Cirencester Area Guide

Why live in Cirencester

Cirencester, known as the "Capital Of The Cotswolds", is an historic Roman town in the heart of the Cotswolds with attractions from a Roman Ampitheatre to the nearby Chedworth Roman Villa. Cirencester is a busy market town, it is a modern community, working and trading in a pleasing setting. There are a wide variety of interesting independent shops together with few high street regulars including M&S Simply Food, Phase 8, Boots, WH Smith and Waitrose mostly housed within the charming period buildings. There is a thriving arts centre, several bars, restaurants, cafes and hotels and the market place is the setting for twice weekly markets and other events such as the Christmas lights ceremony. There are many thriving businesses in and around Cirencester, including the Head Office of St James’ Place plc, (wealth management advice) and excellent schooling in the area, both private and state.

Good communications to London by road and rail make the area popular for commuters especially as there is easy access to Bristol, The Midlands, the South West and South Wales. There are many small businesses in the area and thriving rural communities. Picturesque properties in picturesque villages are ideal for second home owners and with superb schools in the area, it is popular for those with families.

Cotswold stone built Manor Houses, Rectories, Cottages, village houses, farms and small estates are typical of the types of property in the area.

History of Cirencester

Cirencester Parish Church of St. John the Baptist in the Market Place is the largest parish church in Gloucestershire, with a glorious Tudor nave and housing the Ann Boleyn Cup of 1535. The three storey south porch was built in 1490 and later known as the Town Hall. An historic and friendly market town, the streets and parklands are rich in architectural treasures not only of Roman times but of the medieval, Georgian and Victorian eras: the result is a town of charming and diverse visual quality, which has been protected by attentive guardians of previous generations.

During the 13-15th Centuries, the medieval period, the native Cotswold sheep were famous throughout Europe for their heavy fleeces and high quality of wool. Cotswold wool commanded a high price and the wealth generated by the wool trade enabled wealthy traders to leave their mark by building fine houses and wonderful churches, known as “wool churches”. Even today, the sight of sheep on the hillside is still one of the classic Cotswold images.
Although there has been a church at Fairford since at least 1125, only fragments of this early building now remain, The Church of St Mary the Virgin was rebuilt in the early 1490s after been given permission by the Bishop of Worcester to dismantle the existing church and can be counted as among a number of so-called ‘wool’ churches built in the Cotswolds in the medieval period. Fairford’s windows are the most complete set of medieval church windows in the country and are therefore of national importance.

Lechlade is a borough and market town from the early 13th Century, it later played a part in the Cotswold wool trade. Its chief function, however, was as a staging post for goods and passenger traffic. By the 17th Century, cheese was shipped down the river from Lechlade and when the Thames and Severn canal was opened, the inhabitants traded in coal. Late 19th Century visitors found it attractive for fishing and boating.

Places of Interest

"If I had a foreign friend visiting from abroad, I think the first place I would take him would be the Cotswolds. It is English architecture at its most English and Cirencester is the self-proclaimed capital." - Alec Clifton-Taylor -

The countryside and villages around Cirencester are picturesque and lively, with thriving rural communities. One of the prettiest areas is the lovely Coln Valley where the meandering River Coln weaves its ways through some of the of the most picturesque villages in the Cotswolds, with deep grassy valleys and villages such as Ablington, Bibury, Coln St Aldwyns, Coln St Dennis, Winson, Coln Rogers, Barnsley, Calcot, Eastleach, Quenington and Southrop all bustle for closeness to this pretty trout river.

Bibury is a charming, typically Cotswold, village just a short drive from "The Capital of the Cotswolds", Cirencester. Bibury was once described by William Morris (1834-96) as "the most beautiful village in England".

Fairford is a small Cotswold market town in Gloucestershire situated on the River Coln between Cirencester and Lechlade.

Lechlade (once Letchlade, which explains its pronunciation), is situated beside the Thames about 11 miles east of Cirencester, 12 miles north of Swindon and about 20 miles west of Oxford.

Ampney Crucis is a thriving pretty Cotswold village with a population of about 600, a pub, village shop and active Church. The neighbouring villages of Ampney St Mary and Ampney St Peter, Poulton, Meysey Hampton and will be found further along the A417.

