.co.uk), which specializes in oak furniture,
tapestries, and other items from the 16th and 17th centuries.
The
Organic Farm Shop
just 2 miles outside Cirencester at Abbey Home
Farm, Burford Road (B4425;
&
01285/640441;
www.theorganicfarmshop.co.uk),
sells over 100 varieties of fresh, home-produced organic vegetables and herbs. It's
open Tuesday to Thursday (and Sat) 9am to 5pm, Friday 9am to 6:30pm and Sunday
11am to 4pm. Even if you're not buying it's a great place to visit, and also has a cafe
that serves up the produce.
Entertainment & Nightlife
For a pint, head for the town favorite, the
Crown,
17 W. Market Place (
&
01285/
653206;
www.crownciren.com), a friendly pub enjoyed by locals and students alike,
with out-of-towners predominating in summer. The place boasts a 400-year-old tradi-
tion of serving ale and victuals on this site, and it has the most convivial nightlife in
town. The
Waggon & Horses
, 11 London Rd. (
&
01285/652022;
www.
thewaggonandhorses.co.uk), is an 18th-century coaching inn that not only serves at
least six real ales on tap, but also surprisingly good Thai food (cooked up by a real
Thai chef).
Where to Eat & Stay
Barnsley House
The Cotswolds is studded with expensive country-house
resorts, but few are as chic, glamorous, and trendy as the former home of garden
designer Rosemary Verey. On any weekday, this country house might be visited by
regulars Kate Moss, Kate Winslet, Elizabeth Hurley, or Damien Hirst. The 17th-
century mansion is surrounded by the best-landscaped gardens in the Cotswolds, and
the soothing Garden Spa is spell-binding. The rooms blend stone fireplaces, wooden
floors, and beams with contemporary furnishings and the latest technology—you can
even take a bath while watching a DVD. The on-site
Potager Restaurant
uses local
and fresh produce from the gardens to conjour up English dishes with an Italian
influence, such as pumpkin cappelletti, and smoked haddock and pea risotto (main
courses £12-£27).
11