Leisure in Cirencester

Corinium Museum, Cirencester - 01285 655611
Chedworth Roman Villa - 01242 890256
Keynes Country Park - 01285 861459
Cotswold Water Park - 01285 862962
Cotswold Hoburne - 01285 860216
Kelmscott Manor - 01367 252486
The Butts Farm Rare Breed Centre & Farm - 01285 869414
Magicland (Indoor Play), Cirencester - 01285 885570
Le Spa, Cirencester - 01285 653840

How to get to Cirencester

Gloucestershire Airport between Cheltenham and Gloucester – flights to Isle of Man, Jersey and Belfast
National Express Coaches regularly link up with many towns and cities.
Junction 15 of the M4 is about 17 miles south of Cirencester
Junction 13 of the M5 is about 16 miles west of Cirencester
Kemble Railway Station Paddington (1 hr 20 mins) – 3 miles from Cirencester
Swindon Railway Station – Paddington 55 mins
Bristol International Airport – 8 miles south of Bristol on the A38

Cirencester Local Council

Cotswold District Council
Trinity Road, Cirencester, Gloucestershire, GL7 1PX
Tel: 01285 623000
Fax: 01285 623900
cdc@cotswold.gov.uk

Gloucestershire County Council
Shire Hall
Gloucester GL1 2TG
Tel: 01452 425000

Where to go out in Cirencester

Hotels and Restaurants
Barnsley House Hotel - 01285 740000
Harry Hares, Gosditch Street, Cirencester - 01285 652375
Puesdown Inn, Compton Abdale - 01451 860262
The New Inn, Coln St Aldyns - 01285 750651
Bibury Court Hotel, Bibury - 01285 740337
The Seven Tuns, Chedworth - 01285 720242
The Swan, Southrop - 01367 850205
The Village Pub, Barnsley - 01285 740421
The Wild Duck, Ewen - 01285 770310
Tatyans, Castle Street, Cirencester - 01285 653529
The Mayflower, Sheep Street, Cirencester - 01285 642777
1651 Market Place, Cirencester - 01285 658507
The Swan Hotel, Bibury - 01285 740 695
Thames Head House, Kemble - 01285 770259
The Trouble House, Tetbury - 01666 502206
The Tunnel House, Coates - 01285 770280

Sport
The Talland School of Equitation - 01285 740155
Cirencester Golf Club - 01285 652465
Cotswold Leisure Centre, Cirencester - 01285 654057
Ballooning in the Cotswolds, Cirencester - 01285 885848
Kemble Flying Club, Cirencester - 01285 770077
Cirencester Park Polo Club - 01285 653225
Bibury Trout Farm - 01285 740215
VWH Hunt www.vwhhunt.co.uk

Other

The Cotswold Water Park is a unique area, spread over 40 square miles of countryside, offers something for everyone, from young to not so young, from active to not so active!

On land: Aerial adventure, Angling, Bird Watching, Camping, Cycle Hire, Farm visits, Golf, Guided Walks, Nature Reserves, Picnic Area and Playgrounds. On water: Bathing Beach, Boat Hire, Canoeing, Kayaking, Paddling, Ringo rides, Sailing, Swimming, Wakeboarding, Waterskiiing, Windsurfing.

Schools, Colleges, Universites and Nurseries serving Cirencester
Ampney Crucis C of E Primary School 01285 851440	Bibury C of E Primary School 01285 740268	Fairford C of E Primary School 01285 712543
Powells C of E Primary School 01285 653799	Hatherop Castle School 01285 750318	Meysey Hampton C of E Primary School 01285 851441
Southrop C of E Primary School 01367 850246	Cirencester College 01285 640994	Deer Park School, Cirencester 01285 653447.
Kingshill School, Cirencester 01285 651511	Burford School and Community College 01993 823303	Rendcomb College, Cirencester 01285 831213
Cheltenham Ladies’ College 01242 520691	Cheltenham College 01242 265600	Dean Close, Cheltenham 01242 267405
Airthrie School, Cheltenham 01242 512837	Cheltenham College Junior School 01242 522697	Gloucestershire College of Art & Technology 01242 532000
Acorns Nursery 0131 664 7621	Hatherop Castle Nursery 01285 750206	Bingham Nursery, Cirencester 01285 651310
Stepping Stones, Cirencester 01285 642460	University of Gloucestershire 08707 210210